Download Section

Print out chapter

Redundancy is the unnecessary repetition of an idea. For example, it is redundant to say "a beginner lacking experience." The word beginner implies lack of experience by itself. You can eliminate redundant words or phrases without changing the meaning of the sentence. Watch out for words that add nothing to the sense of the sentence, because redundancy takes away from the clarity and conviction of a statement.

Here are some common redundancies:

Redundant Phrase	Concise Phrase
1. refer back	to
2. Few in number	few
3. Small-sized	small
4. Grouped together	grouped
5. In my own personal opinion	in my opinion
6. End result	result
7. Serious crisis	crisis
8. New initiatives	initiatives

Redundancy often results from carelessness, but you may easily eliminate redundant elements when proofreading.

Exercise: Proofread these sentences for redundancy:

1. Those who can follow directions are few in number.

2. She has deliberately chosen to change careers.

3. Dialogue opens up many doors to compromise.

4. The ultimate conclusion is that environmental and economic concerns are intertwined.

Answers

1. Few people can follow directions.

2. She has chosen to change careers.

3. Dialogue opens many doors to compromise.

4. The conclusion is that environmental and economic concerns are intertwined.

Chapter 5a(8): Vague Writing