Do You Employ Redundancy? #6

Yet another adventure in the land of redundant words, repetitions and guilty grammar. If you’re doing this, you should try a serious session with Fowler’s Modern English Usage!

Actual experience: An experience is something that happened. It can only be ‘actual’, unless, of course, it’s vicarious. But there’s no reason you should admit to that is there?

Advance reservations: Reservations are, by their nature, actions that occur before the event, so cut the ‘advance’, please: it’s superfluous.

Meet together: A group, whether it consists of people or things, is a coming together. I can’t imagine a situation, other than ‘virtual’ in which you could meet apart.

Completely opposite: Something opposite isn't always diametrically opposed, but the modifier is nevertheless extraneous.

Consensus of opinion: Consensus is agreement, though not necessarily about an opinion. So ‘consensus of opinion’ isn’t entirely redundant, but the qualifier is generally unnecessary.

Few in number: Few refers to a number. Using ‘number’ here is simple repetition.

Ten p.m. in the evening: The abbreviations p.m. identifies the time of day. You don’t need ‘in the evening’. Use one or the other, not both.

Possibly might: Might suggests possibility. Unless you’re using it for effect, cut the ‘might’ or the ‘possibly’.

Added bonus: A bonus is something added. In the case of a banker, it’s also undeserved, but that’s a different issue.

One more rant done with. But there will be another!

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• Do You Employ Redundancy? #5
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #1
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #4

Do You Employ Redundancy? #4

Another adventure in the land of unwanted words, repetitions and gory grammar. If you’re guilty, the sentence is a serious session absorbing Fowler’s Modern English Usage!

Absolutely essential: Something essential is necessary. ‘Absolutely’ is an unnecessary appendage; cut it out.

Advance notice: Notices, by their nature, proclaim a future event. Once the event is done with, they become redundant, rather like the use of ‘advance’ here.

Ask a question: If you pose a question, you are seeking an answer. You can ask, or you can question; to do both is a tautology. Please chose one.

Collaborate together: Collaboration requires connection with others. You can’t collaborate alone.

False pretence: Pretence is deception; it’s already false.

Foreign imports: Imports originate in another country; their foreign nature is therefore implicit. Don’t make them feel unwelcome by repeating the fact, eh?

Protest against: Protest is opposition: simple as that, really.

Suddenly exploded: Ain’t no such animal as a slow explosion. It can’t be any more immediate than it is.

For a number of days: ‘Days’ is a plural. You can’t have 1 days, so, if you’re spending days, there must be more than one. Okay?

As for example: ‘As’ implies an example is provided; use ‘as’ or ‘for example’ or ‘e.g.’, but not together, please.

One more rant done with. But there will be more!

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• Do You Employ Redundancy? #1
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #2
• Do You Employ Redundancy? #3

Do You Employ Redundancy? #2

Another foray into the fascinating world of unnecessary words, repetitions and other heinous crimes of grammar. If guilty, kindly write out the following a hundred times each!

Absolutely certain: You’re certain, are you? Well, if you are, you’re unlikely to be partially so. Certainty is absolute, so the adjective is superfluous: Cut it out.

Basic fundamentals: If it’s basic, it’s fundamental. Tautology is bad for you; don’t do it.

Close proximity: Now, you know better than this. If something is in the proximity of something else, it’s close to it; that’s what proximity means. Chose you word; one or the other, not both.

Definite decision: Not all decisions are final, but all decisions are definite, otherwise no decision has been made. Cut away the inessential.

Estimated at about: Estimation is approximation, so is ‘about’ in this context. You don’t need the extra word.

Invited guests: We call uninvited people ‘gate-crashers’. By their nature, guests have been invited.

Past history: History is a record of past occurrences. If you’re recording the present or a predicted future, it isn’t history. ‘Past’ isn’t needed.

Revert back: If something reverts, it goes back to an earlier state. Leave the back against the chair and lean on it.

Still remains: When something remains it is still there. Let’s keep the still in the shed, making the illegal hooch, eh?

Usual custom: Custom is routinely observed, that’s what makes it a custom. Unusually, however, here it is possible to have an unusual custom, which is a custom practised in one place but not common in another.

Another rant done with. But, beware; there will be more!

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Do You Employ Redundancy? #1

For the past few weeks I’ve been editing a long book, the third volume of my trilogy. Part of that process has used the online editing tool, Prowritingaid, (try it free by clicking on this link). One of the many grammar functions it provides is a check for redundancy, that is the unnecessary repetition of an idea. Often, but not always, this can be the qualification of an absolute. Sometimes, it’s simple tautology. I’m intending a short series of examples here to aid other writers and prevent you making similar mistakes. By no means all of these are mine, but I have been caught out by a few.

Add an additional: If you add something, it’s another. You can say the same thing by using either ‘Add….’ or ‘An additional…’, depending on the way you wish to structure your sentence. You don’t need both.

Basic essentials: By their nature, essentials are elementary, so leave out ‘basic’.

Close scrutiny: Scrutiny is close study, so don’t qualifying it with ‘close’.

Difficult dilemma: A dilemma is never easy; ‘difficult’ is an unnecessary modifier.

End result: A result occurs at the end, so you don’t need end as a modifier.

Final outcome: An outcome is a result and is therefore final. The exception here is when you’re listing a series of related outcomes of a process; in that case, the last one would correctly be ‘the final outcome’.

For a period of hours: ‘Hours’ is plural, and duration is therefore implied. Try to specify a number of hours or generalize with ‘many’ or ‘several’.

3 a.m. in the morning: One of my bugbears. I hate this. The abbreviation ‘a.m.’ tells you it’s morning, so please use either ‘3 a.m.’ or ‘3 in the morning’ and help prevent me busting a blood vessel.

Plan ahead: If you’re planning, you’re preparing for something that will happen in the future. Use your head, not ‘ahead’.

Spell out in detail: If you ‘spell it out’ you provide details. Let’s not detail it in detail, shall we?

There, that’s made me feel better. But has it helped you? I hope so. A small point for fiction writers; by all means allow your characters to use these redundancies in their speech, under such circumstances they’re as forgivable as clichés: we need to make our people sound human, after all.

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