What Is Redundancy in Writing?
Redundancy is a common occurrence which makes a piece of writing lengthy and difficult to read. It occurs when a writer uses repetitive words and phrases to bulk up a piece of text. Whether it is employing overused words and phrases or repeating words that add no additional meaning, it is important to eliminate fluff in writing.
Below are some examples of redundant words and phrases in a sentence:
1. Revert back
- Incorrect: I’ll check and revert back.
- Correct: I’ll check and revert.
‘Revert’ means “to get back,” so it would suffice to say “revert.”
2. Frozen ice
- Incorrect: The backyard was covered in frozen ice.
- Correct: The backyard was covered in ice.
“Ice” is frozen water, so it would suffice to say “ice.”
3. Purple in color
- Incorrect: She bought a dress which was purple in color.
- Correct: She bought a purple dress.
“Purple” is a color, so using the word “color” becomes redundant.
4. Shouted loudly
- Incorrect: The frustrated coach shouted loudly at the players.
- Correct: The frustrated coach shouted at the players.
To “shout” is to express loudly. So, “loudly” is redundant.
Apart from the above examples, there are several other redundant words/phrases that are commonly used and should be avoided. Below is a list of such expressions:
- Unexpected surprise
- Completely unanimous
- Empty void
- Recur again
- True fact
- Vast majority
- Join together
- Lag behind
- Mutually interdependent
- Ultimate goal
- Close scrutiny
- Crisis situation
- Advanced reservation
- New invention
- Past memory
- Over exaggerate
- Wall mural
In the above examples, the words that are highlighted are redundant and can be omitted.
How to Avoid Redundancy
Repeating words or phrases that mean the same thing or using adverbs for emphasizing something not only adds to the length of the text but also makes reading difficult. A paraphraser can also help to effectively streamline the text by removing redundant elements and improving clarity and readability. Ensure that any piece of writing is concise and clear by avoiding:
1. Double negatives
When two negative words are used in a sentence, one of them becomes redundant and should be eliminated, as shown in the following examples.
- Incorrect: Clara didn’t hear nothing.
- Correct: Clara didn’t hear anything.
- Incorrect: I don’t have no money.
- Correct: I don’t have money.
- Incorrect: I’m not going to pay no bills.
- Correct: I’m not going to pay any bills.
2. Wordy, lengthy descriptions
Using more words than necessary can make a piece long-winded and difficult to read. Below are some examples that show how to simplify wordy sentences into concise ones.
- Redundant: Several modifications have been made to the user manual of late, keeping in mind the new features of the product.
- Concise: The user manual was recently modified to include new product features.
- Redundant: It would have been impossible to score such good grades had our son not put in tons of effort.
- Concise: Our son’s efforts earned him good grades.
- Redundant: Fresh graduates face a wide variety of challenges while looking for a job.
- Concise: Graduates face several challenges while job hunting
3. Intensifiers
Intensifiers are adverbs—like really, extremely, very, totally, and so—that don’t add any additional meaning to a sentence and should therefore be avoided. Following are some examples of sentences with and without intensifiers:
- Incorrect: I feel so very sorry for John.
- Correct: I feel sorry for John.
- Incorrect: I’m afraid Carla is not at all interested in going to the party.
- Correct: I’m afraid Carla isn’t interested in going to the party.
- Incorrect: I’m extremely excited about the trip.
- Correct: I’m excited about the trip.
4. Pleonasm
Using more words than necessary to describe something is known as pleonasm. Following are some examples of it in writing:
- Incorrect: I saw it with my own eyes.
- Correct: I saw it.
- Incorrect: This is my very own house.
- Correct: This is my house.
- Incorrect: Please repeat what you said again.
- Correct: Please repeat.
5. Repeating words while expanding an acronym
Repeating the word that the last letter of an acronym stands for is one of the common mistakes people make while expanding an acronym. This is termed “Redundant Acronym Syndrome.”
For example, it would be redundant to use “DC Comics” since the expansion of DC is “Detective Comics” and the C in DC stands for “comics.” Below are more such examples:
- Incorrect: He tested positive for HIV virus.
- Correct: He tested positive for HIV.
The full form of HIV is Human Immunodeficiency Virus; using “virus” again after HIV is redundant.
- Incorrect: Is there an ATM machine nearby?
- Correct: Is there an ATM nearby?
The full form of ATM is Automated Teller Machine; using “machine” again after ATM is redundant.
- Incorrect: We bought a new TV with LCD display.
- Correct: We bought a new LCD TV.
The full form of LCD is Liquid Crystal Display; using “display” again after LCD is redundant.
Removing words that are redundant not only makes a written piece clutter-free, but also makes reading easier.
