Remove redundant words or phrases

Learning Objectives Identify common redundant words and phrases in sentences. Define key terms like redundancy, pleonasm, and tautology. Revise sentences to eliminate unnecessary repetition for improved clarity and impact. Strengthen thesis statements and analytical claims by removing redundant language. Analyze professional writing to observe how conciseness creates a powerful effect. Apply conciseness strategies to their own persuasive and analytical essays. Ever felt like you're saying the same exact thing twice in one sentence? 🤔 Strong writing is like a sharp knife—it cuts straight to the point. This tutorial will teach you how to identify and remove redundant words and phrases, a skill known as writing with conciseness. Learning to be concise will make your argu...

TermDefinitionExample RedundancyThe use of words or phrases that are unnecessary because their meaning is already stated or implied elsewhere in the sentence.In the phrase 'twelve midnight,' the word 'twelve' is redundant because midnight is always at 12 AM. PleonasmA specific type of redundancy where you use more words than are required to express an idea, often by pairing a word with another that is part of its definition.'I saw it with my own eyes.' The phrase 'with my own eyes' is a pleonasm because seeing is done with one's eyes. TautologyA redundancy where the same idea is repeated using different words, often in the same sentence or in close proximity.'They arrived one after the other in succession.' The phrase 'in success...

The 'Delete and Reread' Test If you can remove a word or phrase and the sentence's essential meaning remains unchanged, that word or phrase was likely redundant. After writing a draft, read each sentence and actively question every word. Ask yourself, 'Is this word doing real work?' If you're unsure, temporarily delete it and reread the sentence aloud. If it still makes perfect sense, leave it out. The 'Synonym Check' Convention Scan for pairs of adjectives or adverbs that mean nearly the same thing. Choose the single most powerful or precise word and eliminate the other. Writers sometimes use two similar words to add emphasis, but it often just clutters the sentence. Instead of 'The character's basic and fundamental flaw was...