Redundancy and its definition Redundancy according to experts REDUNDANCY 1.

. According to Benzel and Goldbeck, it is a specific kind of wordiness, occurring when the same or similar words are repeated unnecessarily. 2. According to Guth, it is the most easily spotted kind of wordiness which he described as unnecessary duplication. 3. According to Mc Crimmon, it is repetitious wording. 4. According to Richard K. Corbin, it is the use of unnecessary words, especially of words that repeated idea expressed elsewhere in the sentence. Redundancy and its background
Redundancy can be described as the difference between the possible and actual information in a message. This difference may be repetition or other encodings beyond the minimal possible length. A message entirely without redundancy may contain the maximum amount of information, but cannot be corrected if it is corrupted in some way, because there is no spare material to check with. In the Latin sentence above, three items would have to be lost before the plural message is lost. In the English equivalent, the loss of one -swould change the message drastically. To avoid misunderstandings, people generally repeat themselves more when speaking than writing. This corresponds to the greater possibility of error in listening than reading. In linguistics (the study of language), redundancy is the construction of a phrase that presents some idea using more information, often via multiple means, than is necessary for one to be able understand the idea. Often, redundancies occur in speech unintentionally, but redundant phrases can also be deliberately constructed for emphasis, in order to avoid the possibility of others' misinterpretation of a very important idea. In rhetoric, the term "redundancy" tends to have a negative connotation and may be perceived as improper because of its use of duplicative or unnecessary wording (and some people expand the definition to

include self-contradictory wording, similar to double negation); however, it remains a linguistically valid way of placing emphasison some expressed idea. Through the use of repetition of certain concepts, redundancy increases the odds of predictability of a message's meaning and understanding to others. Examples:

Redundant Phrases: 1. added bonus: This is one that I see frequently in Internet marketing sales letters and infomercials. Since the word bonus implies that an additional good is being included with the existing product, the added part is redundant. In most cases, you can just write bonus. 2. free gift: This one is also very common in the Internet marketing world as well as in offline retailing. If something is truly a gift, it is not supposed to cost anything and is automatically free. On the other hand, if something is NOT free, then it is not actually a gift; instead it would be considered as a purchase or trade. This should simply be written as gift or free X, where X is the name of the product youre giving away. 3. past (or prior, previous) experience: Experience already refers to things that you have done in the past, so you do not need to include past, prior, or previous in your resum here. 4. future planning, plan in the future: A plan is always something that you are thinking about doing in the future; you cannot plan to do something in the past or present. Therefore, you just need to say plan or planning. 5. revert back: The word revert means to go back to, making the back part of this phrase redundant. Other words in this same category include refer , return , and repay you dont need to use back with any of these. 6. completely surrounded, surrounded on all sides: The word surrounded implies that something is enclosed on all sides and the notion of completeness is already included here. So just use surrounded. 7. advance warning: A warning is something given in advance, usually in the form of a notification that unfavorable circumstances may occur in the future. The advance part is not needed. 8. unexpected emergency, unexpected surprise: Neither an emergency nor a surprise can occur if youre actually expecting it. Drop unexpected.

9. completely (or totally, utterly) destroyed: If something is destroyed, this means that it has been rendered completely unusable or inoperable. An item cannot have a partially destroyed status any more than one can be partially pregnant. If something is still partially functioning, the proper word to use is damaged , not destroyed. 10. absolutely (or completely) essential: This is another case where the modifiers are not necessary. Something is either essential or not essential; there is no such thing as partially essential. 11. Link (or join, assemble, collaborate) together: All of these verbs relate to bringing things together, making the together part superfluous. Simply use the word that best fits the context of the sentence. 12. round (or square, triangular, etc.) in shape: If something is round, this already refers to its shape, making the in shape part redundant. 13. large (or small) in size: Similar to the above situation, both large and small already refer to size. Drop in size. 14. few (or many) in number: The in number part is redundant. Just use few or many. 15. filled to capacity: If something is filled or full, it has already reached its capacity. So we only need to say full or at capacity depending on context. 16. 12 (o clock) noon, 12 midnight: Both noon and midnight always occur at 12:00, so we dont need the 12 part. Just say noon or midnight. 17. discuss about: Discuss means to talk about, so it is preferable to simply write either discuss or talk about but not both. 18. razed to the ground: Raze means to level something to the ground or shave it off, so the words to the ground are superfluous here. If a village is razed in the sense of being sacked and demolished, it would not make much sense to raze it into the air unless we figure out a way to defy the laws of physics. 19. and also: This is one that I have caught myself using occasionally. Depending on the context, it is better to use one of these two words, but not both at the same time. 20. pizza pie: Pizza actually means pie in Italian, so it would seem silly to say pie pie.

21. Sahara desert: This is one that I learned fairly recently. Sahara means desert in Arabic, so if were referring to the specific desert in Africa, its just Sahara. 22. West Oso Bears: This is the name of one of our local high school football teams. Interestingly, because the word oso means bear (the animal) in Spanish, the name of this team is actually the West Bear Bears. Apparently these folks were so proud of their team that they could not bear to change the name because they felt that it bears repeating!

Different kinds of redundancy A. Simple Repetition

There are many types of useful repetition, including isocolon, anaphora, and epistrophe. 1. Isocolon Isocolon is a structural repetition technique that can give academic and business writingas much as literature and speechmomentum, rhythm, and emphasis. Essentially, isocolon involves repetition of the same grammatical structure in two or more phrases or clauses. This means that the grammatical structures are parallel forms, typically with the same number of words. The easiest way to identify this form of repetition is to line up sentences or phrases vertically. Label each word according to its grammatical classification (article, adjective, noun, verb,adverb, etc.). If all the sentences match up in the number and class of words, the sentences use isocolon. Ex. that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961 The repetition pattern for this particular form is verb any noun:

Example: pay any price bear any burden meet any hardship support any friend oppose any foe This use of isocolon strengthens Kennedys speech, not only because of the grammatical repetition and the rhythm that results, but also because of the increasing intensity of the nouns. Price changes to burden. Burden changes to hardship. Hardship changes to foe. Friend is thrown in, seemingly, to showcase the contrast between the two names (friend and foe) in order for foe to strike harder at the end. Likewise, the verbs are similar in definition and intensity. Pay, bear, and meet all share the general definition of to suffer; undergo (dictionary.com). To use the repetition of these synonyms increases their intensity and drives forward the strength of the speech. Oppose foe and support friend intensify by contrast. Isocolon can also mean two or more completely parallel sentences (independent clauses). Ex. Today, I will be working til midnight. Tomorrow, I will be sleeping til noon. Ex. Bears wield their claws; cheetahs use their speed; snakes inject their venom. Clearly, predation is action. 2. Anaphora Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. Most often writers use this form of repetition for its dramatic effect in speech or writing. In fact, the most common examples of anaphora can be found in well-known speeches. While anaphoras effectiveness may depend on its delivery in a speaking situation, remember that speeches are drafted in writing. Written anaphora has many of the same effects as spoken anaphora. Ex. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age

of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities Notice the repetition of the opening phrases it was the, we had, and we were all. This is the powerful and famous opening of Dickens A Tale of Two Cities, illustrating that repetition in the form of anaphora can be used effectively. In this instance, the use of contrasting words following the repeated elements strengthens the passage. It was the best of times worst of times age of wisdom age of foolishness epoch of belief epoch of incredulity season of Light season of Darkness spring of hope winter of despair we had

everything nothing

we were all going direct to Heaven going direct the other way (Hell, implied) Notice that the italicized words in each paired phrase are opposites, but the other bits (with two exceptions) are repetitious (age and age, season and season). The two exceptions are best and worst, spring and winter, which contrast. As a fun side note, notice that the movement of the words transitions creates a type of intensity (and the end is always despair--Darkness, Hell, etc.). Times transitions to age which transitions to epoch (an epoch is an extended period of time characterized by a memorable series of events or development). Similarly, season transitions to spring and winter. Anaphora can also be effective for listing, or writing in which you want to emphasize a subject(noun), an action (verb), or really, any word youd like to stress. This can be effective when trying to make a point or to make sure a

reader focuses on or remembers a particular word or phrase. Repetition naturally sears what is repeated into the readers minds, so repeated content will both grab their attention and stick with them long after it is read. Ex. Some tips for effective research papers: - Good research papers include a clear thesis statement. - Good research papers use a topic sentence in everybody paragraph. - Good research papers make sure every sentence supports its paragraphs topic sentence and the papers thesis. Because of their primary placement and consistent wording, anaphoric words or phrases can ensure that a certain idea is driven into the readers head, that a set of ideas are clearly tied together, or that a passage sounds more dramatic or poetic. 3. Epistrophe Epistrophe is the repetition of a word or words at the end of a phrase or clause. Its placement in a sentence is the opposite of anaphoras placement of words or phrases. Quite similarly, though, its rhetorical function is to provide dramatic or poetic emphasis on an idea or a passage. Ex. and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address The repetition in this case is the people, which comes at the end of each clause. Sometimes, it is quicker to avoid epistrophe and write in a simplified form, but in a paper of only a single style, this simplification may actually diminish the effectiveness of certain points. For example, look back at Abraham Lincolns address. Imagine it in simplified form. Ex. government of, by, for the people shall not perish from the earth. Clearly, the sentence still makes sense, with each of the three prepositions corresponding to the shared object (the people). But what it lacks is the repetition that makes each prepositional phrase such an important element of the sentence.

(Note: Lincolns sentence could also be used as an example for isocolon. Each clause is a prepositional phrase and follows the same pattern: preposition the people.) Sometimes, we use epistrophe naturally, not only in poetic or literary situations. Its usefulness in more formal writing situations, however, is to add that literary effect to writing that may otherwise sound plain. Ex. If the bear population declines and the raccoon population declines, scientists fear a destructive increase in the number of fish migrating upriver. There are several other forms of repetition, all of which can be equally successful in usage, such as Epizeuxis, the repetition of the same word without an interruption in between (Never, never, never quit Winston Churchill). What they all have in common is that they emphasize meaning through repetition in such a way that the emotional power of the sentence is much stronger. B. Tautology Tautologies pair synonymous words. "But" and "however" mean the same thing, so the phrase "but however" is redundant. A moment is by its nature brief, so we needn't speak of a brief moment to be understood. You don't have to explain the reason why when you can explain thereason, or when you can explain why. Tautologies, sometimes called "baby puppies," come in these forms:

The tautological adjective: a small smidgeon, annual birthday, glowing ember The tautological double adjective: the pure unadulterated truth, a teeny tiny portion, the itsy bitsy spider The tautological adverb: protrude out, rise up, dash quickly The tautological double noun: Sahara Desert, cash money, switchblade knife The tautological double conjunction: and also, but however

The tautological pair: each and every, forever and ever, the one and only

Ex. There was a variety of different foods at Thanksgiving. Ex. As an added bonus, the food was all really good. Ex. There was an unconfirmed rumor that the Superbowl was going to be canceled. Ex. However, past history proved that it would continue no matter what. Ex. But if it were true, the household would be far from a safe haven. Notice the redundancy of the meanings. A rumor is a rumor because it is unconfirmed by definition. A haven is a haven because it is safe by definition.
Expression Why it is usually a tautology Why it may not be a tautology

"Reason" implies a deeper insight into the cognitive cause for action. "the reason "reason" is already by "Why did he cross the street there?" - "There was a crosswalk." vs. why" or "the definition a description of "What was the reason why..." subtly demands further explanation reason is why something happens. into the significance for the individual. Note: This use only pertains because" to cognitive (reasoning) entities. "gift" is, by definition, May be used to emphasize the fact that there is no hidden something given without expectation of reciprocity. charge.

"free gift"

"cheapest" means "lowest priced", thus "cheapest price" is actually "lowest Using "cheapest" on its own may imply "low price, low quality", price". whereas "cheapest price" emphasizes that the sale price is the "cheapest price" priced Also it is almost a non- lowest without connotations of poor quality. sense, as a price is not to be bought. "introduced" generally implies that it is the first A speaker may be introduced to different audiences on different time that someone or occasions. It would be correct to refer to the first such occasion as something has been being when that person was "first introduced". presented. "innovation" is defined as In context, there might have been previous innovations. something new. "planning" is always done May be used to differentiate the usual planning from a different

"first introduced"

"new innovation" "forward

planning" "planning ahead"

or in advance.

form of planning done well in advance. For example: "Besides planning this week's meeting in detail, we should also do some forward planning of next week's meeting." When comparing two unequal speeds, the greater speed is properly called "the faster speed". Also, "faster" may refer to either an absolute magnitude of speed (e.g. 90 km/h), or the time taken by an event. Mapping software is an example which allows for specification of preference. Unless referencing true physics, where faster deceleration is also acceptable.

"faster speed"

"Faster" means "greater speed", so "faster speed" is actually "greater speed speed".

"added bonus"

"bonus" is an added extra, May be used when referring to an additional bonus. For example: thus "added bonus" is "Buy two and receive a bonus pencil sharpener, buy five and receive actually "added added an added bonus steak knife." extra". May be used to differentiate regular exaggeration from excessive exaggeration. For example: "Exaggerate the size of it a little bit if you "exaggerate" means like, but don't over-exaggerate it, otherwise you won't seem "overstate", thus "overcredible." Proper exaggeration would simply be emphasis, compared exaggerate" means "over to overemphasis. overstate". May also be used to show that the exaggeration is done to make the subject seem greater than it is as opposed to "under-exaggerate"

"overexaggerate"

a "summary" is a May be used to differentiate a very short summary from one of "short summary" "shortened" version of a average length. text

C. Pleonasm Pleonasm is the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense. Redundancies are found everywhere. Advertisers are particularly guilty of this when promoting their offers: "an added bonus" or "a free gift." In your writing it is always a good practice to review the completed document with an eye toward avoiding saying the same thing twice. The use of redundant phrases in your writing is a habit worth breaking. Here is a short list of some to look out for:

Avoid
close proximity completely unanimous consensus of opinion each and every end result exactly the same he/she is a person who basic essentials in spite of the fact that job functions new innovation one and the same personal opinion refer back summarize briefly

Change to
proximity unanimous consensus each or every result the same he/she essentials although job or functions innovation the same opinion refer summarize

surrounding circumstances circumstances past history very unique and also history unique and or also

Note: Some redundancies contained in phrases have been legitimized over time and should be left alone: safe haven, hot water heater, new beginning, tuna fish, never before, joined together, and false pretenses

D. RAS SYNDROME RAS syndrome stands for redundant acronym syndrome syndrome and refers to the redundant use of one or more of the words that make up an acronym or initialism with the abbreviation itself, thus in effect repeating one or more words... in which one of the words represented by an acronym is then repeated outside the acronym: "ATM machine", "HIV virus", "PIN number" and "RAID array". These phases expand to "automated teller machine machine", "human immunodeficiency virus virus", "personal identification number number", and "redundant array of independent disks array", respectively. "RAS syndrome" is itself a tongue-in-cheek Examples: 1. ATM machine: This is probably the most common redundancy I have encountered, especially if we include spoken English as well as the written form. ATM stands for Automated (or Automatic) Teller Machine, so the word machine in this phrase is unnecessary just say ATM. 2. SEO optimization: This one is far less common in popular culture and is not even listed as a redundancy on most other websites, but I encounter it quite frequently in my daily reading. It is gradually becoming a pet peeve of mine because SEO already means Search Engine Optimization, so we are actually over-optimizing by adding the word optimization to it. 3. PIN number: PIN = Personal Identification Number. Just use PIN. 4. VIN number: Vehicle Identification Number number 5. ISBN number: International Standard Book Number number 6. PC Computer: Personal Computer computer 7. RAM memory: Random Access Memory memory 8. CD (or CD-ROM) disk: Compact Disc disk or Compact Disc - Read Only Memory disk 9. DVD disk: Digital Video (or Versatile) Disc disk 10. HTML language: Hyper Text Markup Language language 11. BASIC code: Beginners All-Purpose Instruction Code code 12. DOS operating system: Disk Operating System operating system 13. LAN network: Local Area Network network

14. CNN network: Cable News Network network 15. SAT test: Scholastic Achievement Test test 16. ACT test: American College Test test 17. GRE exam: Graduate Record Examination exam 18. LCD display: Liquid Crystal Display display 19. HIV virus: Human Immunodeficiency Virus virus redundancy is definitely not something we want in a virus unless were talking about viral marketing! 20. UPC code: Universal Product Code code 21. AC (or DC) current: Alternating Current current or Direct Currentcurrent 22. DSL line: Digital Subscriber Line line 23. SAM missile: Surface-to-Air Missile missile 24. ABM missile: Anti-Ballistic Missile missile 25. ICBM missile: InterContinental Ballistic Missile missile 26. IRA account: Individual Retirement Account account 27. ARM mortgage: Adjustable Rate Mortgage mortgage 28. UHF (or VHF) frequency: Ultra High Frequency frequency or Very High Frequency frequency 29. OPEC countries: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countriescountries 30. VAT tax: Value Added Tax tax Reasons for intentional use of redundancy Intentional repetition of meaning intends to amplify or emphasize a particular thing about what is being discussed: to repeat it because one cares about it. A gift is by definition free of charge, but one might talk about a "free gift" to emphasize that there is no small print, be it money or an expectation of a return, or that the gift is being given by volition. This is related to the rhetorical device of hendiadys, where one concept is expressed through the use of two, for example "goblets and gold" meaning wealth, or "this day and age" to mean the present time. Superficially these expressions may seem tautologous, but they are stylistically sound because the repeated meaning is just a stylized way to emphasise the same idea. Much Old Testament poetry is based on parallelism: the same thing said twice, but in slightly different ways (Fowler puts it as pleonasm).

Deceit is their sole intention, their delight is to mislead Psalms 62 Understanding the difference between intention and delight, or deciet and mislead is trivial, unless taken out of context. But the emphasis on this is changed, because in the first the sole, the individual is emphasized (from Latin: solivagus) but in the second the pleasure is, though more or less the same thing is being said. This can be found very frequently in the Psalms, the Books of the Prophets, and in other areas of the Bible as well. One explanation of this is that when the Bible was translated into AngloSaxon, Norman French was still common among the aristocracy, so expressions like "save and except" were translated both for the commoners and the aristocrats; although in this case both "save" and "except" have a French or Latin origin. Fowler makes a similar case for double negatives; in Old English they intensified the expression, did not negate it back to being a positive, and there are plenty of examples in authors before the eighteenth century, such as Shakespeare. In Modern French, for example, the "ne-pas" formation is essentially a double negative, and in many other Western European latinate languages the same applies, with "ni" or "no",mutatis mutandis, emphasising instead of negating the initial negative. In common French, the "ne" is quite typically dropped, as we believe it was in Vulgar Latin. EXAMPLES

Lord Polonius used a tautology in Act 2, Scene 2 of Hamlet by William Shakespeare when he said the famous lines: "Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief: your noble son is mad: Mad call I it; for, to define true madness, What is't but to be nothing else but mad?" The Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution: In New York v. United States, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor stated, "The Tenth Amendment likewise limits the power of Congress, but this limit is not derived from the text of the Tenth Amendment itself, which, as we have

discussed, is essentially a tautology." O'Connor reasoned that the Tenth Amendment simply reiterated what was already built into the structure of the Constitution generally: When the States consented to the Constitution they expressly delegated certain powers to the Federal government. Implicitly, what was not given was necessarily retained by the states as the exception that proves the rule. There are several linguistic explanations for the prevalence of RAS syndrome:

A limited amount of redundancy can improve (or seem to the speaker to improve) the effectiveness of communication (the pure-logic ideal of zero redundancy is seldom maintained in human languages). A phonetic example of that principle is the need for spelling alphabets in radiotelephony. Some instances of RAS syndrome can be viewed as syntactic examples of the principle. The speaker wishes to gently reinforce the meaning of an acronym or initialism, especially in pedagogical contexts (whether formal or informal). In such cases, the redundancy may help the listener by providing context and decreasing the 'alphabet-soup' quality of the communication. Acronyms and initialisms from foreign languages are often treated as unanalyzed morphemes when they are not translated. For example, in French, "le protocole IP" (the Internet protocol protocol) is often used, while in English "please RSVP" (roughly "please respond please") provides a redundant example of a French initialism. The principle of not analyzing also applies within one language. For example, people who work regularly with the term AC (alternating current) experience some degree of treating the word both in sound (/esi/) and in appearance as an unanalyzed lexeme. They do not forget what its expanded form is, but neither do their brains shift to the expanded form without a cue. Thus the redundancy in phrases such as "ATM machine" can be likened to that in "pine tree" or "red in color". It is a degree of redundancy born of treating objects (in the abstract philosophical or computing senses of that word) as black boxes to be strung together, which is a natural aspect of human cognition.

LESS APPLICABLE EXAMPLES Sometimes the presence of repeated words does not create a redundant phrase. For example, a "redundant RAID (redundant array ofinexpensive/independent disks)" may in fact be a backup RAID in the system being described, "laser (light amplification by stimulatedemission of radiation) light" is light produced by a light amplification process, "CSS (cascading style sheets) sheet" is used to express a sheet written in the language, and "SMS (short message service) message" is a message transmitted by a message service. In general, when the repeated word is used as a different part of speech, RAS syndrome does not apply. Reasons for unintentional use of redundancy 1. Lack of knowledge about synonyms. 2. The words are from different origin Example: rice pilaf ("pilaf" is Armenian for "rice"),"
chai tea" (tea tea) Sahara Desert" (Deserts Desert)

3. Poor vocabulary 4. Lack of awareness Tips in avoiding redundancy Let's start with a quote about writing: "Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell." - William Strunk, Jr., Elements of Style Wordiness is a common writing problem where most writers are not aware of. In order to avoid it, it is best to cut off redundant words however, not all of these writers would like to cut off words instead they find it easy to add more

words in their content. It is best to trimmed long sentences, paragraphs or even writing pages in order not to make your passage too long and dull. Solving this problem can be the toughest job that a writer is about to face. This is because they need to decide what the words that need to be omitted are. Sometimes, it also takes editing and revising in order to arrange all details clearly. If you wanted to save some time on what are the words that needs to be cut and where to begin, take a look with your script and eliminate those words that keeps on repeating. Later on, you will familiarize all words that are redundant in your sentences and it will be a lot easier for you to recognize this words. You shouldnt keep all your sentences, paragraphs and even the context pages long since it can only waste your readers time. It will be better if each paragraph can provide different idea which is always fresh and is related to the topic. If not, these words or paragraphs will only add clutter and which is not good when someone is going to read your context. Redundancy is a bane that many writers fall to, especially during first drafts. The trick, for most of us, is not to avoid ever committing them. Instead, its more important to be able to identify these mistakes and correct them before turning your work in. Want a blatant example of redundancy? Check out the example below: Apparently, it appears that See how obvious we made that? Not only is it already apparent, but it also appears. Unfortunately, most redundancies in your writing arent likely to be

that obvious, making it a much more difficult task to identify and correct the offending phrases. The Problem With Redundancies More than making you looks like an incompetent writer, redundancies often waste readers time. When you catch a redundant phrase while reading, it isnt unusual to pause and try to ascertain what it meant its simply the way people respond to something that doesnt make sense. Sometimes, youll even have to backtrack a few sentences before to understand that its just a misuse of words, instead of an important point that you failed to grasp. Fixing Redundancies Like we said, its better to catch redundancies after pulling off your first draft (same time you use your English writing software), instead of during the writing process, as its something thats difficult to avoid altogether. Make sure to read your work carefully, being particularly sensitive to word meanings as you go over your text. Eventually, youll be able to develop a visceral sense for similar errors, which should help you use them less and less. HOW TO ELIMINATE REDUNDANCY FROM YOUR WRITING Redundancy is one of the curses all writers must bear. Usually, repeating yourself over and over again is symptomatic of your own indecision and poor planning. When you aren't certain exactly how (and when) you want to convey a particular idea or fact, you wind up repeating it several different times in different ways. Whenever possible, however, you want to eliminate redundancy from your writing. To make you feel a little bit better about yourself, you should know that all writers struggle with redundancy. Even the famous novelists like Stephen King, Anne Rice and Dean Koontz slip up, sometimes on purpose and sometimes just

because they can't help themselves. Sometimes this means that they are trying to drive a point home, even when the reader already gets it. To eliminate redundancy from your writing, it is absolutely necessary that you be honest with yourself. If you are unable to objectively and ruthlessly edit your work, it is doubtful that you will be able to pick out the times when you needlessly repeat yourself. A redundancy can happen when you repeat the same fact twice; it can also happen when you add pointless explanation. For example, let's say you're writing a fiction story and you've come to a section of dialogue. Let's suppose further that your characters are arguing about something one of them did to the other. To convey the tension of the scene, you might write something like: "I'm so mad I could smack you!" Roger said angrily. This is a form of redundancy because we already know Roger is angry by what he said. In fact, he told the other character that he was "mad", so the word "angrily" is completely unnecessary. To eliminate redundancy from your writing, you must allow your dialogue and description to speak for itself--showing rather than telling. Example-1: If all of us cooperate together, we will succeed. In this sentence, the words cooperate and together have been used. But both these words convey the same meaning. One of the two words should be dropped in order to make the sentence a correct one. If all of us cooperate, we will succeed. If all of us work together, we will succeed.

Both these sentences are correct ones. Example-2: The accused was guilty of false misstatement. This sentence uses false and misstatement whereas both these words convey the same meaning. The correct sentence is: The accused was guilty of misstatement. Example-3: It was the general consensus of opinion that we must go to the movie. The two words which convey the same meaning are consensus and opinion. One word should be removed to make this sentence correct one. The correct sentence is: It was the general opinion that we must go to the movie. Example-4: The three brothers had nothing in common with each other.

Here also two phrases in common and with each other have been used to convey the same meaning. The correct sentence is: The three brothers had nothing in common. These examples might have made it clear for you how to avoid Redundancy in your sentences. Example-5: I am enclosing herewith my bio-data. Enclosing and herewith are the two words which convey the same meaning. The correct sentence is: I am enclosing my bio-data.

Example-6: There was an ovation when the minister rose up to speak. The two words (rose and up) convey the same meaning. The correct sentence is: There was an ovation when the minister rose to speak.

Example-7: Do not return back home without completing the work. In this sentence also, two words, conveying the same meaning have been used. The correct sentence is: Do not return without completing the work. These examples might have made it clear for you how to avoid Redundancy in your sentences. Examples: You must first do this before you go. (Incorrect) You must do this before you go. (Correct) The flight will arrive at 7 p.m. in the afternoon. (Incorrect) The flight will arrive at 7 p.m. (Correct) He carefully examined each and every letter. (Incorrect) He carefully examined each letter. (Correct) In my opinion, I think it is going to rain. (Incorrect) I think it is going to rain. (Correct) Frank was elected as Chairman unanimously by all members. (Incorrect) Frank was elected as Chairman unanimously. (Correct)

 I have a client of mine who insists on paying his fee in advance. (Incorrect) I have a client who insists on paying his fee in advance. (Correct) Have you read the latest biography of Indira Gandhis life? (Incorrect) Have you read the latest biography of Indira Gandhi? (Correct) The police restored the stolen purse back to the rightful owner. (Incorrect) The police restored the stolen purse to the rightful owner. (Correct) All other boys except Peter came for picnic. (Incorrect) All boys except Peter came for picnic. (Correct) I am looking for a job with a salary of at least US $2000 or more. (Incorrect) I am looking for a job with a salary of at least US $2000. (Correct) You must come promptly at 10 a.m. or else we will leave without you. (Incorrect) You must come promptly at 10 a.m. or we will leave without you. (Correct) The prices of Car companies have fallen down by 30% in the last one week. (Incorrect) The prices of Car companies have fallen by 30% in the last one week. (Correct) These examples might have made it clear for you how to avoid Redundancy in your sentences. The common error in redundancy is the use of the phrase the reason.because. The redundancy in such sentence arises because the word reason itself signifies

because. Such sentences should be corrected by replacing the conjunction because with that. Examples: The reason why India is economically week is because it was under foreign rule for over two hundred years. (Incorrect) The reason why India is economically week is that it was under foreign rule for over two hundred years. (Correct) The reason why I did not attend the party last night was because I had a headache. (Incorrect) The reason why I did not attend the party last night was that I had a headache. (Correct) These examples might have made it clear for you how to avoid Redundancy in your sentences To keep these redundancy from nipping at your ankles: 1. Read your copy carefully. Pause at the "invisible" words. "And" is invisible; "also" is invisible; "and also" is neither more nor less visible, unless you're looking for it. Pause at word combinations. If you encounter a double noun, drop one to see if the sentence still makes sense; if an adverb-verb or adjective-noun, drop the modifier to see if you lose anything. If you can drop "advance" from "advance planning," do it. 2. Maintain an active vocabulary that is not only broad but also deep. Learn not just what words mean, but what they imply, what they embrace. Read not only for the sake of writing but also for the sake of the words; read to learn words. Look words up, but don't stop there. Hunt words. As you read dictionary definitions, dig into their origins, their evolution and their current scope. You perhaps never looked up "pedal." Common word,

originating from the Latin root "ped," or foot. So why do we say "foot pedal"? (As opposed to the elbow pedal?) Why do we note a "pedestrian on foot"? 3. Analyze noy only what words mean, but also what they imply. Redundancy occurs when extra words either repeat what another word means or implies. An example of repetition of meaning: Facts are true, so the phrase "true facts" works under "false pretenses," a phrase wrought from the same verbose construction. "I" and "myself" are the same person, so your saying "I myself" doesn't make you any more you than you already are. An example of repetition of implication: By strict definition, facts don't have to be known to be facts. There are plenty of facts about the universe the exact number of stars, how the universe began, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood that we don't know. Still, the word "facts" implies information that we know, so "known facts" and "established facts" are usually redundant. 4. Familiarize yourself with the enemy and there are thousands of enemies. TOP 25 common redundant expression Redundant 1. ATM machine 2. HIV virus 3. Xerox copy 4. free gift 5. P.I.N. number 6. pizza pie 7. DVD disk 8. CD (or CD-ROM) disk 9. LCD display 10. past experience 11. newborn baby 12. added bonus 13. unexpected surprise Concise version ATM HIV Xerox gift P.I.N pizza DVD CD LCD experience baby bonus surprise

14. summarize briefly 15. each and every 16. combined together 17. exactly the same 18. individual person 19. final completion 20. empty space 21. my personal opinion 22. repeat again 23. live audience . 24. basic fundamentals 25. future plans ACTIVITIES

summarize each combined same individual completion empty my opinion repeat audience fundamentals plans

Direction: Identify whether it is tautology, pleonasm or RAS ____RAS_____ 1. RAM memory ____pleonasm_2. past history ___ tautology_3. rise up ___tautology_4. small smidgeon ___pleonasm_5. summarize briefly ____RAS_____6. PIN number ____RAS___ 7. ISBN number

__Pleonasm__8. end result __Tautology _9. each and every ___Tautology_10. the one and only

Direction: Write R if there is redundancy and write C if the sentence is correct and free of redundancy. _____R____1. If all of us cooperate together, we will succeed. ___ C___ 2. The accused was guilty of misstatement.

____C_____3. The three brothers had nothing in common. ____R_____4. I am enclosing herewith my bio-data. ____R_____5. There was an ovation when the minister rose up to speak. ____R_____6. He carefully examined each and every letter. ____C_____7. Frank was elected as Chairman unanimously. ____R_____8. I have a client of mine who insists on paying his fee in advance. ____R_____9. The prices of Car companies have fallen down by 30% in the last one week. ____C_____10. The police restored the stolen purse to the rightful owner.