Redundant Words

Some writers use extra words when fewer would be as, if not more, effective. More words don’t necessarily add more meaning to an author’s message.

These extra words are often colloquialisms, reflecting the writer’s background. Or they may be added to sound more informal or friendly. If one is writing for a particular audience, this may be acceptable, but for general or professional writing, redundant words should be viewed as fillers and should be edited out.

Here are a few examples:

as of yet and but yet

• as of yet — Incorrect: No one has come as of yet. The phrase should be as yet, which means up to the present time or until now. Corrected: No one has come as yet (or even more simply: No one has come yet).
• but yet — Incorrect: My brother went, but yet I didn’t. But is a conjunction used to modify the phrase preceding it. It means “on the contrary” or “except” and the like. Yet is also a conjunction that does the same thing. It means ” though, still or nevertheless”. One of them is redundant. Corrected: My brother went, but I didn’t. or My brother went, yet I didn’t.

Redundant adjectives and adverbs

People often use multiple adjectives or adverbs in a sentence to perhaps emphasize a quality. Example: I live in a small little house. The house is either really tiny, or one of the words (small or little) is redundant. Since both words have the same speech value, it would be better to say I live in a very small house or I live in a very little house, where the word very operates on the adjective small or little. An even simpler way to say it would be I live in a tiny house.

Another example: tall skyscraper. Is anything taller than something that scrapes the sky? And then there are really ignorant-sounding redundant adjectives (e.g., somewhat unique). The word unique means the only one or one of a kind or having no equal. The adverb somewhat means in some measure or to some degree or extent. So, how can something be to some degree one of a kind? It’s either one of a kind or it’s not.

Double subject

The verb in a sentence generally has one subject. If there is more than one subject, they’re likely joined by a conjunction (e.g., and, or) or appropriate punctuation. Examples: Mike rode his bicycle. He rode his bicycle. Mike and Susan rode a bicycle built for two. They rode a bicycle built for two.

However, some people now use both a noun and the appropriate pronoun as a double subject. Example: Mike (pause) he rode his bicycle. Mike and Susan (pause) they rode a bicycle built for two. Not only are these sentences incorrect, but they create a phony emphasis, to say nothing of how one would correctly punctuate them. This use of redundant words likely stems from the fact that everything people say — voice, print or text — is now in sound-bites. So, it seems “natural” to speak with a “headline” (e.g., Mike and Susan), followed by a short “news clip” (e.g., they rode a bicycle built for two).  There’s a certain sportscaster who does this almost all the time.

Unnecessary preposition

Unnecessary prepositions are another case of using too many words to sound pompous or intellectual. Examples: free up, order up, change out. The last word in each of these phrases is superfluous, and just fills up space in writing or speech.

these ones, those ones

It’s really annoying to hear people say these ones or those ones. But, are they grammatically incorrect? Examples.

After looking at several shirts or blouses in a store, a customer might point to one of the items and say I’ll take this or I’ll take that. In these two sentences, the words this and that are object pronouns, replacing the name of the item (shirt or blouse) being selected. For emphasis or specificity, the word one is often added (e.g., I’ll take this one or I’ll take that one). What’s happened here, grammatically, is that the word one has now become the object pronoun, and the words this and that have changed from pronouns into adjective determiners (which one? this one or that one). For even more clarity about the quantity of purchase, the customer might have said I’ll take just this one shirt/blouse or I’ll take just that one shirt/blouse.

However, things get complicated when the selection becomes more than one item. In the example above, the customer might decide to take more than one shirt or blouse. He or she might pick up several items and say to the salesperson, I’ll take these. Or the customer might point to a stack of the selected items and say I’ll take those. Again, for emphasis or specificity, there’s a temptation to add the word ones (e.g., I’ll take these ones or I’ll take those ones). However, this creates a problem. First of all, the person pointing to the items is asking for more than one. And, in the phrases these ones and those ones, as above, these and those have shifted to adjective determiners and the word ones appears to have become the object pronoun. However, ones used in the plural form has very few applications. The word one, used as a noun or pronoun, is intended to mean a singular unit (e.g., one shirt, one blouse). The exception might occur when discussing currency (e.g., I’ll take two fives and five ones), where ones is a shortcut referring to one-dollar bills.

With a minor correction, the last two sentences in the first paragraph would read: I’ll take just these two shirts/blouses or I’ll take just those two shirts/blouses, or pointing to the two items desired, the customer might say, I’ll take just these or I’ll take just those.

Too many words

In an attempt to sound more educated or to fill print space or air-time, people use too many words to say what they really mean. Following are some examples.

• change out — Incorrect:  I’m going to change out the light bulb. What’s happening is that the speaker is combining the fact that he or she is going to take out the light bulb and change it for another one. But one of the definitions of the word change is “substitute another or others for; exchange for something else, usually of the same kind”. So, adding the word out is redundant.
• inside of — The word inside, by itself, means “on the inner side or part of”. Adding the word of is, therefore, redundant.
• combine together or join together — Incorrect (often heard on cooking and news shows): Combine the ingredients (or companies) together. Combine literally means “by twos” (e.g., binary) together”. Join means “bring in contact, connect, or bring or put together”. However, in use, it means “bring into a whole or to unite” (e.g., He combined the two organizations to form a new company). Together means “into or in one gathering, company, mass, place, or body” (e.g., He put the jigsaw puzzle together). Combine and join overlap quite a bit, and since their definitions already contain the word together, adding the word together is redundant. So, in the above example, can you imagine combining the ingredients or companies apart? Corrected (and a more economical sentence): Combine all the ingredients (or companies).
• or either — Incorrect: My cat is hurt or either it’s sick. The word or is used here as a conjunction to connect two words, phrases or clauses that represent alternatives (in this case hurt or sick). The word either, if used correctly in the sentence above, would read:  My cat is either hurt or sick, indicating one of two possible conditions. Using both as in the example is redundant.

Multiple conditions

Here’s a sentence that’s usually uttered by people who speak before they think: Usually, I’m always tired before the end of the race. Usually means something that occurs more often than not, while always means all the time, without exception. These two terms are, therefore, in conflict. Being tired before the end of the race is either something that happens most of the time or all of the time — but not both. One of words is redundant.

Too much emphasis

Here’s another gem:  … reinvest back into my business. The word reinvest means put back profits from a previous investment into the same enterprise. Adding the word back is redundant.

So many others

There are other words or phrases that take a perfectly solid thought and weaken it. Examples: I’m a little (bit) tired. You’re either tired or you’re not. He pretty much gave up. He either gave up or he didn’t. In some sense, she was the best at …. She was either the best or she was not. He was quite happy to see the rain, because the ground was too dry. How much more happy is quite happy than just plain happy? What does too dry mean? It’s either dry or it isn’t. The fireworks were totally spectacular. What does totally spectacular mean? Spectacular defines something that’s an impressive, large-scale display, while totally means entirely or completely. These two words make no sense together. Neither do totally cool, very authoritative and the like.

Conclusion

Try to keep your sentences crisp, clear and tight. Watch for words and phrases that are superfluous. Focus on making your points and conveying your message, rather than how many words you can write. As always, think of your readers!

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