50 Redundant Phrases to Avoid

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In conversation, it'southward easy in the midst of spontaneous speech to succumb to verbosity and duplication. In writing, redundancy is less forgivable but fortunately easy to rectify. Watch out for these usual suspects:

1. Absolutely certain or sure/essential/guaranteed: Someone who is sure or sure is already without dubiety. Something that is essential is intrinsically absolute. A guarantee is by nature absolute (or should be). Abandon absolutely in such usage.

2. Bodily experience/fact: An feel is something that occurred (unless otherwise indicated). A fact is something confirmed to take happened. Actual is extraneous in these instances.

iii. Add together an additional: To add is to provide another of something. Additional is extraneous.

four. Added bonus: A bonus is an extra characteristic, so added is redundant.

five. Advance find/planning/reservations/warning: Notices, planning, reservations, and warnings are all, by their nature, actions that occur earlier some event, so qualifying such terms with advance is superfluous.

6. Equally for example: Equally implies that an instance is being provided, so omit "an example."

vii. Inquire a question: To ask is to pose a question, so question is redundant.

eight. At the present time: "At nowadays" means "at this time," and then avoid the verbose version.

nine. Basic fundamentals/essentials: Fundamentals and essentials are by their nature uncomplicated, so remove basic from each phrase.

x. (Filled to) chapters: Something filled is done and then to capacity, and so describing something as "filled to capacity" is repetitive.

11. Came at a fourth dimension when: When provides the necessary temporal reference to the action of coming; "at a time" is redundant.

12. Shut proximity/scrutiny: Proximity ways "close in location," and scrutiny ways "close study," and so avoid qualifying these terms with close.

13. Interact/join/see/merge together: If you write of a group that collaborates or meets together, you imply that there's another fashion to collect or confer. To speak of joining or merging together is, as well, redundant.

xiv. Completely filled/finished/contrary: Something that is filled or finished is thoroughly and so; completely is redundant. Something that is opposite isn't necessarily diametrically opposed, specially in qualitative connotations, but the modifier is nonetheless extraneous.

15. Consensus of opinion: A consensus is an agreement simply not necessarily one about an stance, so "consensus of opinion" is non purely redundant, but the phrase "of stance" is usually unnecessary.

sixteen. (During the) course (of): During means "in or throughout the duration of"), so "during the course of" is repetitive.

17. Definite determination: Decisions may not be terminal, simply when they are fabricated, they are unequivocal and therefore definite, so ane should not be described as "a definite decision."

xviii. Difficult dilemma: A dilemma is past nature complicated, then omit difficult as a modifier.

19. Direct confrontation: A confrontation is a head-on conflict. Straight as a qualifier in this instance is redundant.

20. Terminate result: A result is something that occurs at the end, so omit stop as a modifier of event.

21. Enter in: To enter is to go in, so throw in out.

22. Estimated at about/roughly: An estimate is an approximation. About and roughly are superfluous.

23. Faux pretense: A pretense is a deception, so false is redundant.

24. Few in number: Few refers to a small number; exercise not qualify few with the modifier "in number."

25. Terminal outcome: An outcome is a upshot and is therefore intrinsically final.

26. First began, new beginning: A beginning is when something get-go occurs, so first and new are superfluous terms in these cases.

27. For a period/number of days: Days is plural, and so a duration is unsaid; "a catamenia of" or "a number of" is redundant. It'south better to specify the number of days or to generalize with many.

28. Foreign imports: Imports are products that originate in some other country, so their foreign nature is implicit and the word foreign is redundant.

29. Forever and always: Ever is an unnecessary reduplication of forever.

30. Gratis gift: A souvenir is past definition gratuitous (though cynics will dispute that definition), so free is extraneous.

31. Invited guests: Guests are intrinsically those who have an invitation, and then invited is redundant.

32. Major breakthrough: A breakthrough is a significant progress in an effort. Though major is not directly redundant, the notable nature of the event is implicit.

33. [Number] a.grand. in the morning/p.m. in the evening: The abbreviations a.yard. and p.m. already identify the fourth dimension of mean solar day, then omit "in the morn" or "in the evening."

34. Past history/record: A history is by definition a tape of past occurrences, and a record is documentation of what has already happened. In both cases, by is redundant.

35. Plan ahead: To plan is to prepare for the future. Alee is inapplicable.

36. Possibly might: Might indicates probability, then omit the redundant qualifier possibly.

37. Postpone until later: To postpone is to delay. Subsequently is superfluous.

38. Protest against: To protest is to communicate opposition. Confronting is redundant.

39. Repeat again: To echo is to reiterate an action, so again is unnecessary.

xl. Revert back: Something that reverts returns to an earlier state. Back is superfluous.

41. Same identical: Aforementioned and identical are just that (and that). Omit aforementioned every bit a qualifier for identical.

42. Since the time when: Since indicates a time in the past; "the time when" is superfluous.

43. Spell out in particular: To spell out is to provide details, and then "in item" is repetitive.

44. Still remains: Something that remains is still in place. Nonetheless is redundant.

45. Suddenly exploded: An explosion is an firsthand upshot. It cannot be any more sudden than it is.

46. Therapeutic treatment: Treatment in the sense of medical care is by nature therapeutic, then the adjective is redundant.

47. Unexpected surprise: No surprise is expected, so the modifier is extraneous.

48. Unintended mistake: A fault is an inadvertently erroneous action. The lack of intention is implicit.

49. Usual custom: A custom is something routinely and repeatedly done or observed, and usual is redundant.

50. Written down: Something written has been taken downwardly. Down is superfluous.

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