To become an efficient communicator, you must master the art and skill of eliminating redundancy in your writing. Yes, brevity is paramount, but everyone makes mistakes (especially writers) such as using repetitive phrases, which by the way, weakens the message youre trying to communicate to your audience. 

So whether youre tasked with writing a business proposal, academic essay or even a creative piece, it is paramount to eliminate redundacy

Today, we will explore redundancy in writing, and offer strategies to eliminate them from your writing.  Remember, eliminating redundancy in your writing will not only enhance your communication skills but also elevate your research effectiveness.

What Is Redundancy in Writing?

Simply put – redundancy in writing is the use of unnecessary words and phrases. Such words are unnecessary because;

• Such wordss don’t enhance your text.
• They add unnecessary length to your work.
• Readers find them annoying.

When writing any kind of text, always avoid redundancy in a sentence as much as possible. By eliminating redundancies from your work, it improves its quality and readability. If you chose an essay writing service, the writers completely eliminate redundancies for you. Regardless, we will educate you on what they are and how to get rid of them. But first;

What is Repetition?

This means an unnecessary recurrence of words, ideas, or phrases, within your text. A common culprit is using synonyms interchangeably or maybe reiterating points, which then results in an excessive duplication of any form of content.

Is redundancy a good or bad thing? If this question has crossed your mind, then youre not alone. While some amount of repetition is allowed, or could be intentional for rhetoric effect or emphasis, excessive words will greatly reduce the quality of writing and impact its readability.

What’s the Difference between Repetition & Redundancy?

While repetition, when used correctly, and effectively does enhance emphasis on arguments, redundancy on the other hand serves no purpose in this case. And thats why its important to distinguish between these two al,ost similar, but different words. 

If you use repetition correctly and thoughtfully, it can help emphasize your key points and even reinforce your message. Did you know that you can utilize various forms of repetition to your advantage in writing?

In contrast, redundancy is damaging because it basically restates what was already expressed, which means it doesnt add any value to your writing. Consequently, redundancy wastes your time and simply occupies space which by the way, hinders effective communication. 

5 Types of Redundancies

Generally, we all use different sorts of redundant phrases and fluff, and this happens both in writing and in everyday speech. 

In a paper or essay, there are many instances of redundancies. Below are a few types, along with at least 1 example of each one.

• Pleonasm. A pleonasm is when you use more words than necessary to express ideas or to make a point. Eg, the phrase ‘she touched it with her hand’ is a pleonasm. The words ‘with her hand’ is redundancy. Heres why – the act of touching involves using our hands. Thus, its unnecessary to mention them. 
• Plague Words. Such words or phrases don’t add any value or meaningful to a sentence. Always ensure you remove or replace them with something shorter. Eg, ‘essentially’ and ‘basically’ are great examples.
• Cliches and Platitudes. A lot of people use cliches, especially in this era, eg ‘a blast from the past’. A platitude, on the other hand, is an easy to understand phrase but doesn’t add much value to your writing. ‘Life is a mystery’ is onen such example.
• Intensifiers. This is an adverb that helps to strengthen the meaning of a phrase, but its often unnecessary. Eg, ‘absolutely’ and ‘extremely’.
• Redundant Abbreviations. This happens when you use an abbreviation and then add more words. Eg, saying ‘PIN number’. This is a redundant abbreviation because ‘PIN’ stands for ‘personal identification number’. Now if you say ‘PIN number’, you’re repeting ‘number’ twice.

Effects of Redundancies on Writing Style and Clarity

Clear and concise writing is paramount when communicating effectively. However, when you use redundant phases and words, they will make your writing not just wordy, but also difficult to understand.

Redundancies lower readability: Imagine what happens when you encounter a sentence filled with repetitive phrases. It doesnt just take you longer to understand the meaning, but also the message loses its impact.

All readers, you included appreciate writing that is straight to the point. When you eliminate redundancies from your writing, you ensure the message is clear and engaging. Every word you write should contribute and communicate something new. 

8 Tips on Avoiding Redundancy Writing

Below we share some ideas on how you can avoid redundancies. Use them when you want to edit your essays or any academic work. 

• Use of Active Voice 

Let’s start by comparing these two phrases; ‘Andrew reads the book’ and ‘The book was read by Andrew’.

The  first one is active since it clearly describes Andrew doing something. The second one, on the other hand, is passive and sounds redundant because it describes an action happening to the book. So, if you want to elevate your writing skills, try as hard as possible to only use the passive when necessary.

• Eliminate Unnecessary Words 

When writing a paper or any form of text, its always advisable to be concise. Try to keep it to the point. 

You can use one word to make a point instead of using several. Ensure you remove words or phrases that are redundant. For example, double negative statements like ‘He hasn’t got no idea’. The ‘no’ isn’t necessary. Negation is required once, which is already used in ‘hasn’t’. Instead, you can replace ‘no’ with ‘an’ or ‘any’.

• Use of Strong Verbs Instead of Weak Verbs

Typically, a weak verb adds -d, -ed, or -t to form a past tense. On the other hand, a strong verb changes one or more vowels, and it can also add -d, -ed, or -t, but its not necessary. For example, ‘smiled’, ‘talked’, and ‘dreamt’ are very common examples of what weak verbs look and sound like.

Examples of strong verbs include; ‘spoke’, ‘ran’, and ‘wore’. Always look out for weak verbs and replace them with the strong ones.

• Dont Use both a Noun and Verb

Its impractical to have a noun and its corresponding verb very close in a sentence. For example, ‘she died a horrible death’ makes grammatical sense.

However, ‘She died horribly’ is qually right and in fewer words. 

• Overusing Adverbs

Never overuse adverbs. Their main purpose is to describe or modify a verb, a noun, or another adverb. Most of them end in -ly. Some examples include;

• ‘Slowly’

• ‘Fast’
• ‘Really’ etc.

Adverbs also help to add emphasis to a point, but this isn’t always necessary. You can use adverbs, but just make sure not to do so all the time. 

• Proofreading for Redundancy

Your first draft should be just that, a draft. After the first attempt, read through it, make changes, and eliminate errors. Put yourself in the readers shoes – examine your work objectively while paying special attention to word usage and phrases.

• Use Checkers to Find Redundant Words

There is an endless stream of writing tools available online. All you have to do is copy and paste your draft into any tool of your choosing, then it highlights errors and suggest changes. However, the best ones are paid for, and are more accurate in spotting redundant statement in your writing. Or you could use a paraphrasing tool like quillbot (both free and paid versions available), to save you time.

• Mix it Up

Did you know that readers find your texts easier to read if they have variation? Make good use of short paragraphs, bullet points, headings, even tables can make your text look more appealing, and easy to read.

Remember, it’s important to mix up your sentences, too. Don’t forget to use commas, semicolons, and dashes, etc if necessary to break them up.

Redundant Acronym Phrases

Did you know that “PIN number” is both redundant and a repetition? Well, now you do. 

The acronym PIN stands for Personal Identification Number – which is by the way is a numerical code used in electronic financial transactions. Therefore, “PIN number” – translates to personal identification “number number” – which makes it both a redundant and repetition.

ATM machine – automatic teller “machine machine” – is another good example. Notice how the “machine” is repeated? 

Such redundant words are known as a redundant acronym phrase (RAP), and using it refers to redundant acronym syndrome (RAS). Or, self-referentially, as an “RAP phrase” and “RAS syndrome”!

Other RAPs include:

• The HIV virus – human immunodeficiency virus virus
• LAN network – local area network network
• LCD display – liquid crystal display display 

The above (in italics) are some examples of redundancy, and their purpose is to give you a general idea and they should give you an idea of what to look out for in your writing.

Bottom Line

Eliminating redundancy is pivital for effective communication. Always recognize and rectify repetitive words or phrases as that will not only enhance your communication skills but also deliver your message precisely.

So whether you’re a professional, student, or aspiring writer, Peachy Essay experts are available 24/7 to provide support in not just eliminating repetitive words and phrases, but also to craft concise and well-thought-out/written papers. Do not hesitate to reach out and get instant writing help.