When engineering, redundancy is often a good thing. Engineers design and build in redundancy. If one system fails, a second is available to take over and prevent a problem. In writing, redundancy is not such a good thing. In fact, it should be avoided. Redundancy in writing examples are as below table:
The duplication of thought—words placed together so as to say the same thing twice—is not good. Consider the phrase, “brief in duration.” What do the words “in duration” add to the description of “brief”? If it is brief, the words “in duration” add nothing.
In business, there are many such phrases that are used in written communication. They do little to improve or make your writing clearer or better, and should be avoided. Cut them from your writing. Here is a list of such phrases, along with suggestions on how to replace them:
| Redundant Phrase | Replace With |
| 12 midnight | midnight |
| 12 noon | noon |
| absolute necessity | necessity |
| absolutely complete | complete |
| absolutely essential | essential |
| actual experience, past experience | experience |
| added bonus | bonus |
| advance notice | notice |
| advance planning | planning |
| advance reservations | reservations |
| advance warning | warning |
| all meet together | meet |
| are in receipt of have, have received, | received |
| arrived at the conclusion concluded, assumed, closed, | decided |
| ended, finished, inferred, | settled |
| ask the question | ask |
| assembled together | assembled |
| at 12 noon | at noon |
| at the earliest possible date as soon as, as soon as possible | soon |
| ATM machine | ATM |
| basic essentials | essentials |
| basic fundamentals | ndamentals |
| before, or in the past before, or in the past | past |
| biography of his/her life | biography |
| blue, green, red…in color blue, green, red | red… |
| brief in duration | brief |
| capital city, Capitol building capital, Capitol | Capitol |
| CD-ROM disk | CD-ROM |
| clearly evident | obvious |
| close proximity close,near | near |
| collaborate together | collaborate |
| complete monopoly | monopoly |
| completely demolished, demolished,destroyed | destroyed |
| completely opposite | opposite |
| completely surrounded | surrounded |
| connect together | connect |
| consensus of opinion | agreement |
| continue on | continue |
| contributing factor cause, factor, reason | reason |
| controversial issue | issue |
| cooperate together | cooperate |
| costs a total of | costs |
| costs the sum of | costs |
| current status | status |
| difficult dilemma | dilemma |
| divide up | divide |
| doctorate degree | doctorate |
| enclosed herein enclose, with | this |
| end result | result |
| estimated at about about or estimated | at |
| estimated roughly | estimated |
| exactly identical | identical |
| fair and equitable fair or | equitable |
| few in number | few |
| filled to capacity | filled |
| final outcome | outcome |
| first and foremost first, chief, main | main |
| first began | began |
| first created | created |
| foreign imports | imports |
| free gift | gift |
| future plans | plans |
| general consensus | consensus |
| general consensus (of opinion) | consensus |
| general public, public, citizens | citizens |
| group together | group |
| he/she is a person who he/she | he/she |
| HIV virus | HIV |
| honest truth | truth |
| I wish to take this opportunity thank | you |
| to thank | you |
| if and when either if or | when |
| important essentials | essentials |
| in the month of January in | January |
| inside of | inside |
| join together, link together join,link | link |
| made a statement saying said, stated | stated |
| merge together, mingle together, merge, mingle, mix | mix |
| more and more often | more |
| mutual advantage of both mutual | advantage |
| new breakthrough | eakthrough |
| new development | evelopment |
| none at all | none |
| outside of | outside |
| over and over again, repeatedly | repeatedly |
| over exaggerate | exaggerate |
| pair of twins | twins |
| particular interest | interest |
| past experience, past history experience, history,past | past |
| past history | history |
| pause for a moment | pause |
| period of time either period or | time |
| point in time either now or | today |
| postpone until later | postpone |
| pre-existing, prerecorded existing, recorded | recorded |
| protest against | protest |
| protrude out | protrude |
| reelected for another term | reelected |
| refer (repay, return, revert) back | back |
| refer back | refer |
| regress back | regress |
| repeat again | repeat |
| rise up | rise |
| same identical | same |
| small in size | small |
| square in shape | square |
| still continues to continues | to |
| still remains | remains |
| storm event | storm |
| sum total | total |
| surrounded on all sides | surrounded |
| temporary loan | loan |
| the reason is because, reasons, (the) reason is, because | because |
| the reason | why |
| throughout the entire | throughout |
| time period time, period | period |
| total number, total or number | number |
| totally demolished, totally destroyed demolished, destroyed | destroyed |
| triangular in shape | triangular |
| true fact | fact |
| unexpected surprise | surprise |
| unite together | unite |
| unless or until either unless or | until |
| up until | until |
| usual habit | habit |
| very hurriedly | hurriedly |
| visible to the eye | visible |
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