Questions about redundant constructions, pleonasms, etc.
1
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1answer
135 views
Is it correct to start a sentence with “with” in English?
Is it correct to use with at the beginning of a sentence?
Here's an example sentence:
With the development of the economy, living standards improved.
To my eyes this looks unnatural; I would ...
0
votes
1answer
91 views
Usage of “she herself” or “he himself” [closed]
As I understand it, he and him are etymologically, and for purposes of grammar, different cases of the same word. If it's the same word, wouldn't it be sufficient to use himself alone—with maybe the ...
2
votes
2answers
156 views
Is “quintessential example” correct usage?
Since quintessential means "representing the perfect example of a class" is it correct to use "the quintessential example" as in this sentence:
"Electrons are the quintessential example of ...
0
votes
1answer
39 views
Is “signup for registration” redundant?
I'm writing a document for an exercise-project spec. The line goes:
A simple registration website where visitors can view registered users and signup for registration themselves.
Is this being ...
0
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0answers
20 views
Is “direct descendant” a redundant statement? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Meaning of “direct descendant” as opposed to “indirect descendant”
If one is a person's descendant, aren't they automatically their direct descendants?
-2
votes
2answers
89 views
Is the use of “there” redundant in these expression? [closed]
Is he there in his room?
Yes, it is there in our warehouse.
Was he there at the party?
All of these can be said without there is it, but is the given use correct? If yes, why are adding ...
2
votes
2answers
92 views
Is the word multimedia redundant?
So, the correct plural form of medium is media. Of course, there are exceptions, and the words have taken on new usages (such as adding a definitive article "the" to media, making it singular), but ...
-1
votes
3answers
132 views
“Within” and “in” when referring to time
I know that both can mean "inside" but what I don't have clear is whether both mean the same when talking about time. For example:
The party is in two days = The party is within two days ??
...
1
vote
4answers
190 views
Is “appears likely” redundant?
Likeliness is already uncertain, so saying that an even is likely, is surely the same as saying it appears the event will occur, right? Wouldn't this mean that "X appears likely" is the same as saying ...
0
votes
1answer
120 views
“That that” vs. “that” [closed]
Is "that that" or "that, that" redundant in sentences such as this:
The reason we are late is that that we had an accident.
or
The reason we are late is that, that we had an accident.
Is ...
2
votes
2answers
108 views
And/or in total negation: “Some people are not able to interpret and/or analyze”
In the following sentence, the “and/or” seems odd in a case of total negation:
Evidently some people are not able to interpret and/or analyze at that deeper level.
Because the sentence says “are not ...
2
votes
4answers
236 views
Is the phrase “spherical ball” redundant?
In a computer science course, our professor was explaining the idea of object oriented programming using the analogy of soccer. While reading the Wikipedia article on Association Football, it said ...
1
vote
4answers
566 views
Is “a choice between one of two options” grammatically correct?
In:
a choice between one of two options
I would like to know if this is correct grammatically. I came across it in a scientific paper. I think the “one of ” part should be removed. Am I correct?
...
4
votes
4answers
560 views
Is the phrase “consistently inconsistent” redundant and does it have a single word?
I stumbled on this phrase today, but have seen it in news articles and blogs, as well. Here's an example from this site:
To put it mildly, the result of exercise was and remains consistently ...
1
vote
2answers
130 views
Is this headline as redundant as it seems?
Drunk driver found hiding after hit-and-run
Is it necessary to write "found hiding"? It seems like the only time you can find something is when it is hidden or missing. Is this statement ...
3
votes
3answers
195 views
Is saying “an obsolete remnant” redundant?
Is saying "an obsolete remnant" or "an old remnant" redundant (or tautologous), or can the adjective be necessary to convey what I'm trying to say?
(I imagined "remnant" already carries the ...
0
votes
2answers
180 views
Is using of “each” along with “apiece” redundant in this sentence?
I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article titled “Kooky Politics Make for Entertaining Races" by Albert R. Hunt in The New York Times (June 20, 2010).
The figure ...
17
votes
4answers
1k views
Why do street parking signs say “no stopping or standing”?
I see redundancy here. If one stands a car on the street, isn't it necessary to stop first? It would seem the most logical and efficient use of language for the sign would be "no stopping." Or do ...
0
votes
4answers
208 views
Is “relatively big compared to” redundant?
If I say something like
He is big compared to the other guy.
He is relatively big compared to the other guy.
is the adverb relatively wrong because of redundancy?
3
votes
5answers
234 views
Is it IQ or IQ score?
What's the correct way to use the term intelligence quotient in a sentence?
Jim's IQ is 130.
–or–
Jim's IQ score is 130.
4
votes
2answers
567 views
When did “crew” become a sport? When did “crew team” come into use?
When I was a child, there was a sport called rowing; if four or more people rowed together in the same boat, they would be known as a crew. At some point, either before or during my childhood, the ...
0
votes
3answers
4k views
Is the phrase “a stark contrast” redundant?
Merriam-Webster defines stark as "sharply delineated."
The same dictionary defines a contrast as a "juxtaposition of dissimilar elements."
Doesn't it follow then that "a stark contrast" essentially ...
5
votes
3answers
295 views
Is it redundant to use “or not” at the end of a sentence weighing two options? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Whether or not” vs. “whether”
For example:
"I was unsure whether to pity him."
"I was unsure whether to pity him or not."
1
vote
3answers
379 views
Usage - lone lonely loner
Is it proper to call someone a lone lonely loner?
I take lone to mean the only, lonely to mean feeling sad and loner to mean someone who prefers being alone. So, the usage kind of makes sense to ...
5
votes
3answers
946 views
Is saying “candor and honesty” grammatically correct?
I recently read the sentence
Thank you for your candor and honesty.
Is that grammatically correct? To me it seems redundant as candor is a synonym for honesty. Does candor have other meanings ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
The use of “exact same”
My English teacher feels very strongly that exact same is redundant and therefore incorrect. I disagree with her.
She feels that exact should be used in place of exact same, but I have rarely heard ...
5
votes
4answers
206 views
“Currently online now”
About 12,600,000 results in Google for this exact phrasing: "Currently online now".
Is it a kind of online jargon? It sounds redundant to me; shouldn't it be either "currently" or "now"?
Examples ...
10
votes
1answer
341 views
Can a hyphen be used without anything on the right side?
From this page:
[...] in early parts of this century when it was the most user- and hardware-friendly Linux operating system available [...]
Is the user- fragment valid (outside this ...
1
vote
3answers
192 views
In the context of food, is the phrase “portion size” tautological?
When talking about food, to me, the word "portion" refers to the size of a serving, so to say "We should be eating smaller portion sizes" is redundant. It should be, "We should be eating smaller ...
2
votes
2answers
369 views
“Numerical Mathematics”
My friend is studying a subject called 'Numerical Mathematics and Computer Algorithms'. Surely mathematics is all about 'Numbers', so is ''Numerical Mathematics' a redundant statement?
Please excuse ...
1
vote
2answers
319 views
Aren't the double verbs “to be” in “…, which is what the X is about” redundant?
Sometimes I find sentences that have the following pattern:
[clause], which is what [noun] is [optional phrase].
For example:
I had just read about a five-petaled rose in the book, the major
...
5
votes
5answers
446 views
Is “may or may not” redundant?
(Note: I'm not talking about the same kind of redundancy as in this question).
Is "may or may not" correct, or is it a redundant version of "may or not"? I've seen both, and I don't know which one(s) ...
0
votes
2answers
116 views
“May or May Not” Redundancy
I may or may not contact you later.
Isn't this redundant? Unless I'm missing something, the meaning can be expressed equally well with:
I may contact you later.
Or even:
I might ...
8
votes
7answers
2k views
Is there any difference in meaning between “faith” and “blind faith”?
To use the term blind faith, is to use
an adjective needlessly.
I had heard the above quote from a positivist friend some time ago. Also, the dictionaries define "faith" as a "belief that is ...
2
votes
1answer
146 views
Is “these are also hidden features as well” a redundant sentence?
These are also hidden features as well.
Is this redundant? I do this a lot, where I say "also" followed by "as well".
10
votes
2answers
937 views
“PIN Number” — why do we say it?
We often say "PIN Number", this is part of everyday conversation. But why?
PIN stands for Personal Identification Number, so what we're actually saying is Personal Identification Number Number.
Is ...
2
votes
2answers
353 views
How to avoid repeating a word already contained in “RAID”?
I was recently answering a question on Super User about RAID. In this context RAID means "redundant array of independent (or inexpensive) disks". I wanted to point out to fellow user that he should ...
8
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6answers
1k views
1
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2answers
270 views
Is it redundant to say, “…based on any arbitrary criteria?”
Should "arbitrary" suffice on its own, or does it make sense to include "any?"
4
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5answers
8k views
Is the phrase “please kindly” redundant?
The colleagues in my office often send email starting with "Please kindly". Are the two phrases a bit redundant?
