Is it correct to say
This way we can mutually practice together.
Since mutually has already been mentioned, is it correct if I use the word together at the end? It may be redundant, but is it wrong?
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I'd just drop the mutually, it doesn't seem like the right word there. What did you intend it to mean?– RupeJun 12, 2014 at 13:58
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Per meta.english.stackexchange.com/a/4722, please ‘never’ use 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚎𝚡𝚝 or ˋbackticksˋ on ELU.– tchrist ♦Jun 12, 2014 at 13:59
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@tchrist: Any chance you can tell me what I'm missing (a font?) which causes me to only see a dozen "square" symbols in between your use and or there? If it makes any difference, I'm running Google Chrome under Vista.– FumbleFingersJun 12, 2014 at 14:42
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@FumbleFingers That would be i.stack.imgur.com/YgDYJ.png I believe.– tchrist ♦Jun 12, 2014 at 15:42
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@tchrist: Which I guess means this is relevant, but there are no upvoted answers to that stackoverflow question, and it's not clear to me what I should do anyway.– FumbleFingersJun 12, 2014 at 15:53
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2 Answers
Redundancy is not wrong. Redundancy is merely redundant.
That being said, the statement is not redundant, it is nonsensical. You cannot practice mutually in the first place. You can practice together, though.
answered Jun 12, 2014 at 13:59
Mutually is unnecessary here. Merriam-Webster has a definition of the base adjective mutual:
directed by each toward the other or the others
But one can't direct the action of practicing toward another, in the same way one can direct, for example, the action of giving a gift. Consider:
I gave a gift to her.
*I practiced a sonata to her.
It is generally only this sort of directed action that can be done mutually.
answered Jun 12, 2014 at 14:07
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how about "we mutually exchanged gifts" vs "we exchanged gifts together" ? Jun 13, 2014 at 6:38
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If my wife and I brought unwanted Christmas presents back to the store in each other's presence, we might be exchanging gifts together. I think. Jun 13, 2014 at 10:24