For example:
We're currently overbooked at the moment.
-
4I guess it is!! We are currently overbooked! or, we are overbooked at the moment, are clear enough!!– user66974Aug 12, 2014 at 5:48
-
2Sure, but language is always redundant to varying extents. Redundancy is usually good.– curiousdanniiAug 12, 2014 at 7:32
-
@curiousdannii is it good in this case?– CalvinAug 12, 2014 at 14:11
-
I'd call it neutral in this case.– curiousdanniiAug 12, 2014 at 22:55
Add a comment
|
3 Answers
Yes, it is redundant since "currently" and "at the moment" mean the same thing. Instead, you could say either:
We're currently overbooked.
or
We're overbooked at the moment.
-
@Josh61 your comment above was first, and correct +1. But I can't comment on someone else's post because I don't have 50 reputation Aug 12, 2014 at 19:19
"Currently at the moment" (as a lot of people say)is redundant and a typical example where it has become fashionable to use "currently" and people add it regardless. These things usually disappear when the word (e.g. 'currently') goes out of fashion. Permanent fixtures also exist: It's raining outside...
It's redundant routinely to use 'currently' with the present tense, just as it's wrong to use 'previously' with the past tense. 'We are overbooked' and 'We are currently overbooked' mean the same, just as 'we were previously overbooked' and 'we were overbooked' mean the same. The only point in using the adverb is to emphasise something temporary e.g. 'We are currently overbooked but we expect that to change shortly.'
Beware redundancy in language. There is no difference in meaning between 'Please keep all your belongings with you' and 'Please keep your belongings with you'. You can spot redundant words by posing the question 'As opposed to...?' 'Please keep all your belongings with you' as opposed to 'Please keep some of your belongings with you'?
-
1You’re lumping in emphasis as ‘redundancy’, which of course it is not. There’s a difference of emphasis between “your belongings” and “all your belongings”, just like between “I need a haircut” and “I really need a haircut”. There is also a difference in meaning between “We are overbooked” and “We are currently overbooked”: the former does not imply that the overbooking is temporary and can also mean “We are [permanently] overbooked”, which would (in your logic) lead to the conclusion that “We are currently overbooked” means the same as “We are permanently overbooked”. Sep 9, 2014 at 18:29