English Language & Usage

Questions tagged [redundancy]

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Questions about redundant constructions, pleonasms, etc.

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43 views

Difference between drawn and haggard [closed]

In the novel Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon, we read: She watched Adam now as he sat at his desk looking drawn and haggard. Dictionaries such as Oxford and Cambridge are showing the same or ...
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27 views

Is the expression “specifically tailored” redundant?

I guess the title pretty much covers it, but I'd like to complete the sentence just in case: "The literature seems to lack a treatment specifically tailored to such method"
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16 views

Using “test” after TOEIC and TOEFL [duplicate]

Recently, I've seen a few examples of people writing either "I took the TOEIC test" or "I took the TOEFL test". They tend to be ESL students, so I don't want to be a grammar Nazi about it, but for my ...
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1answer
41 views

Is this an unnecessary “that”?? I'm confused whether or not to add a “that” in specific sentences [duplicate]

"The universally recognized raw text format that any computer can understand." OR "The universally recognized raw text format any computer can understand. This is a definition for a computer ...
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1answer
29 views

Is it redundant to say “remove the presence of X” instead of “remove X”?

I sometimes come across "remove the presence of", e.g. "remove the presence of these compounds". You can try a Google search for the exact phrase "remove the presence of" (with quotes) and you can see ...
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2answers
131 views

Long-lasting durability

If a sentence contains 'long-lasting durability,' is it redundant? For example: Robust plastic construction ensures long-lasting durability. Long-lasting and durability, do they mean the same thing? ...
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1answer
24 views

Refering to a figure

I’m writing a paper that has a number of figures that compare two images, and I’m constantly debating whether it’s necessary to repeat the figure number when I compare those images in the text. For ...
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2answers
55 views

What is the meaning of “annihilated in detail”?

I ran across the phrase "annihilated in detail" while listening to Professor Garrett G. Fagan's instruction regarding the History of Ancient Rome. This comes from a lecture on Marius and Sulla with ...
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1answer
949 views

Is “pre-prepared” redundant?

I've noticed recently the "word" pre-prepared popping up in my daily life, and if my completely selection-biased anecdotes are any evidence, it seems to be catching on. Is there any reason why the '...
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2answers
40 views

Is “new changes” redundant?

"Exam comes with 3 new changes" Three big changes have been introduced in this year's Form Three examination under a new format.
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1answer
38 views

term for obvious “stuttering” in print

Is there a name for an obviously erroneous duplication of a word in a print medium? For example (with apologies to Mr. Lincoln)" "Four-score and seven seven years ago..." If someone is relatively ...
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4answers
122 views

Is “really redundant” redundant?

Have been having this argument for a while. Is saying "really redundant" or "very redundant" or something along those lines redundant in and of itself?
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235 views

Is it correct to use both “On the other hand” and “instead” in a single sentence?

I have this sentence "On the other hand, you can go to this page instead." but I am not sure if the presence of both On the other hand and instead makes the sentence redundant.
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127 views

Can I 'contrive a plan' ? Would it result in redundancy?

For example: 'He contrived a plan to thwart his promotion'. From what I could find , 'contrive' had the meaning 'to invent , devise'. So like we can say that 'He devised a plan'/'He invented a scheme' ...
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4answers
1k views

Is “alienesque” a redundant form of “alien” as a adjective?

I googled and tried to search words like gigantesque, alienesque, and animalesque so that I could know whether they are informal or redundant forms of giant, alien, and animal, respectively. But not ...
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75 views

treacly vs. syrupy in figurative use

I wonder how, if at all, treacly and syrupy in figurative use differ in meaning, register, connotation, or in some other way. The figurative senses are frequently defined synonymously in dictionaries....
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124 views

Redundant words — “little bit”

He sandwiches tastier by spreading a little bit of cranberry sauce on the bread. In the above sentence, is "little bit" redundant? Should it be either "little" or "bit"? I checked the pair of words ...
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163 views

Is “barista bar” redundant?

I am editing something that mentions a "barista bar." Is this redundant? Is it like saying a "bartender bar"? If I'm not mistaken, a barista is the Italian word for a male or female bartender, and ...
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1answer
93 views

“May I help the next customer on line.” [closed]

Leaving aside the regional dialect that might cause someone to say "on line" or "in line," isn't the line what establishes who the next customer is -- and so therefore redundant? Wouldn't a simple "...
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3answers
2k views

Is “time period” a redundant expression?

It seems to me that "time period" is frequently used in speech and writing. But isn't it redundant? These books were written during different time periods These books were written at different times ...
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1answer
258 views

Is “the general public” redundant?

Is "the general public" redundant? Or is it different from "the public"?
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1answer
100 views

Is the phrase “mutual trust” redundant?

The phrase is being used in the following sentence: "Always keep your promises and seek to strengthen mutual trust." I feel that the sentence would be better with just "trust", but the person who ...
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4answers
3k views

Is “moreover/further/furthermore/besides/additionally” used together with “also” a redundancy?

I read from The Free Thesaurus that "moreover", "further", "furthermore", "besides", "additionally", as well as "also" are synonyms. So is using one of those words along with an "also" in a style ...
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4answers
2k views

Is “crucially important” redundant?

I've come across the phrase crucially important many times. More than 100,000 hits on Google Scholar, and it even appears in some of the answers on this site. However, crucial already means "...
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1answer
1k views

“Leave nothing (left) behind”

In the lyrics for "What are you waiting for" from Disturbed, there is the line: Leave nothing left behind I'm debating whether "left" is superfluous and here only for rythm, or if the expression "...
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180 views

Term for describing what you like using particular adjectives

Suppose someone makes statements like these: I like tasty food. I like beautiful pictures. I like well-written dramas / novels / articles / et cetera. I like good music. As you see ...
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3answers
87 views

Is the phrase “parking garage” redundant?

Is there an instance in which the use of the word "garage" as opposed to "parking garage" would imply something other than a structure where vehicles are parked?
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6answers
320 views

Is “new update” redundant? [closed]

The sentence is: While different, the sites are becoming more and more alike with each new update. Is "new update" redundant?
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1answer
3k views

please *kindly* disregard [duplicate]

Not sure if my question is considered redundant to another one that was asked of if "please kindly" generally is a redundant expression. I am curious if "please disregard my message" is polite ...
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2answers
62 views

Redundant Phrasing

Is is redundant to say that something is "fully intact"? To me, it appears that it is, but I have found it in some reputable sources, such as newspapers.
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827 views

How is it called when we follow an acronym with a word already in the acronym? [duplicate]

Example: PIN Number (PIN=Personal Identification Number), no need to repeat number RSVP please (RSVP=Answer please in French), no need to say please again etc.
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3answers
268 views

Is it redundant to say “percentage of one hundred”?

I have seen the word "percentage" defined as "a number or rate that is expressed as a certain number of parts of something divided into 100 parts". It seems to follow that 50% means "50 parts of ...
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2answers
636 views

Is it common to end a sentence with “very”?

I've read Practical English Usage by M. Swan to get the notion of ellipsis and find out whether it is possible to make a sentence below but I got to nowhere. It ends with "very" and I'm not sure ...
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2k views

Is “may not necessarily be” reduandant or does it differ from “are not necessarily”?

I feel like both "may not" and "not necessarily" contain the idea of possibility. Therefore, I find "may not necessarily" somewhat redundant. I would like to know whether "may not" can always be ...
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251 views

Is it redundant to say a 'unique nuance'?

Is it redundant to include 'unique' in this expression if I'm discussing the irregularities of surfers' waves?
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2answers
623 views

Are cobblers solely in the shoe profession?

No pun intended. A friend posted on social media looking for a "shoe cobbler". I realize cobbler is an antiquated term, but I wanted to know if it was necessary to specify 'shoe'? cobbler OLD-...
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2answers
154 views

Is “completely” in “completely equal” a redundancy? [closed]

Is "completely" redundant in "Women and men are completely equal"?
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208 views

Is “prevent it in the future” redundant?

In the following sentence, is it redundant to say “prevent it in the future”? Deleting “in the future” strikes me as abrupt. Is there anything I could change it to that wouldn’t be redundant? To ...
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2answers
2k views

Is it redundant to say “they share commonalities?”

Is it redundant to say "they share commonalities?" The sentence is "Separate your list of contacts into groups that share important commonalities."
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1answer
53 views

Stating two separate facts the same idea, but still keeping them exclusive of one another?

I apologize if this has been asked before, but I wasn't even sure what question to look for. In English, if I said the sentence: I helped clean and prune the garden in the backyard. Of course, ...
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2answers
1k views

Is it correct to say “Item was succesfully rejected”?

In a web application we need to give a success message to a user saying that the action of rejecting the selected item has been succesful. In this context, is it correct to use the message: Item ...
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2answers
4k views

Is the use of “alternative options” redundant in this sentence?

Is use of the word "alternative" in the following sentence redundant? After examining the different types of beer on the menue, Joe took several minutes to consider his alternative options before ...
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2answers
3k views

Necessitate the need?

I was reading an article that stated that a certain weapon "necessitated the need for" more training. To me, this sounds incorrect, as "to necessitate" means "to cause something to be needed" (...
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101 views

Preventing the repetition of two predict-originated words in a sentence

I have the following sentence: Researchers have noted the predictive power of features derived from students' activity sequences when predicting if students will stop participating in online ...
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825 views

How can you exactly substitute an adverb? (Pun intended) [closed]

Adverbs seem unnecessary, even redundant, to many editors. They suggest replacing an adverb with a stronger, more specific verb. I disagree. Here is a sentence from C. S. Lewis's "Problem of Pain": ...
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1k views

Is “recorded history” redundant?

I've heard many times phrases like "this particular thing has been a fact of life throughout recorded history". In fact there is this definition: Recorded history or written history is a ...
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2answers
3k views

Is the term “Dead bodies” incorrect? [closed]

Recently, a guest faculty at our college delivered a lecture on the most commonly made errors in English. He pointed out the following sentence: There were 5 dead bodies. He said that the above ...
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1answer
4k views

How to express “lucky” in formal writing? [closed]

I feel very lucky that I chose CS, and feel even luckier that I went into this field midway in my journey. As an outsider, I am not constrained by rules. Are these sentences authentic English? I feel ...
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2answers
579 views

Amenable to suggestion

I rather like the phrase "amenable to suggestion" You can attach it to things easily: My political views, amenable to suggestion, ... But I'm afraid it may be redundant. According to this ...
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1answer
853 views

Is it okay to say: “ … defines me, as me.”

My teacher wrote on the board: "My ability to overthink is what defines me, as me." He asked us to correct the sentence So my correction was, "My ability to overthink is what defines me." I feel as ...

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