Redundancy in English

In our daily writing, we use many unnecessary words knowingly or unknowingly. The act of using useless or repeated words is called redundancy, making our writing terrible. In this post we have included many repeated words that you should avoid in your writing.

What is the meaning of redundancy in English?

According to Merriam-Webster,

In English grammar, redundancy is a word, phrase, etc., that repeats something else and is therefore unnecessary: a redundant word, phrase, etc.

                                                                      In short, redundancy is the needless, useless, or unnecessary repetition or words, phrases, or sentences.

cousin brother

• He is my cousin brother.

Saying cousin brother is a redundancy.

A cousin is a child of your uncle or aunt, meaning a brother in relation. Delete brother.

blunder mistake

• He has made a blunder mistake.

The phrase blunder mistake is a redundancy. Blunder has already the word mistake in its meaning, a stupid mistake, so we don't need to add extra word--mistake--with it. Delete mistake.

hence why

• The officers were not present in the office, hence why CM suspended them.

The phrase hence why is a redundancy. We should not use why with hence; Hence and why serve the same function.

close proximity

• The site is in close proximity to an airport.

In the sentence above, close proximity is a redundancy. Delete close. 

Proximity means 

Bryan A. Garner says, "close proximity is a redundancy that sprang to popularity in the late 19th century and has not receded."

huge throng

• A huge throng of fans always waits outside of Shahrukh's house.

huge throng is a redundancy. Delete huge.

Throng means large or huge group of people.

advance planning

• We should do some advance planning for Covid19.

Advance planning is a redundancy; use only planning. Planning is always done in advance.

Delete advance.

join together

• The two island is joined together to the mainland.

Remove together; Join together is a redundancy. 

Join takes the preposition with or to, however.

ATM machine

Writing or Saying ATM machine is a redundancy. Don't include machine with ATM; the M in ATM stand for machine.

closed fist

• He punched me with his closed fist.

Fist means the hand with its fingers bent down into the palm. A fist must be closed. To write closed fist is a redundancy. Delete closed.

combined together

• Hydrogen and oxygen combine together to form water.

The meaning of combine is to come together to form a single thing or group. Combine already has together in its meaning. Hence, together with combine is redundancy. Delete together.

actual fact

• The actual fact is that she has gone.

Actual fact is a redundancy. Delete actual.

Fact means something that has actual existence.

adequate enough

• The room was small but adequate enough.

Adequate means enough in quantity; hence, using adequate enough is redundancy. Delete enough.

and etc.

• Remember to take some paper, a pen, and etc.

and etc is a redundancy. Delete and. 

Et cetera (etc.) is an abbreviation that already means and others or and so forth, so the and is unnecessary.

reason is because

• He is always late; the reason is because he is working double shift.

The reason is already means why. Hence, there is no need to keep because. Keeping because create a sort of redundancy. Delete because.

the reason is that can be used instead.

alongside of

• My car is standing alongside of the river.

alongside already has "of" inside its meaning: at the side of something.

Delete of.

eliminate completely

• The new vaccine eliminates corona virus completely. 

To eliminate something, especially something you do not want or need, means to remove it completely. Delete completely

possible choices 

• We have a wide range of possible choices.

The definition  of choices is the act of picking or deciding between two or more possibilities. Here possible is a redundant. Delete possible.

sudden impulse

• He had a sudden impulse to stand and sing.

Impulse itself means sudden strong wish or need to do something. There is no need to add sudden with impulse. Delete sudden.

brief glimpse

• I caught a brief glimpse of her in the crowd.

brief glimpse is redundancy. Delete brief.

Glimpse means a brief look or view; 

new innovation

• We need new innovation in technology.

new innovation is redundancy. Delete new.

Innovation itself means a new idea, device, or method.

new recruit

• Banks are trying to new recruit more employees.

Recruit means to find new people to join a company. There is no need to say new recruit. New is a redundant with recruit. Delete new.

Exception: If recruit is used as a noun, we can use new recruit. As a noun, recruit means a person who joins an organization, a company, etc.

free gift

• New company is giving free gifts.

A gift itself is free; hence, free gift is a redundancy. Delete free.

usually but not always

• She is usually but not always right.

usually but not always is a redundancy. Delete but not always; as usually means what happens most of the time.

unexpected surprise

• What a pleasant unexpected surprise to see your!

unexpected surprise is a redundancy. Surprise is by definition an unexpected event, gift, information, etc. Delete unexpected.

one half

Half is by definition  two equal parts of one. Saying one half is a redundancy. Delete one.

A. M. in the morning

A.M. means morning. Saying A.M. in the morning is redundancy. Delete in the morning.

added bonus

• The product has the added bonus of providing extra vitamins.

Bonus means extra amount of money added to a payment. added bonus is a redundancy, and added is the redundant. Delete added.

ask the question

One can't ask anything except a question. Ask the question is a redundancy; Delete the question.

PIN number

• What is the PIN number.

Personal Identification Number is the full form of PIN. There is no need to add number after PIN. Delete number after PIN.

HIV virus

HIV is the abbreviation for 'human immunodeficiency virus'. The V stand for virus. Hence, using virus after HIV is superfluous. Delete virus.

basic essentials

• Free speech is an basic essential right of citizenship.

Essential means very basic or fundamental. There is not need to add basic. Delete basic.

completely unanimous

• They were completely unanimous in their approval of the report.

Something or someone can't be partially unanimous.

Here completely is a redundant. Delete completely.

Continue on

Continue on is a redundancy. Delete on.

Toxic poison

Toxic means containing poison. No need to add poison after toxic. Delete poison.

old adage

• My mother always used to remind us of the old adage.

Adage means an old and well-known saying. Adding old with adage becomes redundancy. Delete old.

still persists

• He still persists in his search for the truth.

Anything that is persisting is, by definition, still happening. Avoid using still with persist.

Point being is that

"The point being is that" is redundant; say just "the point is that'' or "the point being that."

red in color

As red is already a color. No need to write in color. Delete in color.

large in size

The word large denotes size. Delete in size.

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Books on Grammar:

Books	Buy Links	Rating
The Elephants Of Style		4.5/5
English Grammar in Use Book		4.5/5
Practical English Usage		4.5/5
The Elements of Style		4.5/5
Essentials of English		4.5/5
Handbook of English Grammar and Usage		4.5/5
Woe Is I		4.5/5
Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing		4.5/5
It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences.		4.5/5
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