What is “redundancy”?: Difference between revisions

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Anthony Jones
== Redundancy ==
Dr. Lucas
English 1101
21 February 2005
Subject: Redundancy in essays.
Purpose: To eliminate redundancy in essays.
Audience: Writers that have problem with redundancy in their essays.
Redundancy:  Less is More
  Most college essays are required to meet a minimum or maximum word count.  In meeting this word count college students have a tendency to write wordy; in which they may also have a tendency to use empty phrases.  They may also say the same things twice.  These tendencies are associated with redundancy.  To avoid redundancy the writer should eliminate wordiness, avoid saying the same thing twice, and eliminate unnecessary repetitions.
First, the writer should eliminate wordiness from his or her paper.  For instance, when one word will do the job of several words, the writer should use that one word (Macon State).  In this case less is better because it remove wordy sentences from the paper. In writing a paper the writer should always remember every word should count.  He or she should omit words or phrases that add nothing to the meaning of the sentence (Macon State). The writer should also watch for empty or vague words such as area, aspect, element, factor, feature, field, kind, situation, thing, and type. They may signal wordiness (Hodges 313)
Second, the writer should avoid saying the same thing twice.  Past experience has shown that the reader often gets distracted when the writer repeats himself or pounds the reader over the head with the information.  The writer should say as much as possible with few words and keep it simple.  Not many people enjoy reading the encyclopedia.
Third, the writer should avoid using unnecessary repetitions.  Although words may be repeated deliberately, for effect, repetitions will seem awkward if they are clearly unnecessary (Hacker 125). If the writer can get the same effect from the reader with fewer words, the writer should. Restating a key point in different words can help the reader understand it; however, there is no need to rephrase readily understood terms or information (Hodges 312).  It makes the paper wordy.
To review, avoiding wordiness, avoiding saying the same thing twice, and avoiding the use of unnecessary repetitions will eliminate the problem of redundancy in college papers. Always remember less is better when avoiding redundancy.
Work Cited
Hacker, Diana.  A Writer’s Reference.  New York:Bedford / St.Martin’s 2003
Hodges, John C..  Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook. 5th Edition.  United States of America:  Heinle, a part of the Thomson Corporation. 2004


Macon State College. Tutorial. Eliminating Wordiness.2005
" A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail, but that every word tells.  If a writer fails to do this his paper may suffer from redundancy"(Grammar).
<http://tutorials.maconstate.edu/owl/wp/wp40.asp
 
;;Redundancy causes wordiness by:
*using unneccessary repetitions,
*saying the samething twice,
*using unnecessary words,
and
*using empty clauses and phrases.
 
== Avoiding Redundancy ==
 
;; Unneccessary Repetitions 
"Writers often repeat certain lines or words in their writing to captivate the reader or just for an effect; however, these repetitions may seem awkward if there is a more concise version"(Hacker,125).
"If the writer can get an effect from the reader with fewer words, the writer should" (Hodges312).
 
'''Example''' 1:
  ''Incorrect:''  Our fifth patient, in room six, is a mentally ill patient.
  ''Correct:''  Our fifth patient, in room six, is mentally ill.
 
'''Example''' 2:
  ''Incorrect:''  The best teachers help each student to become a better student both academically and emotionally.
  ''Correct:''  The best teachers help each student grow both academically and emotionally.
 
;;  Saying the Same Thing Twice
Restating a key point in different words can help the reader understand it; however, there is no need to rephrase readily understood terms.  It is redundant(Hodge312)..
For example the writer should not use words with the same meaning or connotation: 
        ''cooperate together''
        ''close proximity''
        ''basic essentials''
            or
        ''true fact, and etc.....''
;;  Wordy Sentences
"A wordy sentence is a sentence composed of unneccessary words in attempt to convey its meaning. 
When one word will do the job of several words in a sentence, the writer should use the one word"(OWL).
 
'''Example'''
  ''Incorrect:''  There well always be a person or group who will test the legislature and publish libelous statements as long as they can until they are caught.
 
''Eliminating "there" and "be" and putting the subject and verb in their proper place will make the sentence more concise.''
 
  ''Better:''  People will always test the legislature and publish libelous statements as long as they can until they are caught.
 
''Better, but there remains a repetition of the word "they." Get rid of the repetition.''
 
  ''Correct:''  People test the legislature by publishing libelous statements as long as they can.(OWL)
 
;;Empty Clausing and Phrases
 
"An empty clause is one that can be reduced to a phrase, and an empty phrase is one that can be reduced to a simply phrase or a single word (Grammar)".
''Phrases to Avoid:''
                  in my opinion,
                  in today's society, and etc....
 
== Work Cited ==
*Hacker, Diana.  A writer's Reference.  New York:Bedford/St.Martin's 2003
*Hodge, John C.. Hodges' Harbrace Handbook. 5th Edition. United States of America:  Handle, a part of the Thomson Corporation. 2004
*Macon State College. Tutorial. Eliminating Wordiness.2005 <http://tutorials.maconstate.edu/owl/wp/wp40.asp>
*Darling, Professor Charles.Concise Grammar. Capital Community College. <http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/concise.htm>

Latest revision as of 11:54, 21 April 2005

Redundancy

" A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail, but that every word tells. If a writer fails to do this his paper may suffer from redundancy"(Grammar).

Redundancy causes wordiness by
  • using unneccessary repetitions,
  • saying the samething twice,
  • using unnecessary words,

and

  • using empty clauses and phrases.

Avoiding Redundancy

Unneccessary Repetitions

"Writers often repeat certain lines or words in their writing to captivate the reader or just for an effect; however, these repetitions may seem awkward if there is a more concise version"(Hacker,125). "If the writer can get an effect from the reader with fewer words, the writer should" (Hodges312).

Example 1: 

  Incorrect:  Our fifth patient, in room six, is a mentally ill patient.
  Correct:   Our fifth patient, in room six, is mentally ill.

Example 2: 

 Incorrect:  The best teachers help each student to become a better student both academically and emotionally.
 Correct:  The best teachers help each student grow both academically and emotionally.
Saying the Same Thing Twice

Restating a key point in different words can help the reader understand it; however, there is no need to rephrase readily understood terms. It is redundant(Hodge312).. For example the writer should not use words with the same meaning or connotation: 

       cooperate together
       close proximity
       basic essentials
            or
       true fact, and etc.....
Wordy Sentences

"A wordy sentence is a sentence composed of unneccessary words in attempt to convey its meaning. When one word will do the job of several words in a sentence, the writer should use the one word"(OWL).

Example 

 Incorrect:  There well always be a person or group who will test the legislature and publish libelous statements as long as they can until they are caught.

Eliminating "there" and "be" and putting the subject and verb in their proper place will make the sentence more concise. 

 Better:  People will always test the legislature and publish libelous statements as long as they can until they are caught.

Better, but there remains a repetition of the word "they." Get rid of the repetition. 

 Correct:  People test the legislature by publishing libelous statements as long as they can.(OWL)
Empty Clausing and Phrases

"An empty clause is one that can be reduced to a phrase, and an empty phrase is one that can be reduced to a simply phrase or a single word (Grammar)". Phrases to Avoid: 

                 in my opinion,
                 in today's society, and etc....

Work Cited

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