{"id":2801,"date":"2016-02-18T10:00:07","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T18:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/?p=2801"},"modified":"2016-02-12T10:10:05","modified_gmt":"2016-02-12T18:10:05","slug":"5-types-of-redundancies-to-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/5-types-of-redundancies-to-avoid\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Types of Redundancies to Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know the expression \u201cmore is less\u201d? Well, this is certainly true when it comes to writing. \u00a0The simpler and clearer we write, the easier it is for others to understand what we are trying to say. Redundant phrases distract readers and cause the sentence to lose power and direction.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is redundancy, you might ask. Well, the act of using a word, phrase, etc., that repeats something else and is therefore unnecessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

The five most common types of redundancy are: the pleonasm, redundant abbreviations, intensifiers, plague words, and platitudes\u00a0and cliches. Let\u2019s take a closer look\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

The Pleonasm<\/b><\/h2>\n

Pleonasm is the use of more words than are necessary to convey meaning, like the sentence \u201csee with your eyes\u201d. It is obvious because we\u00a0<\/span>do<\/span><\/i>\u00a0see with our eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAn\u00a0<\/span>anonymous stranger<\/b>\u00a0stole my umbrella\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChocolate cake is better than vanilla. It\u2019s a\u00a0<\/span>true fact<\/b>\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

In the examples, \u201canonymous stranger\u201d is ridiculous because all strangers are anonymous, and all facts are true.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Redundant Abbreviations<\/b><\/h2>\n

These happen when the last character is said twice; once as part of the abbreviation, and then the word itself. This type of redundancy is also known as the RAS Syndrome: \u201cRedundant Acronym Syndrome Syndrome\u201d. See how the last word is repeated? It doesn\u2019t make sense, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

For example:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to find an\u00a0<\/span>ATM machine<\/b>\u00a0to take money out\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the\u00a0<\/span>LCD display<\/b>\u00a0broke\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

ATM means \u201cAutomated Teller Machine\u201d so saying \u201cmachine\u201d means we are repeating it unnecessarily. The same goes for LCD, which means \u201cLiquid Crystal Display\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Intensifiers<\/b><\/h2>\n

Many intensifiers do not add any extra meaning to the sentence.<\/span><\/p>\n

If possible, always make sure that each word you write or speak adds something to what you are trying to say. Otherwise, it\u2019s redundant!<\/span><\/p>\n

For example:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe meeting this morning was\u00a0<\/span>extremely important<\/b>\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe supply of food was\u00a0<\/span>severely inadequate<\/b>\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n

Using intensifiers is not as repetitive as the pleonasm, but they still do not contribute a lot more meaning to the sentence, so it is best to avoid them.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Plague Words<\/b><\/h2>\n

These are words that also do not add anything to a sentence. They are probably called \u201cplague words\u201d because they are annoying.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example:\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cEggs and milk are\u00a0<\/span>essentially important<\/b>\u00a0to make a good cupcake\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is\u00a0<\/span>basically<\/b>\u00a0no reason not to go\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Cliches and platitudes<\/b><\/h2>\n

Clich\u00e9s are phrases or opinions that are overused and show\u00a0a lack of original thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

Euphemisms are remarks or statements that have been used too often to be interesting or thoughtful. They often have a moral tone and are used to console people when they are going through hardship.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can use a euphemism or a cliche\u00a0sometimes, but too many are boring and overused.<\/span><\/p>\n

Common clich\u00e9s are:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll bets are off\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the crack of dawn\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMoney can\u2019t buy happiness\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Common platitudes are:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ok\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s life\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll get over it\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust follow your heart\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to see more, visit\u00a0<\/span>this website<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Did\u00a0<\/b>you<\/b>\u00a0know any of these types of redundancies?<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

******<\/em><\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> This post was written by Brandon, a teacher from<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>ABA English<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>ABA English\u2013the American & British Academy\u2013is an online academy specializing in teaching English with a unique learning methodology based on the principles of natural learning methods.\u00a0ABA English teaches you English through short films that take place in real-life situations\u00a0with\u00a0<\/span><\/i>144 free video classes<\/i><\/b>.\u00a0Go to<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>ABA English<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0and start improving your English with your free 144 video classes.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You know the expression \u201cmore is less\u201d? Well, this is certainly true when it comes to writing. \u00a0The simpler and clearer we write, the easier it is for others to understand what we are trying to say. Redundant phrases distract readers and cause the sentence to lose power and direction. What is redundancy, you might […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13605],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[13636],"class_list":["post-2801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-english-skills"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n5 Types of Redundancies to Avoid - Magoosh Blog \u2013 TOEFL\u00ae\ufe0f Test<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/toefl\/5-types-of-redundancies-to-avoid\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Types of Redundancies to Avoid\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You know the expression \u201cmore is less\u201d? 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