ब्लॉग / Redundant Words in Academic Writing: 23 Real Examples

Redundant Words in Academic Writing: 23 Real Examples

Academic writing rewards precision. Every word should do work, and words that repeat what another word already says make a text longer without making it clearer. The examples below are real sentences that people sent to Proofread Bot.

The corrections below are written in formal, academic English.

1. Redundant pairs

✗ This is the same exact thing.
✓ This is the same thing.

✗ Where is the sandwich at?
✓ Where is the sandwich?

✗ the ability to be able
✓ the ability to

✗ He clearly and precisely says his opinion.
✓ He states his opinion precisely.

✗ An estimated about 54 billion dollars will be required by Germany.
✓ An estimated 54 billion dollars will be required by Germany.

✗ No other chemistry will disrupt lithium-ion for at least another decade or more.
✓ No other chemistry will disrupt lithium-ion for at least another decade.

"Estimated" and "about" both mean "approximately"; "at least" and "or more" both mean "no fewer than." Choose one.

2. Unnecessary prepositions

✗ The French were thriving off of fur for a time.
✓ The French thrived on the fur trade for a time.

✗ Where did they go to?
✓ Where did they go?

✗ We discussed about his plans.
✓ We discussed his plans.

✗ Submit pairs of sentences, one with an error, and another one with without it.
✓ Submit pairs of sentences, one with an error and one without.

✗ by the year of 2030
✓ by 2030

Discuss, describe, and mention take a direct object: "discuss the plan," not "discuss about the plan."

3. "There is… that" constructions

Sentences that begin with "there is" or "there are" can often be made shorter and more direct.

✗ I have discovered that there are other rivers.
✓ I have discovered other rivers.

✗ There are very few organisms that can survive in a vacuum.
✓ Very few organisms can survive in a vacuum.

✗ This suggests that there are, at the very least, a quarter of a million distinct English words.
✓ This suggests at least a quarter of a million distinct English words.

4. Accidentally repeated words

These usually result from editing: a phrase is retyped, and the old version is not deleted. They are almost invisible on rereading, because the brain skips the duplicate.

✗ John left the John left the room.
✓ John left the room.

✗ I should always should always tell you the truth.
✓ I should always tell you the truth.

✗ The move is aimed at aimed at increasing pressure on Pyongyang.
✓ The move is aimed at increasing pressure on Pyongyang.

✗ I went to to the park.
✓ I went to the park.

✗ Terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and then and flew them into buildings.
✓ Terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and then flew them into buildings.

✗ The problem we are trying to solve here is, is to bring in every stakeholder.
✓ The problem we are trying to solve is how to involve every stakeholder.

5. Wordy phrases with a one-word equivalent

✗ We have an ongoing network change with not expected impact.
✓ We have an ongoing network change with unexpected impact.

✗ The morphological properties of that protein are not like the rest.
✓ The morphological properties of that protein are unlike the rest.

✗ Many economists, including many of the same experts who see China's labor force as an advantage, worry about automation.
✓ Many economists, including those who see China's labor force as an advantage, worry about automation.

"in order to" → "to"
"due to the fact that" → "because"
"at this point in time" → "now"
"a large number of" → "many"
"has the ability to" → "can"

How to find them

Reading your text aloud helps with repeated words. For redundant phrases, ask of each word: "Would the sentence lose anything without it?" Proofread Bot flags duplicated words and common redundancies automatically. See also contractions and other informal habits in academic writing.

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