Writing Tip: Eliminate Redundancy

One of the hallmarks of effective writing is the elimination of unnecessary words. Whether you’re padding a piece to make a word count or they’ve crept in so stealthily that you haven’t noticed, sharp-eyed readers as well as editors will pick them up. They’re not your friend.

Redundancy doesn’t come just in the form of repetitive words or ideas, but in filler phrases that add length but no additional meaning to a sentence. A few common examples:

• At this point in time
• In order to utilize
• Because of the fact that

Better to simply say:

• Now
• To use
• Because

Some are so ubiquitous that we rarely stop to think about them, such as “added bonus” or “free gift.” Others slow your sentences down:

• It is necessary for all students to complete the final exam.
• There are three options from which you can choose.

Better:

• All students must complete the final exam.
• Three options are available.

Even the most skilled writers miss things like this on occasion. Let your piece sit for a while, if possible. (Actually, this is good advice for a number of reasons, which I’ll get to later.) Then go back and read it again, looking for instances where you can cut without losing your meaning. Read it out loud—your ears sometimes pick up things your eyes don’t. Have someone else read it.

And if you find it’s a repeated problem, one option I occasionally suggest is taking a journalism class. More than 30 years after my first and only one, I’m still reaping an invaluable lesson on getting to the point.

Here’s to writing tight.