If you want to move your English to the next level then you need to make sure that each word adds value.
Today we’ll show you why you need to avoid being redundant in English and we’ll give you seven phrases to avoid in order to speak more powerfully.
What does it mean to be redundant when you speak in English?
It means that you use two words that say the same thing.
Each word should bring something new to the table.
Seven redundant phrases that you should AVOID in English:
- “In my opinion I like chocolate”: Here you don’t need to say both “in my opinion” and “I like” because we know that when you say “I like” you are voicing your opinion.
- “I like the fact that I live near in a fun area and also in addition I love the fact that I am right between Harvard and MIT”: In this conversation I said “also, in addition.” Using both of those words is not necessary because the words are saying the same thing.
- “The best top colleges in the US are Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth”: Here we said “the best top colleges” and those two words mean the exact same thing. Instead of using both words you can just choose one. You can say “the best colleges are..” or “the top colleges are…:
- “It’s critically important to think like an entrepreneur with your career in New York”: The words “critical” and “important” mean the same thing. You don’t need to use both.
- “In graduate school we collaborated together all of the time to get projects done.” It isn’t necessary to use both “collaborate” and “together” because the word “collaborate” implies that you are working together with other people.
- “In my past experience I have co-taught with other teachers.” The words “past” and “experience” have similar meanings. You can just say “in my experience I have co-taught with other teachers.”
- “The reason why crime went down in New York is that the graffiti was taken off the trains.” This is a common redundancy that is used all of the time by native speakers. The word “reason” implies “why” so instead you can say “the reason crime has dropped..” or “the reason that crime has dropped…”
When you speak English you want each word to have value.
Less is more with the words that you choose when you want to speak powerfully and connect with people in English.
Do you know any other common redundancies in English?
Let us know in the comments.
