User:Tony1/Redundancy exercises: removing fluff from your writing

"Ministry of Works" says it all! You wonder whether ten words could be six or five (or fewer, if you want it to be what functional grammar calls "a short text"). Removing words could make the sign more direct and allow a bigger font-size.

Redundancy is a major source of problems in writing. Here are sets of exercises to sharpen your ability to identify redundancy. The exercises tend to get harder as you progress through the page. Remember, you're trying to develop the habit of scrutinising the need for every word in a text. Undertaking these exercises can be the start of a longer project to tighten up your prose. The exercises are in BrAusIrSthAfrNZ English, so Americans (and to a lesser extent, Canadians): please tolerate televise, behaviour, centre, travelling, defence, et al.

"Unfolding" design. The exercises are designed to be done in your head, without writing. Each exercise unfolds in stages: first you'll see the problem text, then—if you need them—one or more clickable hints to help you along; then a solution; and finally an explanation. You'll get the most out of the exercises by thinking carefully about each stage before clicking on the next. Stop before you've had enough, and plan to return each day to take up where you left off. "Distributed" ("spaced out") practice rather than "massed" (all at once) practice will have a more lasting effect on your writing style.

Visitors: why not register as an editor? This page receives an average of 10 visits a day—more when external writing courses have recommended it. If you're a visitor, please consider the satisfaction you might gain from joining the global effort to build the largest repository of knowledge in human history, by becoming a registered editor. It's simple, free, private, and takes about five minutes. Share your knowledge with the world. You choose how much to contribute. But of course you're welcome to do the exercises without registering.

Feedback on how to improve these exercises is welcome on the talk page.

Self-help writing tutorials:

• Exercises in weeding out fluff from article text
• Advanced editing exercises
• Spot the ambiguity
• Build your linking skills
• Using hyphens and dashes
• Copy-editing essentials, part of the Military History Academy

edit

Starting out: removing a single word

Let's begin with straightforward tasks. The following six examples can be improved by striking just one word. First try to identify the word; then hit [Show] to view the suggested solution. Please remember not to type in your answer: just think, then click.

A

Last month, more than 40% of featured article nominations successfully passed.

Hint

You pass or you fail; you're successful or unsuccessful.

Solution

Last month, more than 40% of featured article nominations successfully passed.

Explanation

Try the opposite ("unsuccessfully passed") to see how useless "successfully" is in this role.

B

The vectors—green and yellow—follow the average rainfall pattern for each region (see Figure 2).

Hint

The role of the parentheses, among other things, makes one word redundant.

Solution

The vectors—green and yellow—follow the average rainfall pattern for each region (see Figure 2).

Explanation

The parentheses are quite enough to tell the reader that Figure 2 illustrates what is being explained.

C

They invaded the coast and brought along European diseases.

Solution

They invaded the coast and brought along European diseases.

Explanation

"Along", in this context, is one of a number of redundant prepositions that have crept into spoken English.

D

The manager has plans to accept the offer.

Hint

A slight change in the grammar of the sentence is required to remove the word.

Solution

The manager has plans to accept the offer.

Explanation

"Plans" is now a process rather than a thing; this simplifies the grammar, allowing a word to be dropped. The meaning has changed very subtly, though: "plans to" suggests slightly greater certainty than "has plans to".

E

The least accessible forested areas were the last ones to be cleared.

Hint

Use ellipsis, where you leave out a back-reference and the reader effortlessly reinserts it in their mind as they slide over it.

Solution

The least accessible forested areas were the last ones to be cleared.

Explanation

Through ellipsis we can avoid the repetition of a noun ("forested areas") or a pronoun that refers to it ("ones").

F

Both the parents chose to educate their children in Beijing.

Solution

Both the parents chose to educate their children in Beijing.

Explanations

"Both" already identifies the noun "parents" (which parents the writer is referring to). This makes "the" redundant, since "the" sends the message to the reader: "you already know which parents I'm referring to". Knowing where to insert "the" and "a", and where not to can be a major problem for non-native speakers. It's very important to conquer this subtle part of basic English grammar—not helped by native speakers' inability to explain it.

Removing a single word: more exercises

Further straightforward tasks.

A

This sudden recognition had led to keen competition for Handel's future services.

Hint

The logic already tells you about the timing.

Solution

This sudden recognition had led to keen competition for Handel's future services.

Explanation

Try the opposite: "This sudden recognition had led to keen competition for Handel's past services."

B

The orbiter project, cancelled in 2005, would have specifically targeted Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Hint

The meaning of the redundant word is already conveyed by another word.

Solution

The orbiter project, cancelled in 2005, would have specifically targeted Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Explanation

Targeting is specific.

C

These two species are both members of the equine family.

Solution

These two species are both members of the equine family.

Explanations

Either "two" or "both" is required: one of these words must be removed. If you want to emphasise (grammatically mark) the fact that the two species are in the same family—for example, because it's unexpected or unusual—retain "both" and remove "two". "Both" is an amplifier—it makes the reader attend to the coupling as a special case. The unmarked version is "These two species are both members of the equine family."

D

After 1731 the opera was not staged again for more than 200 years.

Solution

After 1731 the opera was not staged again for more than 200 years.

Explanation

"After" alone carries the sense.

E

There are three established methods available for the delignification of lignocellulosic biomass.

Solution

There are three established methods available for the delignification of lignocellulosic biomass.

Explanation

• "Available" is redundant because its meaning is already contained in "established".
• But much better would be to bin "There are", like this:
  • "There are Three established methods are available for the delignification of lignocellulosic biomass."
• Hint: "There are ..." is often a sign that redundancy is lurking.

But why not simplify the ungainly "the delignification of"?

• "Three established methods are available for the delignification of delignifying lignocellulosic biomass."

F

Bruckner's Symphony No. 3 was a turning point for the composer; but he revised it several times in the years following the work's premiere.

Solution

Bruckner's Symphony No. 3 was a turning point for the composer; but he revised it several times in the years following the work's premiere.

Explanation

In this context, what else would a premiere be of but Symphony No. 3?

How many did you get right?

• All correct: excellent—consider moving straight to Redundancy renovations (1).
• One or two wrong: fair.
• More than two wrong: this skill needs attention—consider undertaking all of the exercises below.

Vermeer's Lady writing a letter with her maid (1670); nowadays, the relative ease and speed of written communication have resulted in a move towards plainer, less formal structures, including simpler, shorter sentences. But we know from looking at the text of the great writers that redundancy has always been intuitively avoided in good writing, even when more elaborate sentence structures were common.

Removing one or two words

A

This question rarely arises outside of the soccer league.

Solution

This question rarely arises outside of the soccer league.

Explanation

When "outside" is just a preposition to a noun ("the soccer league") the "of" in "outside of" and "inside of" is a useless verbal twitch and should always be avoided, even in speaking. It's easy to slip into this redundant usage. But when "outside" is also a noun ("the outside of the vegetable will cook first") the "of" is needed.

B

The field trips identified potential hot-spots in typical rolling mills, and the researchers have made some initial contacts with companies to gain permission for trials of their new cooling system.

Hint

See the plural "contacts"?

Solution

The field trips identified potential hot-spots in typical rolling mills, and the researchers have made some initial contacts with companies to gain permission for trials of their new cooling system.

Explanation

"Some" adds nothing to the already-pluralised "contacts". "Some" is useful when it contrasts with what might otherwise be "all", "many", or "much" ("They made available only some of the information we requested.")

C

The B41 gold-nib fountain pen was originally released in 1966 and is still in production today.

Hint

Think of the tense of the verbs (past/present/future).

Solution

The B41 gold-nib fountain pen was originally released in 1966 and is still in production today.

Explanations

• "Still" and "today" carry virtually the same meaning here. "Today" makes your reader momentarily ponder whether the meaning is "this very day" so it's probably a better candidate for removal.
• You could probably remove "originally", since "was" is past tense and a product is normally launched only once. The only exception might be that there was an original launch, and a subsequent launch of an upgrade.

D

The coastal region is an exception and it enjoys a flourishing tourist industry.

Hint

There is an opportunity for an ellipsis here.

Solution

The coastal region is an exception and it enjoys a flourishing tourist industry.

Explanation

Ellipsis can involve, as here, the omission of one word or more that the reader will easily understand anyway: the pronoun is unnecessary. "The coastal region" is understood easily as the subject of both claims (In cumbersome fullness: "The coastal region is an exception and the coastal region enjoys a flourishing tourist industry.") Consider inserting a comma between these two propositions, after "exception".

E

Longer tonicisations may also include other secondary chords.

Solution

Longer tonicisations may also include other secondary chords.

Explanations

• Even without the larger context, it's obvious that "also" is idle here; "other" is quite sufficient for the sense.
• "Also", an additive connector, is almost always redundant.

F

This involves the provision of a reference section, complemented by inline citations for quotations and any material that is likely to be challenged.

Hint

Well, the word at issue may have meaning in special circumstances, but in many larger contexts it is lazily inserted where it adds nothing.

Solution

This involves the provision of a reference section, complemented by inline citations for quotations and any material that is likely to be challenged.

Explanation

"Any" adds the sense that there will not be much material, if any, of this type. Without "any", the reader will sense that material that is likely to be challenged is not uncommon in Wikipedia's articles. It may be difficult to decide, and not always worth worrying over. "That is": always check that you need such wording (here, it's at the utility–redundancy boundary).

G

Cystic fibrosis is a common hereditary genetic disorder that affects many different parts of the body.

Hint

Two issues: Similar parts? And are genes ever not involved in heredity?

Solution

Cystic fibrosis is a common hereditary genetic disorder that affects many different parts of the body.

Explanation

Either "hereditary" or "genetic" would be fine, depending on the context. "Many" is sufficient for the sense; the reader will assume that the "parts of the body" are different unless you state otherwise. As often, trying the opposite test reveals the wastage.

H

This relationship had already existed before Adobe purchased the company.

Hint

Timing.

Solution

This relationship had already existed before Adobe purchased the company.

Explanation

The past tense in "existed" does the work of "had already".

I

Although Ottawa is one of the Ojibwe dialects that has undergone the most linguistic change, it is still mutually intelligible with other dialects.

Hint

The errant word could be explained either as (1) a double-up with another word that indicates the logical relationship before and after the comma, or (2) an unnecessary "timing" word.

Solution

Although Ottawa is one of the Ojibwe dialects that has undergone the most linguistic change, it is still mutually intelligible with other dialects.

Explanation

"Still" is unnecessary whether it means (a) right up to this day (in which case it should be "as of [year]"), or (b) all the same, despite the high degree of change (in which case, "although" has already done the job).

How did you go in those two sets of exercises? Remember that you're trying to train your eyes and mind to be like a radar, asking whether removing each individual word will change the meaning. With practice, this will become automatic.

Redundancy renovations (1)

Replacement wording may be required, but just do it in your head—no typing please!

A

These findings posed a great number of problems.

Hint

Why use four words when one will do?

Solution

These findings posed a great number of many problems.

B

Recent analyses of available historical records show why the European settlement of Greenland failed.

Hint

Try the "opposite" test.

Solution

Recent analyses of available historical records show why the European settlement of Greenland failed.

Explanation

"Unavailable historical records"? However, if the larger context is that only some of the historical records are available (i.e., "we know there are others, but can't locate or access them"), it may not be redundant to use the word.

C

After the punch-up at the grand final, the NCAA took measures to prevent major brawls from happening again.

Hint

The expression of timing has doubled up.

Solution

After the punch-up at the grand final, the NCAA took measures to prevent major brawls from happening again.

Explanation

Try the opposite as a thought experiment: would the NCAA try to prevent brawls in the past?

D

In the year of 1988, there were renewed efforts to boost the government's popularity.

Solution

In the year of 1988, there were renewed efforts to boost the government's popularity.

Explanation

1988 is a year; your readers don't need to be told.

E

These aspects serve to distort what would otherwise be some of the attractive elements of the architecture, such as its structure and envelope.

Hint

Think of agency—specifically whether purpose is logical? Then think about sets and subsets.

Solution

These aspects serve to distort what would otherwise be some of the attractive elements of the architecture, such as its structure and envelope.

Explanations

• "Serve to" implies purpose; but clearly no one would purposely try to distort what would have been attractive elements of the architecture.
• Both "some" and "such as" are subset terms; you don't need both. There's a temptation to use "some" to convey the sense of "not all" elements of a set. But there's no need, because if you did mean "all of the elements", you'd write it explicitly. Thus, "some", as usual, is redundant: just writing "elements" (the plural of "an element") means "more than one of the attractive elements, but not all of them"; "the elements" would mean all of them.

Redundancy renovations (2)

A

As a result of making such decisions, poker players are able to maximise their odds and win more money.

Hint

There's a possible grammatical change at the start that would yield neater, shorter wording. A second change would remove an unnecessary emphasis on ability in favour of what actually happens.

Solution

As a result of By making such decisions, poker players are able to can maximise their odds and win more money.

Explanation

It might just be that the larger context concerns players' ability, or the challenges they must overcome to make money, and that you might want to retain that nuance ("are able to"); but that would be unusual.

B

More than 300 million Led Zeppelin albums have been sold worldwide, including 109.5 million sales in the US alone.

Hints

• Two words are very similar.
• Logic allows for one word to be removed.
• Another improvement could be made by removing a word that is probably an unnecessary amplification.

Solution

More than 300 million Led Zeppelin albums have been sold worldwide, including 109.5 million sales in the US alone.

Explanations

• "Sold" doesn't need to be reinforced here by "sales"; this is an "ellipsis", where Led Zeppelin album sales are assumed.
• "In the US" is already a subset of something, and the default assumption is "worldwide", which can be dropped unless there's doubt in the larger context (for example, if "the OECD" had just been mentioned).
• Adding "alone" seems unnecessary, but if particular emphasis were needed, perhaps it could be retained.

C

Apart from the poets mentioned in the Kavirajamarga, later Kannada writers have referred to three poets as being eminent among their predecessors.

Hint

There's an ellipsis opportunity and an unnecessary verb.

Solution

Apart from the poets mentioned in the Kavirajamarga, later Kannada writers have referred to three poets as being eminent among their predecessors.

Explanations

• The second occurrence of "poets" can be omitted as an ellipsis.
• "Being" is unnecessary; the grammar has now shifted to referring to something as X; this requires no verb be, since "as" does the job of equating.

D

Due to problems with some of the more novel features of Bulleid's design, all members of the class were subsequently rebuilt by British Railways during the late 1950s, losing their air-smoothed casings in the process. A third of the class avoided the scrapper, and they can be seen on heritage railways throughout Great Britain.

Hint

Remove five words (from three patches of text).

Solution

Due to problems with some of the more novel features of Bulleid's design, all members of the class were subsequently rebuilt by British Railways during the late 1950s, losing their air-smoothed casings in the process. A third of the class avoided the scrapper, and they can be seen on heritage railways throughout Great Britain.

Explanations

• "Subsequently" is redundant because the sequence of events is clear without it.
• In the process reiterates when they were rebuilt. Replacing losing with and lost would remove a comma.
• "They" can be removed and understood "silently" by the reader (ellipsis).
• "Some of" seems to be necessary here as a subset term.

E

He contributed to research that led to the finding of a cure for malaria.

Hint

Too many links in the chain of meaning?

Solution

He contributed to research that led to the finding of a cure for malaria.

Further difficult exercises

These examples will require varying amounts of recasting in your head.

A

The end of ship-building—the result of a factional struggle in the Chinese court—had an enduring effect throughout the subsequent existence of imperial China.

Hint

A cumbersome sentence. It's another time issue: "end", "enduring", "throughout", "existence".

Solution

The end of ship-building—the result of a factional struggle in the Chinese court—had an enduring effect throughout the subsequent existence of on imperial China.

Explanation

Your readers will assume that imperial China had an existence that spanned time, and that the end of ship-building didn't have a retroactive influence; so there's no need to say it explicitly.

B

The majority of critics gave the film negative reviews.

Hint

Try to replace three words with one.

Solution

The majority of Most critics gave the film negative reviews.

Explanation

• "The majority of" is unnecessarily precise here, unless you really want to emphasise "more than half". Yes, English does have the potential to be ugly.

C

The territory's path of evolution has been a challenge for the government.

Hint

Two consecutive words could easily be removed.

Solution

The territory's path of evolution has been a challenge for the government.

Explanation

Evolution follows a path in any case, so "path" should not be specified. One reader suggested further shrinkage: "The territory's path of evolution has challenged the government." Exactly the right thinking, but always check that you haven't changed the meaning, which, here, may now have been made stronger than the writer intended.

D

Sport is a compulsory activity for all students; teams usually have training two times a week.

Hint

Sport is an activity, isn't it. Remove two isolated words, and replace four consecutive words with one. (Six words could be removed, and two inserted.)

Solution

Sport is a compulsory activity for all students; teams usually have training two times train twice a week.

Explanations

• Sport is an activity, so there's no need to tell us that. "Have training" is a loose expression, analogous to "have classes"; in writing, something neater and simpler is required.
• Where possible, use one word for two ("twice" for "two times").

E

During a complex history, four local communities have tried to become the capital over the years.

Hint

"History" says it already.

Solution

During a complex history, four local communities have tried to become the capital over the years.

Explanation

"Over the years" adds nothing to what we already know is a historical context.

The longest geographical name in the UK: I switch off after the first three syllables. Removing redundant words may stop your sentences from feeling like this.

Longer examples

Redundancy occurs not only because your intended meaning is already conveyed by other words in the sentence; the wider context you've established in the text can make wording redundant. Picking out redundant wording from longer windows of text brings us closer to the actual editing experience on Wikipedia.

At the end of each "problem", we tell you how many incidences of redundancy the text contains. See if you can mentally tick them off as you read through, before hitting the Show Hint button to reveal the general location of each redundancy.

A

The eye of a storm is a region of mostly calm weather found at the centre of a tropical cyclone. Typically 30–65 km in diameter, the eye is surrounded by the eyewall, where the most severe weather of a cyclone occurs. A cyclone's lowest barometric pressure occurs in the eye, and can be as much as 15% below the atmospheric pressure outside of the storm. The distance between the centre of the eye and eyewall defines the radius of maximum wind for a tropical cyclone. [Five incidences of redundancy]

Hint

The eye of a storm is a region of mostly calm weather found at the centre of a tropical cyclone. Typically 30–65 km in diameter, the eye is surrounded by the eyewall, where the most severe weather of a cyclone occurs. A cyclone's lowest barometric pressure occurs in the eye, and can be as much as 15% below the atmospheric pressure outside of the storm. The distance between the centre of the eye and eyewall defines the radius of maximum wind for a tropical cyclone.

Solution

The eye of a storm is a region of mostly calm weather found at the centre of a tropical cyclone. Typically 30–65 km in diameter, the eye is surrounded by the eyewall, where the most severe weather of a cyclone occurs. A cyclone's The lowest barometric pressure occurs in the eye, and can be as much as 15% below the atmospheric pressure outside of the storm. The distance between the centre of the eye and eyewall defines the radius of maximum wind for a tropical cyclone.

Explanations

• "Of a storm" and "of a cyclone" are readily recoverable from the wider context; "a cyclone's" can go for the same reason.
• "Found" is like "situated": fluff. We just don't need to visualise the meteorologist staring at the radar monitor "finding" the eye of the storm.
• "Outside of" is a lapse into looseness; the "of" should be binned even in speech.

B

Coronation Street is Britain's longest-running television soap opera, first broadcast on Friday 9 December 1960 in the Granada region of ITV. The program has consistently been the most highly rated program on British television. Since its launch, Coronation Street has been broadcast in many countries worldwide, including Canada, Australia, Belgium and Holland, and has also been translated into five languages. Its storylines have covered diverse topics and themes, including death, marriage, divorce and murder. [Five incidences of redundancy]

Hint

Coronation Street is Britain's longest-running television soap opera, first broadcast on Friday 9 December 1960 in the Granada region of ITV. The program has consistently been the most highly rated program on British television. Since its launch, Coronation Street has been broadcast in many countries worldwide, including Canada, Australia, Belgium and Holland, and has also been translated into five languages. Its storylines have covered diverse topics and themes, including death, marriage, divorce and murder.

Solution

Coronation Street is Britain's longest-running television soap opera, first broadcast on Friday 9 December 1960 in the Granada region of ITV. The program has consistently been the most highly rated program on British television. Since its launch, Coronation Street has been broadcast in many countries worldwide, including Canada, Australia, Belgium and Holland, and has also been translated into five languages. Its storylines have covered diverse topics and themes, including death, marriage, divorce and murder.

Explanations

• The second "program" can be removed through ellipsis.
• "Since its launch" is logically assumed.
• "Worldwide" doesn't say much after "In many countries"; it implies that these countries are widely spread around the world, but this is obvious from the subsequent list.
• "Also", as usual, is idle.
• "Topics" is logically assumed from the context; the list is of themes, not topics, so the sentence is improved by the removal.

C

After a recommendation from Dutch admirals saying that the Koninklijke Marine should be bolstered, the Minister of Defence ordered the Navy to prepare designs for a battlecruiser class. A preliminary plan by Dutch designers was completed in July 1939, but as they had never designed any sort of modern capital ship (the battleships of 1913 having been of foreign design), the plans did not reflect any of the advances in warship design that had come about after the First World War; in particular, the armour protection was totally outmoded. [Five incidences of redundancy]

Hint

After a recommendation from Dutch admirals saying that the Koninklijke Marine should be bolstered, the Minister of Defence ordered the Navy to prepare designs for a battlecruiser class. A preliminary plan by Dutch designers was completed in July 1939, but as they had never designed any sort of modern capital ship (the battleships of 1913 having been of foreign design), the plans did not reflect any of the advances in warship design that had come about after the First World War; in particular, the armour protection was totally outmoded.

Solution

After a recommendation from Dutch admirals saying that the Koninklijke Marine should be bolstered, the Minister of Defence ordered the Navy to prepare designs for a battlecruiser class. A preliminary plan by Dutch designers was completed in July 1939, but as they had never designed any sort of a modern capital ship (the battleships of 1913 having been of foreign design), the plans did not reflect any of the advances in warship design that had come about after the First World War; in particular, the armour protection was totally outmoded.

See also

• The Cut the clutter list – a useful list of fluffy groups and phrases. I haven't checked out the rest of their site, which is affiliated with The New York Times, a good sign. Beware its potential as a commercial hook to funnel you towards pay-sites.
• Cut the Clutter – actual exercises with suggested solutions, related to the previous item here. Quite good.
• Jprof, for teaching journalism – looks ok, but remember that journalism is quite a different register from that required in Wikipedia articles and research text. Again, it's a teaser to draw you into forking out money.
• David McMurray's examples – front page worth reading through.
• Oh, how flattering – here's a Google-powered site that links to this Wikipedia page; the "Word doc" just below that link is worth downloading.
• Writing concise sentences – another list of flabby-turned-concise examples.
• OWL at Purdue: Eliminating wordiness, exercises 1 and 2
• Pleonasm exercises – identify redundancy in each of 10 examples. On the easy side.
• AMW Editing redundancy exericises. Different style—long-winded short paragraphs need to be pruned back. Forgive the bad typo in exericise 1.
• PrismNet wordiness examples. Go straight down to the examples in grey boxes. Quite good; business, organisational contexts.

• Exercises in a Google Drive document, unnamed author. But please, avert your eyes from what we hope is a thoughtless blooper, not deliberate racism, in "the natives stared at the automobile in amazement".