Reproduced below is an article which appeared in THE STAR’S MIND OUR ENGLISH on January 30, 2008.
Grammar Matters by Patty Gibbons Saunier
Eliminating the Extras
Each sentence below would read better if one word were removed. Find the words that should be eliminated.
- After planning the party for months, Connie was pleased with the end result.
- Compared to his brother, Trevor is equally as mischievous.
- Each individual envelope needs to be stuffed and sealed.
Answers: Cut "end." "End" and "result" mean the same thing. 2. Cut "as." The sentence is better without it. 3. Cut "individual." It means the same thing as "each".
The above are common errors termed "tautology" committed by writers thinking that the additional words would give emphasis to the sentences.
"Tautology" means "needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word" according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
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