What Are Redundancies?

These nuisances are superfluous words or phrases also known as pleonasms. Rather than augment writing, they slow action scenes and increase word count — without adding constructive details.

About Quiz 6

This quiz, the sixth in its series, offers ten sentences containing redundancies, and ten suggested solutions.

They are edited examples from books, news media, television shows, and overheard conversations.

The Answers Are Often in the Definitions

Maybe it’s time to remove a few uncalled-for redundancies. Ready to try?

In most cases, you should recognize the superfluous words when you scrutinize the definitions provided with each edit.

And maybe your muse will find story ideas among the changes and suggestions.

Can You Find Every Redundant Word or Phrase?

1. He briefly summarized his plans for the following week.
2. The squirrel added an additional acorn to its hidden stash and scurried away to find more.
3. The lion roared an advance warning of its impending attack.
4. Nobody wants to go at the present time.
5. She learned the basic fundamentals before tackling the project.
6. She insisted that she fill the suitcase to capacity.
7. The announcement came at a time when nobody was prepared.
8. They collaborated together on the project.
9. The cat’s stomach was completely full, and it refused to even look at the tin of sardines.
10. During the course of the lecture, several students fell asleep.

Suggested Edits

Edit #1: He briefly summarized his plans for the following week.

summarize: to provide a brief statement that covers the main points

Since the definition of summarized already includes brief, briefly is unnecessary.

Other verbs you could choose: outlined, recapped, synopsized.

Edit #2: The squirrel added an additional acorn to its hidden stash and scurried away to find more.

additional: added or supplementary to something that is already available

stash: a store of something typically kept hidden or secret

Similar to the previous edit, the strikeouts should be self-explanatory.

Consider shortening the sentence further: The squirrel stashed an acorn and scurried away to find more.

Edit #3: The lion roared an advance warning of its impending attack.

warning: advance notice of an impending event

There’s no need to precede warning with advance, but should we mention the warning at all? Why would a lion forewarn its prey? A more concise version: The lion roared as it attacked.

More strong verbs: snarled or yowled and charged or pounced.

Edit #4: Nobody wants to go at the present time.

at the present time: currently, now

This sentence is already in present tense. Is it necessary to say that nobody wants to go now or currently? Analyze the context of your WIP. You’ll probably decide the phrase is unnecessary, unless your characters are in a situation where they might go later: Nobody wants to go now, but they might after the football game is over.

Edit #5: She learned the basic fundamentals before tackling the project.

fundamentals: basics, rudiments

Here’s another edit based on common sense.

You might want to replace fundamentals with one of the following nouns: basics, essentials, rudiments.

Edit #6: She insisted that she fill the suitcase to capacity.

capacity: the maximum amount that something can contain

fill: to put into something as much as it can contain

No need to explain, right?

Other words that could replace fill: jam-pack (idiom), overfill, overstuff.

Edit #7: The announcement came at a time when nobody was prepared.

when: at or during a time that

As written, the sentence could be interpreted as: The announcement came at a time during a time that nobody was looking. Not exactly elegant, right?

You could also replace when with while or whilst: The announcement came while/whilst nobody was prepared.

Edit #8: They collaborated together on the project.

collaborate: to work together on something

As originally worded, the sentence could be construed as: They worked together together on the project.

Alternative verbs and phrasal verbs: cooperated, joined forces, teamed up.

Edit #9: The cat’s stomach was completely full, and it refused to even look at the tin of sardines.

full: containing as much as something can hold

If the cat’s stomach already contains as much as it can hold, would we ever say it contained completely as much as it can hold?

Replacements for full could include: bursting, glutted, stuffed.

You might want to keep even for emphasis.

Edit #10: During the course of the lecture, several students fell asleep.

during: throughout the course of or duration of

You’ve got this, right?

Hmm. Why did the students fall asleep? boring professor? carbon monoxide leak? late-night studying? frat party the previous night?

Examine each edit you make for plot twists.

How Did You Do?

Master List of Redundancy Quizzes for Writers