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 The Quiz

This quiz, the eleventh 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.

Can You Find Every Redundant Word or Phrase?

1. He cocked his head to one side and listened to the sounds of the night.
2. They retreated back into the forest.
3. She nodded her head in assent before she took his hand and said, “Yes, of course I will.”
4. They shared the exact same opinions about the causes of climate change.
5. He had never actually planned for the possibility of failure.
6. A gargantuan pimple formed right in the middle of her forehead.
7. Even after decades of buffeting by winds, singeing by forest fires, and near-drowning by floods, the mighty redwood still stands, proud and strong, today.
8. The actual facts will prove him wrong.
9. Her accountant boyfriend aided and abetted her embezzling activities.
10. Roger Bannister set an all-time record when he ran a mile in under four minutes.

Suggested Edits

Edit #1: He cocked his head to one side and listened to the sounds of the night.

cock: to tilt or slant to one side

Since the definition of cock includes to one side, the phrase is redundant.

If characters move their heads forward, we might use a phrase like looked down or gazed at the forest floor; if their heads move backward, we might say looked up or gazed at the stars.

Alternate wording: He cocked his head and listened to [provide specific sounds].

Edit #2: They retreated back into the forest.

retreat: to move back to avoid danger, attack, etc.; to back away from someone or something

Alternate wording: They [escaped, fell back] into the forest.

Edit #3: She nodded her head in assent before she took his hand and said, “Yes, of course I will.”

nod (verb): lower one’s head briefly, usually to indicate assent, to show understanding, to convey greeting, or to provide a signal

nod (noun): the act of nodding one’s head

No matter what the woman’s intention, the dialogue shows her assent.

Alternate wording: She [dimpled, smiled, smirked] before she took his hand and [accepted his suggestion, agreed with his proposal].

Edit #4: They shared the exact same opinions about the causes of climate change.

exact: the same in every detail

same: exactly like someone or something else

Alternate wording: They [agreed about, concurred regarding] the causes of climate change.

Edit #5: He had never actually planned for the possibility of failure.

actually: in fact; in reality; in truth

Since the sentence refers to something that happened, of course it refers to something that actually happened.

Alternate wording: He had never [considered, envisioned, imagined] the [odds of, potential for, probability of, prospect of] failure.

Edit #6: A gargantuan pimple formed right in the middle of her forehead.

right: in the exact location; precisely

middle: a point at equal distances from the edges, sides, or ends of something

equal: identical

Alternate wording: A gargantuan pimple [flourished, mushroomed, ripened, staked a claim, took root] in the middle of her forehead.

Edit #7: Even after decades of buffeting by winds, singeing by forest fires, and near-drowning by floods, the mighty redwood still stands, proud and strong, today.

still: up to and including the present time

today: at the present time

Alternate wording: Even after decades of buffeting by winds, singeing by forest tires, and near-drowning by floods, the mighty redwood [endures, remains, survives], proud and strong.

Edit #8: The actual facts will prove him wrong.

facts: actualities; things that are known or proved to be true

actuality: fact; truth; reality

Alternate wording: The [analyses, data, findings, numbers, statistics, studies] will prove him wrong.

Edit #9: Her accountant boyfriend aided and abetted her embezzling activities.

abet: aid or assist someone to commit an offense or a crime

Although the deleted phrase is redundant, aid and abet is a legal term that you may hear on the news or find in a legal dictionary. Unfortunately, a lot of legalese contains redundancies. Here are a few:

accord and satisfaction
assault and battery
cease and desist
due and payable
fit and proper
free and clear
heirs and successors
legal and valid
liens and encumbrances
null and void
search and seizure
sole and exclusive
ways and means
will and testament

You’ll find more examples by searching the internet for redundant legal phrases.

These phrases don’t belong in narrative — unless your WIP includes, for example, a lawyer’s or police detective’s dialogue, or a character posing as someone with legal background.

Alternate wording: Her accountant boyfriend [assisted, condoned, encouraged, ignored] her embezzling.

Edit #10: Roger Bannister set an all-time record when he ran a mile in under four minutes.

record: the best or fastest achievement that has ever been recorded

all-time: best; better than any other; unsurpassed

Alternate wording: Roger Bannister [astonished the world, set the world record] when he ran a mile in under four minutes.

How Did You Do?

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