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 twenty-fifth 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 in the Definitions

Let’s shine some light on the shadowy world of redundant pleonasms.

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. An old adage says that a good liar must remember his lies.
2. Eighteen planets, three of which could support human life, orbit around the star.
3. Outward appearances are often deceiving.
4. Her prior experience with men led her to believe he would dump her when he discovered she had two kids.
5. He told the police the reason why he drank a dozen beers before attending the wedding.
6. The ship’s rate of speed ensured that they would reach the colony within twelve minutes.
7. He repaid back the money he borrowed from his family.
8. The home team had a slight edge at the beginning of the ninth inning.
9. She uttered a steady stream of invective that would embarrass the most vulgar of blasphemers.
10. The government is trying to tamp down disorder and insurgency.

Suggested Edits

Edit #1:

An old adage says that a good liar must remember his lies.

adage: an old saying that has come to be accepted as truth with long use

Alternate wording: An adage [advises, insists, warns] that good [cheats, con artists, flimflammers, scammers] must memorize their [BS, fabrications, falsities, tall tales, whoppers].

Note the changes that reflect our modern preference to remove he, his, etc., and select gender-neutral words.

Edit #2:

Eighteen planets, three of which could support human life, orbit around the star.

orbit: revolve around or circle something; to travel around something in an elliptical path

Alternate wording: Eighteen [asteroids, moons, terraformed planetoids], three of which could support human life, orbit [the black hole, the gas giant, the wormhole].

Edit #3:

Outward aAppearances are often deceiving.

appearance: the outward look or aspect of someone or something

Alternate wording: [One’s clothing, One’s social standing, A person’s expression, An alien’s demeanor] is often [deceptive, misleading, unreliable, untrustworthy].

Edit #4:

Her prior experience with men led her to believe he would dump her when he discovered she had two kids.

Alternate wording: Her [clairvoyance, instinct, intuition, prior intimacies] convinced her he would [abandon her, flee to another planet, forsake her] when he discovered she had [two cats, a criminal record, two navels, a pet crocodile].

Edit #5:

He told the police the reason why he drank a dozen beers before attending the wedding.

reason: a fact or statement explaining why something happened

why: the reason or cause of something

You or your editor might prefer: He told the police why he …

Alternate wording: He told [the FBI, his superiors, the planetary security agency] why he drank [arsenic-laced apple cider, kopi luwak, psilocybin wine] before [flying the plane, giving his testimony, reciting his pledge of allegiance to _____].

Edit #6:

The ship’s rate of speed ensured that they would reach the colony within twelve minutes.

speed: the rate at which someone or something moves

Alternate wording: The [hyperdrive’s programming, escape pod’s interplanetary capabilities, ship’s supersonic engines] ensured that they would reach [Galaxy NGC 292, Jupiter, Egypt] within twelve minutes.

Note: Many editors would suggest removal of that.

Edit #7:

He repaid back the money he borrowed from his family.

repay: pay back money, goods, or favors

Alternate wording: He [hid, made amends for, apologized for] the [assets, bonds, property] he [filched, embezzled, sponged, stole] from his family.

Edit #8:

The home team had a slight an edge at the beginning of the ninth inning.

edge: slight advantage

Alternate wording: The home team [had a one-run lead, lead the series two-to-one, lost their star player due to an ankle injury] [when the game was called due to lava rain, when the news about _____ scrolled across the Holotron, and the manager hired a ringer to take her place].

Edit #9:

She uttered a steady stream of invective that would embarrass the most vulgar of blasphemers.

stream: a continuous (steady) flow of liquid, gas, or air

Alternate wording: She [flooded the video feed with ripe invective, invented cuss words, spewed curses] that would shock [her congregants, the crudest of stevedores, her construction-worker father — who had been dead for ten years].

Edit #10:

The government is trying to tamp down disorder and insurgency.

tamp: ram or force something down

Alternate wording: The government [is determined, expects, intends, wants] to eliminate [disobedience, dissent, riots, sedition].

Master List of Redundancy Quizzes for Writers