English Language Arts
Grade 9
15 min
Remove redundant words or phrases
Remove redundant words or phrases
What you'll learn
- Identify at least 8 out of 10 instances of redundant words or phrases in a given text passage and explain why they are unnecessary.
- Apply strategies for eliminating redundancy, such as substituting concise synonyms or restructuring sentences, to revise a paragraph containing at least 5 instances of redundancy, reducing the word count by at least 10%.
- Evaluate the impact of removing redundant words and phrases on the clarity and conciseness of writing, explaining how effective revision improves the overall message in a written response of at least 100 words.
- Solve a series of sentence-combining exercises by eliminating redundant words and phrases to create more concise and grammatically correct sentences in at least 4 out of 5 exercises.
Tutorial Preview
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify common redundant words and phrases in sentences.
Define key terms like redundancy, pleonasm, and tautology.
Revise sentences to eliminate unnecessary repetition for improved clarity and impact.
Strengthen thesis statements and analytical claims by removing redundant language.
Analyze professional writing to observe how conciseness creates a powerful effect.
Apply conciseness strategies to their own persuasive and analytical essays.
Ever felt like you're saying the same exact thing twice in one sentence? 🤔 Strong writing is like a sharp knife—it cuts straight to the point.
This tutorial will teach you how to identify and remove redundant words and phrases, a skill known as writing with conciseness. Learning to be concise will make your argu...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
RedundancyThe use of words or phrases that are unnecessary because their meaning is already stated or implied elsewhere in the sentence.In the phrase 'twelve midnight,' the word 'twelve' is redundant because midnight is always at 12 AM.
PleonasmA specific type of redundancy where you use more words than are required to express an idea, often by pairing a word with another that is part of its definition.'I saw it with my own eyes.' The phrase 'with my own eyes' is a pleonasm because seeing is done with one's eyes.
TautologyA redundancy where the same idea is repeated using different words, often in the same sentence or in close proximity.'They arrived one after the other in succession.' The phrase 'in success...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The 'Delete and Reread' Test
If you can remove a word or phrase and the sentence's essential meaning remains unchanged, that word or phrase was likely redundant.
After writing a draft, read each sentence and actively question every word. Ask yourself, 'Is this word doing real work?' If you're unsure, temporarily delete it and reread the sentence aloud. If it still makes perfect sense, leave it out.
The 'Synonym Check' Convention
Scan for pairs of adjectives or adverbs that mean nearly the same thing. Choose the single most powerful or precise word and eliminate the other.
Writers sometimes use two similar words to add emphasis, but it often just clutters the sentence. Instead of 'The character's basic and fundamental flaw was...
4 more steps in this tutorial
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Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
A student is writing a persuasive essay. Which sentence most weakens their argument due to redundancy, making the claim sound less confident and more padded?
A.The opposition's argument is fundamentally flawed.
B.For all intents and purposes, it is my personal belief that the proposed plan is a bad one that will not work.
C.This policy will have a devastating effect on the community.
D.Past precedents clearly indicate a pattern of failure.
Challenging
A sentence contains both a tautology and an unnecessary intensifier: 'The completely unique artifact, one of a kind, was priceless.' Based on the tutorial's strategies, what is the most logical and efficient way to revise this?
A.Apply the 'Adverb Audit' to remove 'completely,' then apply the 'Delete and Reread' test to remove 'one of a kind.'
B.Apply the 'Synonym Check' to choose between 'unique' and 'one of a kind,' then audit the adverb.
C.Rewrite the sentence from scratch focusing on a stronger verb.
D.Apply the 'Delete and Reread' test to remove 'priceless' and then remove the intensifier.
Challenging
A literary analysis thesis states: 'In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the main character's procrastination and his inability to act are the true, real cause of his eventual downfall in the end.' Why does this redundancy undermine the analytical claim?
A.It uses vocabulary that is too simple for a Grade 9 essay.
B.It suggests the writer is unsure of their own argument and is padding the sentence to sound more convincing.
C.It focuses too much on the character and not enough on Shakespeare's techniques.
D.It makes a claim that is not supported by the text of the play.
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Frequently asked questions
What grade level is "Remove redundant words or phrases"?
Remove redundant words or phrases is a Grade 9 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Remove redundant words or phrases?
You'll be able to: Identify at least 8 out of 10 instances of redundant words or phrases in a given text passage and explain why they are unnecessary; Apply strategies for eliminating redundancy, such as substituting concise synonyms or….
Is "Remove redundant words or phrases" free to practice?
Yes. You can read the tutorial preview for free, and signing up for a free ExcelOS account unlocks the full tutorial and all practice questions with instant feedback.
How many practice questions are included with Remove redundant words or phrases?
This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.