Collins Improve Your Writing Skills - Graham King

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of

      consonant with – agreeing/matching

      could hardly be less propitious – is bad/unfortunate/unpromising

      due to the fact that – because

      during such time as – while

      during the course of – during

      except for the fact that – except/but

      few in number – few

      for the reason that/for the very good reason that – because

      give up on (it) – give up

      go in to bat for – defend/help/represent

      in accordance with – under

      in addition to which – besides

      in a majority of cases – usually

      in all probability – probably

      in anticipation of – expecting

      inasmuch as – since

      in association with – with

      in close proximity to – near

      in connection with – about

      in consequence of – because of

      in contradistinction to – compared to/compared with

      in excess of – over/more than

      in isolation – alone

      in less than no time – soon/quickly

      in many cases/instances – often

      in more than one instance – more than once

      in order to – to

      in respect of – about/concerning

      in spite of the fact that – although/even though

      in the absence of – without

      in the amount of – for

      in the event that – if

      in the light of the fact that – because

      in the near future – soon

      in the neighbourhood of/in the vicinity of – near/about

      in the recent past – recently

      in view of/in view of the fact that – because

      irrespective of the fact that – although

      large in size/stature – large/big

      make a recommendation that – recommend that

      nothing if not – very

      notwithstanding the fact that – even if

      of a delicate nature/character – delicate

      of a high order – high/great/considerable

      of the opinion that – think/believe

      on account of the fact that – because

      on a temporary basis – temporary/temporarily

      on the grounds that – because

      on the part of – by

      owing to the fact that – because

      pink/purple/puce, etc in colour – pink/purple/puce, etc

      prior to – before

      provide a contribution to – contribute to/help

      regardless of the fact that – although

      subsequent to – after

      there can be little doubt that – no doubt, clearly

      there is a possibility that – possibly/perhaps

      to the best of my knowledge and belief – as far as I know/I believe

      until such time as – until

      with a view to – to

      with reference to – about

      with regard to – about

      with respect to – about/concerning

      with the exception of – except

      People prone to pompous long-windedness can be gently reminded of their sins by quoting to them a well-known nursery rhyme rewritten in circumlocutory style:

       Observe repeatedly the precipitate progress of a trio of sightless rodents: together they coursed apace on the heels of the agriculturalist’s consort, who summarily disjoined their caudal appendages with a cutler’s handiwork. One had never witnessed such mirth in one’s existence as the incident involving those hemeralopic and nyctalopic mammals.

      The rhyme is, of course, Three Blind Mice.

       Mr and Mrs David Smith are proud to announce the birth of a baby girl, Sarah Anne.

      Now, like ‘Dog Bites Man’, this isn’t really news. But what if Mrs Smith had given birth to an adult girl? That would be news! Obviously Mrs Smith had given birth to a baby; it happens all the time. The newsy bit is that it was a girl.

      The use of the word baby here is what is known as pleonasm, the use of redundant words. The same would apply if Mrs Smith invited the neighbours in to see her ‘new baby’. Are there any old babies? Of course all babies are new!

      When a word repeats the meaning of another word in the same phrase it is called tautology and, usually, all verbal superfluities are known by this term.

      Free gift! Added extra! Added bonus! These are exciting claims. And also wasted words: classic examples of tautology, the use of more than one word to convey the same thought.

      A gift, if not free, is not a gift – except perhaps in the slang usage, ‘That car was an absolute gift at £6,000’.

      Something extra is clearly something added. And a bonus is normally an addition. Even if the word is used to describe something apart from money, an added bonus is an added addition. Nonsense, obviously. Yet we hear and read phrases such as added bonus every day, from people who have not thought what they are saying or writing, or do not care.

      So accustomed are we to tautology in everyday speech and reading that this form of language misuse can pass unnoticed:

       Will David’s income be sufficient enough for you both?

      How many of us would normally detect that enough is a wasted word?

      Avoiding redundant words and expressions is a sign of a caring writer and here, to help you, is an A to Z of some of the more common superfluities.

      An A to Z of Tautology

       absolute

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