Verbosity: Superfluity of words; wordiness
In this blog post, we will show three forms or wordiness:
- Filler words and phrases
- Excess verbiage
- Redundancy
1. Some people like to use words to fill space, hold the floor as they are thinking, or make those they are talking to feel smaller than a flea.
- The overuse of uh, so, well , and you know can be used to fill space while the speaker thinks of what to say next.
- Some people like to add phrases to the end of what they say to make you feel stupid: “Understand?” “Do you know what I mean ?” “Did you get that?” “Right?” and similar things.
2. Excess verbiage can be wordy phrases, larger-than-necessary words, and more words than necessary.
- Wordy phrases can start sentences: “What is did is . . . “ or “What this means is . . .” or “The reason is because [yuck!!!]. . .” and even worse, using a double is: “What I did is is . . .” Then there is “The fact that . . .” and “That being said . . .”
- Using fancy words doesn’t usually make you sound smart: conversate instead of converse or talk; using words like enormity and orientate. You don’t need to use a twenty-five cent word when you can use a nickel word.
- “We will elect a president at the next meeting.” Or you could say, “The election of the president will be held at the next meeting.” The first one is far more direct and has more punch. Using a noun (election) instead of the verb is called nominalization.
- If you have ever read your mortgage papers or any other contract, you have seen verbosity in the form of legalese.
3. Redundancy is usually done by mistake or because the writer or speaker doesn’t realize he or she is doing it. Here are some common redundancies:
- 7 p.m. in the evening (of course p.m. is in the evening!)
- At this point in time is just a wordy way to say now.
- Completely unanimous is the only type of unanimous there is.
- The result is generally at the end, so end result is redundant.
- In close proximity to is just a fancy way to say near.
- For the purpose of is a puffed up way of saying to.
- Each and every? Just each or every alone will do nicely.
- Postpone until later? Can we postpone until any other time?
- Past history really just means history, since there is no real future history.
- Protest against? Can you protest for something?
- We made a decision is a nominalization for we decided.
- Small in size? Small should do it.
Due to the fact that this blog post is about redundancy and other excess verbiage, I would like to repeat again, that my personal opinion is that now you know the basic essentials of this difficult dilemma. It should be noted that the final outcome of this blog post is hopefully spelled out in detail to you, my invited guests. Do you understand?
Your last paragraph is great. I couldn’t help smile.
Also, can you please address the use of ‘aksing’ v. asking? I have seen well educated people in high positions using this “word”.
It is a nonstandard pronunciation of the word, possibly even started because of the speaking anatomy of a group that first used it (I think I read that).
Arlene,
Please comment on the often misuse of lower case I (ninth letter of the alphabet). Ameuter writers, commercial advertisemtnts, business signs often have text in upper case except when it gets to I. Then the text changes to lower case I (i). For example, the retailer “BABiES ARE US, our local weekly newspaper, The Pacific Sun (Marin County, California) prints “MOViES, TRiViA and all other headings in the same manner. I actually contacted the Pacific Sun to inquire about the grammatically incorrect text. I was told it was a “stylistic decision.”
That’s absurd. Your thoughts?
Thanks,
Jim Koger
San Rafael, California
I agree with you; I think it is dumb, and I see no point. I guess they think it looks cool. I don’t mind it as much, however, as I mind my students using lower i for the pronoun I!
I wonder why the convention became to capitalize the pronoun I, while all other pronouns follow the normal rules; do you know the history behind it? It seems very egotistical to me!
I don’t know the answer to this: maybe because it is just one letter ?
I can honestly say I’ve never seen that. I’m glad, because it’s not a “stylistic decision”; It’s horrifying.
Love your last paragraph.
Ha! Thanks!!
Great article!
Thanks!!!!
Thanks, Arlene, this is perfect to talk about for my class tomorrow. This is one of the biggest problems my international students have: they don’t cut. I refer them to On Writing Well – Part I: Chapter 2 Simplicity by William Zinsser. He speaks about this, as well. Many of my students have learned that in order to sound intelligent you have to write long. They were taught this in their own countries. It takes about 5 weeks in my class to break them of this habit. Finally, though, they do get it.
Thanks for the comment. I guess this is a pretty common issue — among American students as well. Hope class goes well!
And is not “excess verbiage” a redundancy as well- when ‘verbiage’ indicates words/word used…?’Excess wordage’, perhaps…? Kim P.
Pretty much so. The first meaning of verbiage is excess words. But it can also simply mean use or words.
Re “nominalization”: Isn’t another description of this the passive voice (v. active)?
No. In “We made a decision to . . . ” decision is a noun. It is more concise to say “We decided to . . . in which decided is a verb. If you said “It was decided,” that would be passive voice.
Excellent Arlene Miller. Thanks for the article.
Thanks!
Hi, Arlene–
In #2, I did not understand the example: “What is did is . . . “ I’ve never heard this used. What does that even mean? (And is my use of the word “even” an example of verbosity? I’m thinking yes.)
“What is did is” should be What I did is, so if I said it that way, it is merely a typo! Sorry.