Quiz & Worksheet - Avoiding Redundancy in Writing | Study.com - Free Printable

Let's go through each question in the worksheet and solve them step by step, explaining why the correct answer is the best choice.

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Question 1:

Sentence:
*Looking back in retrospect, I can't remember a summer of my childhood when I didn't spend most of the day outdoors getting into trouble.*

Task: Choose the redundant expression.

Options:
- Looking back in retrospect
- a summer of my childhood
- outdoors getting into trouble
- most of the day

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Analysis:

- "Looking back" and "in retrospect" both mean the same thing — reflecting on the past.
- So, using both together is redundant because they repeat the same idea.

✔ Correct Answer: *Looking back in retrospect*

> Explanation: The phrase “looking back” already implies reflection, so adding “in retrospect” is unnecessary. This is a classic example of redundancy.

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Question 2:

Sentence:
*Because our Treasury Officer was stuck at the airport, we postponed the meeting until later.*

Task: Choose the best replacement for the underlined part: *"postponed the meeting until later."*

Options:
- put the meeting off until later.
- rescheduled the meeting for another time.
- postponed the meeting.
- postponed the meeting until a later date.

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Analysis:

- The original phrase "postponed the meeting until later" is slightly redundant because "postponed" already means to delay or move to a later time.
- So, saying "until later" after "postponed" adds no new information — it’s repetitive.

Now let’s evaluate the options:

1. put the meeting off until later → Redundant again ("off" and "until later" are similar).
2. rescheduled the meeting for another time → Clear, concise, and avoids redundancy.
3. postponed the meeting → This is better than the original — it removes "until later" and keeps the meaning intact.
4. postponed the meeting until a later date → More wordy and redundant (same issue as original).

Between these, "postponed the meeting" is the most concise and avoids redundancy.

✔ Best Answer: *postponed the meeting.*

> Explanation: It conveys the same meaning without repeating the idea of “later.” While “rescheduled” is also acceptable, “postponed” is more precise since it specifically means delayed, not just moved to a different time.

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Question 3:

Sentence:
*The inadequate supply of pasta salad was not enough to feed the two dozen people who showed up to the club's inaugural meeting.*

Task: Choose the best replacement for the underlined part: *"The inadequate supply of pasta salad was not enough"*

Options:
- The pasta salad, inadequately, did not provide enough
- There was not enough pasta salad
- The insufficient bowl of pasta salad did not provide enough food
- There was not enough of the inadequate supply of pasta salad

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Analysis:

The original phrase uses “inadequate supply” and then says it “was not enough” — this is redundant because “inadequate” already means “not enough.”

So we want to eliminate the double emphasis on insufficiency.

Let’s check each option:

1. "The pasta salad, inadequately, did not provide enough" → Grammatically awkward and unclear. “Inadequately” is an adverb, but it doesn’t modify anything properly here. Also, still redundant with “did not provide enough.”
2. "There was not enough pasta salad" → Simple, clear, and avoids redundancy. Removes both “inadequate” and “not enough” from being used together.
3. "The insufficient bowl of pasta salad did not provide enough food" → Again, “insufficient” and “did not provide enough” are redundant.
4. "There was not enough of the inadequate supply of pasta salad" → Even worse — repeats “not enough” and “inadequate” in one sentence.

✔ Best Answer: *There was not enough pasta salad*

> Explanation: This version is concise and clearly communicates the idea without using redundant terms like “inadequate” and “not enough” together.

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✔ Final Answers:

1. Looking back in retrospect
2. postponed the meeting
3. There was not enough pasta salad

These choices eliminate redundancy and improve clarity in writing.