[Note: This article originally appeared as article content on Michael's LinkedIn account.]
Twice as much can be a good thing, but sometimes it's not. One of the easiest ways to improve a speech or blog post is to not repeat yourself.
Unnecessarily long sentences can make your message unprofessional and
disorganized. This is more than just a grammar issue; being verbose is more likely to make you seem dumb, not smart.
Sometimes one can clean up a message just by removing instances of redundancy.
Here are some common examples of how we tend to repeat ourselves:
Armed gunman Circulate around Close proximity Completely full
Consensus of opinion Each individual person Fewer in number Final outcome Free gift
Future plans General public Invited guests Join together Large in size
Major breakthrough My personal opinion On a daily basis Past experience Past history
Period of time Predict in advance Red in color Revert back Round in shape
Still continues Sum total True fact Unexpected surprise
Unsolved mystery Visible to the eye 7 a.m. in the morning
Save your breath with this grammar tip
As an added bonus (get it?), let's include the commonly used question: "Where are you at?"
Drop the "at" from that sentence and the message retains its meaning. Good grammar like this makes you more impressive. You're welcome.
Want to reprint this article?
You can re-purpose this article on your website, blog or in your newsletter. It will help improve grammar in your workplace and within your team.
Simply send a message to us stating your intentions. There is no charge for this and everyone will think you are really smart. :-)
Consider it a "free gift" -- (see what I did there?).
About the author
Michael Angelo Caruso is an American author and speaker.
He is well known for teaching presentation skills as in his popular, Present Like a Pro, online course.
Mr. Caruso has spoken in Australia, Asia, the Middle East and 49 of the 50 states. He spends a lot of time in California, Texas, Florida, and New York.
Many meeting planners consider him to be the best speaker in America. Sample his videos and subscribe on YouTube.
