Editing to avoid repetition

Though words may be repeated deliberately, for effect, repetitions will seem awkward if they are clearly unnecessary. When a more concise version is possible, choose it.

Click Submit after each text box to see possible revisions and to submit your answers to your instructor’s gradebook. You may review your answers by returning to this activity at any time. (An activity reports to the gradebook only if your instructor has assigned it.)

There’s no good reason to repeat patient or student within the same sentence.

NOTE: Not all repetition is undesirable. Sometimes repeating key words from sentence to sentence is a very effective means for gaining coherence.

See if you can spot needless repetition in the following sentences. In the text boxes, revise each sentence to eliminate needless repetition. (You can retype or copy-and-paste and then edit).

Question 1 of 3

1. The mounting losses in Afghanistan include the loss of thousands of lives, the loss of tons of expensive equipment, and the loss of years of social progress.

Question 2 of 3

2. People who inherit money often make bad decisions about how to spend their inheritance, splurging their money on boats, buying second homes, or paying for expensive vacation cruises.

Question 3 of 3

3. Investment advisers sometimes tend to recommend products such as front-loaded mutual funds, products which have high fees.

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