ACT English: Eliminate Wordiness and Redundancy to Sharpen Sentences

Redundancy occurs when a sentence repeats the same idea in multiple ways. Wordiness occurs when unnecessary words dilute the main point. Examples of redundancy: "repeat again" (repeat already means do again), "past history" (history is by definition past), "future plans" (plans are by definition future). Examples of wordiness: "In my opinion, I think that..." (wordy; say "I think..."), "The color of the car was red" (wordy; say "The car was red"). ACT English rewards you for cutting these unnecessary words and keeping sentences concise and clear. A sentence that conveys the same meaning in fewer words is always the correct answer on ACT English.

Example (wordy): "The reason why she left the meeting early was because she had to attend another appointment." Better: "She left the meeting early to attend another appointment." Both convey the same information, but the second is cleaner and faster to read. This clarity is what ACT English prioritizes.

Trap 1: Assuming longer answers are more formal or sophisticated. On ACT English, longer is usually wrong. The shortest answer that conveys the meaning clearly is almost always correct. Trap 2: Confusing necessary detail with unnecessary wordiness. If a sentence says "She walked slowly down the long hallway," the words "slowly" and "long" add detail; they're not redundant. But if it says "She walked slowly at a slow pace," that's redundant; "slowly" and "slow pace" mean the same thing. Ask: "Does this word add new information, or does it repeat something already stated?" If it repeats, cut it.

When you see a wordiness question, read the original sentence and identify the main idea. Then look at the options and choose the shortest one that preserves that main idea. Check for redundancy or unnecessary words before you lock in your answer.

Sentence 1: "It is clear that the student was very intelligent and smart." Redundancy: "intelligent" and "smart" mean the same thing. Fix: "The student was clearly intelligent." Sentence 2: "The main objective and primary goal of the study was to determine..." Redundancy: "objective" and "goal" are the same; "main" and "primary" are the same. Fix: "The study's goal was to determine..." Sentence 3: "In the event that the weather is bad, the game will be cancelled." Wordiness: "In the event that" is wordy. Fix: "If the weather is bad, the game will be cancelled." Sentence 4: "She returned back home to her house." Redundancy: "returned back" is redundant (return means come back); "home" and "house" mean the same thing. Fix: "She returned home." Each fix removes 3-5 unnecessary words while preserving the meaning.

Do this drill daily for one week and you'll develop an instinct for spotting and cutting wordiness. By test day, you'll choose concise answers automatically.

Wordiness and redundancy questions appear regularly on ACT English and are some of the easiest to get right because the fix is clear: cut unnecessary words. Unlike complex grammar rules that require memorization, wordiness questions test your ability to write clearly, which most students already have; you just need to apply it.

This week, edit five full passages by cutting wordiness and redundancy. Mark every sentence that can be shortened. By test day, you'll answer these questions in 15-20 seconds and move on, freeing time for harder grammar topics.