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Question
Notice the element of repetition in the following sentence and decide
whether it is acceptable or not. Give reason in support of your opinion.
- Could you repeat that again, please?
Options
Acceptable
Not acceptable
Solution
Not acceptable -
The word repeat means ‘again’. To use the word ‘again’ is annoying as its idea is there in ‘repeat’.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Notice the element of repetition in the following sentence and decide
whether it is acceptable or not. Give reason in support of your opinion.
- I am very, very sorry.
Notice the element of repetition in the following sentence and decide
whether it is acceptable or not. Give reason in support of your opinion.
- When I heard that she was staying at the Hotel Park View, I decided to go to the Hotel Park View to meet her there.
Read the passage below. Underline the words that have been used to avoid repetition. Mark the words that have not been replaced or deleted with '?'.
It was yet another escapade of Gopi and Gargi into the forest. The two were playing in the courtyard of the ruined castle when they heard strange sounds, as if someone was ringing tiny bells in a temple. But there was none in the vicinity. They knew it. Then who was making those sounds? Nothing of that sort had happened during any of their earlier visits. Was the castle haunted? Were there any ghosts in it? Suddenly, this thought had a vice like grip on their minds. Naturally enough, both were terrified but neither wanted to admit it. Presently the sounds became louder and louder and the duo would have fled had Gargi's sharp eyes not caught a glimpse of a herd of goats grazing behind the thickets nearby. 'So, those are the ghosts!' said Gargi and both burst into laughter. They rushed to the spot to have a closer look and found that there were thirteen goats in all and each had a tiny brass bell dangling from its neck. Four goats were black and the rest were brown.
Read Passage 1 below and then fill in the blanks in Passage 2 with one word each. You may choose words from the ones you underlined in the exercise C. Which makes a better reading-Passage 1 or Passage 2? Why?
Passage 1
Moina and Debi are students of class IX. Moina and Debi are great friends although Moina and Debi don't study at the same school. Moina has never played cricket and Debi has never played cricket too but Moina and Debi are crazy about cricket. So far Moina and Debi have together watched ten international matches played by their country, India. Four of these matches were played in different foreign countries and six of these matches were played in their country, India. Surprisingly, India has lost no match where Moina and Debi were present in the stands. Moina claims that she is more passionate about the game of cricket than Debi. Debi says she is more passionate about the game than Moina.
Passage 2
Moina and Debi are students of class IX ................ are great friends although they don't study at the same school. ................. has ever played any cricket but ................ are crazy about ................ especially one day matches. So far the ........... have watched 10 matches together, all involving India. Surprisingly, India has lost ........... ofthem. Four of these matches were played in different foreign countries and the ........... in India .......... girl claims that she is more passionate about the game than the other.
Ratna and Rajshree are two sisters. Ratna teaches English in a college and her sister Rajshree works in a bank. Rajshree is younger than Ratna. Ratna and Rajshree wear their hair long. Ratna likes eating ice-cream while Rajshree likes eating pastries. Ratna is not interested in sports. Rajshree is also not interested in sports. Rajshree is married to Utlam. Utlam is an engineer. Ratna is married to Sujit. Sujit is a businessman. Ratna has a daughter and a son. Rajshree has a daughter and a son too.
- Rewrite the passage above such that there is no unnecessary repetition in it.
- ______________________________
- ______________________________
What do you think of repetition in the following passage? Do you think all of it is bad? Can you improve the passage by removing instances of unnecessary repetition?
| Choresl Chores! Chores! Chores! Chores are boring! Scrubbing toilets, cleaning sinks, and washing bathtubs take up a lot of my time and are not fun at all. Toilets! When you1re scrubbing toilets, make sure they are not stinky. I've scrubbed one before and I was lucky it didn't stink. I think toilets are one of the hardest things to scrub in the bathroom because it is hard to get up around the rim. Sinks are one of the easiest things to clean in the bathroom because they have no rims and they are small. I have cleaned one before and it was pretty easy. Bathtubs, ever washed one? They are big, they are deep, and it is hard to get up around the sides. The bathtub is the hardest, I think, to wash in the bathroom. All chores are boring, especially making my bed. Cleaning my room is OK because I have to organize, and I like organizing. Dusting is the worst: dust, set down, pick up, dust, set down. There are so many things to dust, and it's no fun. Chores aren't the worst but they're definitely not the best! Source: Teaching that Makes Sense (http://www.ttms.org/writing_quality /writing_ quality .htm) |
We often use pronouns to make links between sentences and to avoid
repetition.
Read the following extract from the story 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona'.
| "Of course, everything is so difficult now, food so scarce and dear, we could not keep going unless we charged a fee. But every week, Lucia's brothers have made their payment." She added simply, "I do not know what they do, I do not ask. Work is scarce in Verona. But whatever it is, I know they do it well." |
Work with your partner and answer these questions.
1. In the first line 'everything' refers to?
___________________________
2. The phrase 'their payment' (line 3) refers to?
___________________________
3. 'They' in the third line refers to?
___________________________
4. The speaker says, 'I do not ask'. What does the speaker not ask? Whom?
___________________________
5. 'Whatever it is.' (line 4)Here 'it' refers to?
___________________________
6. Who do the pronouns 'I' and 'She' refer to?
___________________________
Substitution in formal writing
Look at this piece of formal writing
The Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police were the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour respectively. The former delivered the key note address and the latter gave away the prizes to the winners.
- Complete the following table using information from the text above.
The Deputy Commissioner= the Chief Guest
The Commissioner of Police = ___________
The former = _____________
The latter = ____________
- Study the use of the words underlined in the text.
a. Why are they used?
______________________
b. Why do you think they are not commonly used in spoken English?
______________________
- Rewrite the following texts. Use the former, the latter, and respectively to avoid repetition.
1. Anand likes History and Joel likes Mathematics. It is interesting to note that Anand is the son of a Mathematics teacher while Joel's father is a teacher of History.
_________________________
___________________________
2. Seema, the monitor of class IX and Ramesh, the monitor of class X were asked to meet the Principal before they went home.
____________________
Sometimes we can avoid repetition by omitting certain words and phrases. Which words or phrases have been left out in the following examples? Is the meaning in all of them clear in spite of the omission?
| Oil is not found in the north but copper is. is = is found in the north |
What has been omitted in the following sentences?
1. A: Did she find out who had stolen her purse?"
B: "No, she didn't." didn't = ________________________
2. You takemybookand l'll takelndu's when she gets back.
Indu's= ----------------------~
3. Ifl don't get it to you tomorrow, I'll send it the day after.
Thedayafter=-------------------~
4. Firstly, add four grams, then another four, then another four until the mixture has solidified. Another four/ another= _________________ _
5. There were a number of graduates who were earning more than I was.
was=-----------------------~
6. I think we need coaching more than they do.
do= ________________________ _
7. A: "I can tellyou what I know."
B: "Youneedn't. I'mnotaskingyou to."
needn't = __________________
to = _____________________
8. A: "Do you visit the doctor regularly?"
B: "No, I can1tafford to.11
to = ____________________
Complete the following conversation between two sisters with suitable substitute words.
Mitali: Did you buy the dress you had seen in the shop?
Chetali: No, I ______________
Mitali : But why? You liked_________, didn't you?
Chetali : I had second thoughts about it. Well, I thought I would wear one of _________ instead. You have so many of them in your wardrobe.
Mitali : I _______but_______ are all designer dresses unlike the cheap stuff you wear and I am not going to let you touch __________ of them. Do you understand?
Chetali: That's not fair!
Mitali: It _______ . Everyone should wear their own dresses. So you'd better go and buy
that dress before someone else _________.
