By Dr. Lesley Scharf | Scholarship Plug Corner
Some call it “fluff.” Strong writers and readers know it is “redundancy,” defined as needless repeating of words. Avoiding redundancy can improve writing skills. Consider the phrase, “advance forward.” Can an army advance backwards? An army can advance or move forward, but “advance forward” is repetitious. “Good job. Well done. I see you did it.”
Just get to the point.
Well done. I wince as I write: “The reason I believe I deserve and should receive the scholarship is because I am determined to make a difference one day as a teacher.” It’s too much. What is the important message? “I am determined to make a difference as a teacher.” Let the reader conclude you deserve that scholarship. We see you believe, and you have a reason. Writing without redundancy makes effective communication. Otherwise, we risk boring, confusing, distracting and losing our target audience.
The Scholarship Plug Corner is brought to you by the Scholarship Plug Inc. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. College planning and financial aid education are fundamental to a successful post- secondary matriculation process.
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