Concision & Redundancy on the ACT | English for ACT PDF Download

Concision 

Concise means  “to the point.” If one is concise, one is very direct. A better definition for concision is to use as few words as possible to express an idea. This is the definition to keep in mind while navigating concise questions on ACT English.

Concise writing is NOT:

• redundant
• “fluffy” or
• overly wordy

But concise writing IS:

• succinct
• to the point and
• brief

• Approach each question with the mindset that shorter = better. 
• When answering ACT English questions, start by looking at the shorter answer choices. 
• Keep in mind that the shorter grammatically correct answer choice must also express the same relevant information for it to be the right answer.
• Plug your answer back into the original sentence to make sure that your answer is grammatically correct and expresses the same information. 

 Here's an example of a wordy sentence:

• Allison took me to a party that was a very fun time.
• This is the corrected version of the sentence:
• Allison took me to a very fun party.

Technically, both sentences are grammatically correct and convey the same information. However, the second sentence is more concise and less wordy. 

Rules for Approaching Concision Questions

Read the full context: 

• Before addressing any questions, read the entire passage carefully. 
• Don't just focus on underlined portions. 
• Understanding the context is crucial as it can greatly impact your approach to questions and help in identifying repeated ideas in answer choices.

Identify the essential idea: 

• Determine the core message or main idea conveyed by the writer. 
• Ask yourself how you would express this idea concisely. 
• This step prepares you to choose answers that are clear and to the point.

Eliminate redundant and/or wordy answers: 

• Begin eliminating answer choices that contain redundant or repeated ideas, as well as those that are excessively wordy. 
• Refer back to the essential idea you identified to judge whether an answer choice is too verbose. 
• Pay attention to the shortest answer choice, as it can often be a good starting point. 
• Finally, double-check your chosen answer by plugging it back into the passage if necessary to ensure its correctness.

Concision Examples

Example 1:  He then wrote an enthusiastic article for Strand Magazine, being the place in which most of his Sherlock Holmes stories had first appeared, and later wrote a book on the subject titled The Coming of the Fairies.
(a) NO CHANGE
(b) in which the magazine where
(c) in which
(d) being where
Ans: (c)
Even if the original sentence seems correct to you, remember our rule that shorter is better. Start with the shortest answer choice. That would be answer choice C. Plug it back into the original sentence. The sentence is still grammatically correct and all of the relevant info is still there. The phrase “being the place” is unnecessary. The answer is C.

Example 2: Ans: The full sentence in question reads: “The pattern Box observed in 2012 may repeat itself again, with harmful effects on the Arctic ecosystem.” The essential idea here is the potential repetition of an observed pattern. As the word repeat is already in context, we can eliminate A, as “again” would make this choice redundant. Context also says that this pattern’s repetition would have “harmful effects.” We can cross off C as “damage” is a similar and redundant idea. Lastly, because of the word “may” in context, we can eliminate answer D, which also includes the notion of potentiality (“possibly”). Our answer is B! (Notice how this is also the shortest option.)

Redundancy

Redundancy questions on the ACT English section are fairly common. If a word or phrase is redundant, it is unnecessary and can be eliminated without altering the meaning of the sentence. On the ACT, redundancy tends to be presented in two ways. The first way is that two synonyms will be used to describe something when only one of the words is necessary. 

Here is an example:

• Justin is a very friendly and amicable guy.

 Because "friendly" and "amicable" are synonyms, we can shorten the sentence by getting rid of one of the adjectives that describes Justin. 

Redundancy Strategy

Look at the shortest answer choices first:

• Begin by examining the shortest options among the answer choices provided for a question.

Plug the shortest answer choice back into the original sentence:

• Take the shortest answer choice and insert it into the sentence where the underlined portion is located.
• Ensure that the sentence still makes sense and is grammatically correct with the new answer choice.

Check for maintenance of meaning and grammatical correctness:

• Confirm that the sentence retains its original meaning after replacing the underlined portion with the shortest answer choice.
• Verify that the structure of the sentence remains grammatically correct.

Avoid redundant synonyms:

• Pay attention to whether the underlined portion and the rest of the sentence use synonyms or repeat the same information in different words.
• Eliminate choices that unnecessarily repeat information already provided in the sentence.

Verify lack of implied information elsewhere:

• Make sure that the information conveyed in the underlined phrase is not already implied or stated elsewhere in the sentence.
• If the information is redundant or unnecessary, eliminate that answer choice.
• This strategy helps streamline the process of identifying and selecting the most concise and effective answer choice by starting with the shortest option and ensuring that it fits seamlessly within the sentence's context.

Redundancy Examples

Example 1: He also began to calculate annual tables of yearly sets of astronomical data, which became the basis for almanacs published under his name from 1792 through 1797.
(a) NO CHANGE
(b) covering a year's worth
(c) about twelve months
(d) OMIT the underlined portion
Ans: (d)
Can the information in the underlined phrase be obtained elsewhere in the sentence? Yes. The word “annual” means yearly. If there were annual tables of astronomical data, then we already know that there were yearly sets. Therefore, the phrase is unnecessary. The shortest answer choice is D. Will the sentence be grammatically correct if we omit the underlined portion? Yes. The answer is D.

Example 2: That deep-sea sub can’t fit very many people. During its last solo expedition, it carried just one scientist. She not only collected data about rarely seen sea creatures, but also piloted the sub and helped run checks on its navigation system and safety features.
(a) NO CHANGE
(b) During its last solo expedition, it carried just scientists.
(c) During its solo expedition, it carried just one scientist.
(d) During its last expedition, it carried just one scientist.
Ans: (d)
The word “solo” conveys the same information as the phrasing of “carried just one scientist.” Because “carried just one scientist” can’t be omitted from the sentence, removing “solo” is the easiest way to fix this redundancy error. The correct answer is D.