§ 16. Avoid doublets and triplets.

Exercises

Basic

Edit the following sentences to eliminate the redundancies without changing the meaning:

Intermediate

Find two examples of doublets or triplets in your apartment lease, mortgage, car-loan agreement, or other personal contract. Suggest a revision that eliminates the redundancy without (in your opinion) changing the meaning. If you're part of a writing group or class, bring a copy of the before-and-after versions for each colleague.

Advanced

In the literature on legal language, find at least three discussions of the origin and modern use of doublets and triplets. Write a short essay (1,000 to 1,500 words) reporting your findings.


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