What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row

What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a Row By Mark Nichol Using a word twice in a row isn’t always a no-no, but there’s always a more elegant way to revise a sentence in which you might initially be inclined to repeat a word immediately. When words collide, try these approaches: 1. â€Å"What you do do is your own business.† Even if this sentence is intended as a counterpoint to a â€Å"what you don’t do† proposition, the emphatic first do is superfluous (â€Å"What you do is your own business†). If you must retain the repetition, introduce a separating phrase: â€Å"What you do decide to do is your own business.† 2. â€Å"They had had many arguments.† Replace the second had with a prepositional phrase (â€Å"They had gotten into many arguments†) or a more specific verb (â€Å"They had endured many arguments†), or introduce more vivid imagery into a revision (â€Å"They had verbally sparred many times†). 3. â€Å"I showed her her message.† Replace one pronoun preferably, both of the pronouns with a noun (â€Å"I showed my sister the woman’s message†). This isn’t a problem with him, because two forms of the pronoun would appear (â€Å"I showed him his message†), though, again, if him and his refer to different men, it might be better to specify, in place of one pronoun or the other, one of the men in question. 4. â€Å"He came in in disarray.† Replace the prepositional phrase with a simple verb (â€Å"She entered in disarray†). 5. â€Å"She gives in in every case.† Simply recast the final phrase (â€Å"She gives in every time†) or flip the phrase to the front (â€Å"In every case, she gives in†). 6. â€Å"What it is is a travesty.† â€Å"What it is† is always an unnecessarily verbose way to start a sentence. Start with the subject (â€Å"It’s a travesty†). 7. â€Å"I placed the card I had written on on the desk.† Recast the prepositional phrase â€Å"written on† with on at its head (â€Å"I placed the card on which I had written the note on the desk†). But first confirm that the modifying phrase involving written is necessary at all. 8. â€Å"We realize that that will not be satisfactory.† Replace the second that with a noun (â€Å"We realize that the proposal will not be satisfactory†). 9. â€Å"We will discuss this this evening.† Replace the first this with a pronoun (â€Å"We will discuss it this evening†) or a noun (â€Å"We will discuss the matter this evening†). 10. â€Å"Is there someone I can talk to to resolve the issue?† Employ a participial phrase in place in the infinitive phrase â€Å"to resolve† (â€Å"Is there someone I can talk to about resolving the issue?†) or amplify the second to by replacing it with the phrase â€Å"in order to† (â€Å"Is there someone I can talk to in order to resolve the issue?†). Occasionally, an immediate repetition of a word, separated from the first instance by punctuation, is appropriate for emphatic effect (â€Å"I have come here from far, far away†). At other times, even though punctuation separates the repetition, a recast would improve the sentence. For example, â€Å"Even though I was there, there didn’t seem to be anything for me to do† might be revised to â€Å"Even though I was there, I didn’t seem to be of any use† or â€Å"Despite my presence, there didn’t seem to be anything for me to do.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Talking5 Brainstorming Strategies for Writers20 Ways to Cry