Why You Shouldn’t Write “Add an Additional”
Add an Additional— Quick Summary
- Add an additional is considered a redundant phrase, so you should avoid using it in your writing.
Add an additional cup of pudding to the recipe if you want moist cupcakes.
Add another cup of pudding to the recipe if you want moist cupcakes.
“Add an Additional”— What’s the Problem?
Have you ever come across the phrase add an additional? It’s used quite often by novice and knowledgeable English writers alike, but shouldn’t be.
Why not?
Because it’s redundant. We’ll explain more below.
“Add an Additional”— What To Write Instead
A redundant phrase is one that includes words that are not needed because they express the same idea. For example:
Added bonus
Unexpected surprise
Advance warning
Bonus is defined as “something in addition to what is expected,” so the word added isn’t needed. Surprises are always unexpected, if not, then it’s not a surprise. And warnings always come in advance.
Do you see now why add an additional is redundant? Here are a few examples of what you can write instead:
Add an additional cup of water to the fish tank on Sunday.
Add an extra cup of water to the fish tank on Sunday.
Add another cup of water to the fish tank on Sunday.
Pour an additional cup of water into the fish tank on Sunday.
Why Does It Matter?
Wordiness can distract your readers. If you want to get your message across as effectively as possible, it’s important to keep your writing clear. LanguageTool—a multilingual writing assistant—can detect redundant phrases and offer solutions. Additionally, this advanced spelling and grammar checker can also help rephrase your sentences to better suit the tone and style you want to achieve. Try it today.