Have you come across the term “tautology” lately and wondered what it is?
Or do you want to improve your writing and want to learn how to avoid this?
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So here's the deal: Many popular phrases are tautologies. And once you know it, they can drive you crazy!
To tell you honest truth…
That's them give away for free Tickets…
But if you can identify them, at least you won't drive your readers crazy.
In this post, I'll look at a series of tautology examples and analyze them so you can spot them from a mile away.
But first, let's take a look at the definition.
What is a tautology?
Literally speaking, a tautology, just repeats itself.
They can repeat themselves in many ways (ask my mother), but there are a few defined types of tautology.
In grammarThis is the repetition of an idea, statement or word – but using different words or synonyms.
In rhetoric and logicA tautology is somewhat similar to a circular argument. It is something that is unconditionally true based on logic.
Let's take a closer look at the different tautologies with some examples.
The verbal tautology
A verbal tautology is grammatical redundancy – you repeat the same idea but phrase it differently.
For example, ask customers to:
“Pay in advance.”
You can pay in advance or in advance. But you don't have to say the same thing twice!
Or this one:
“I went to visit him personal.”
You can add “personal” for emphasis. But it doesn't add anything. If I I visited him, it must have been personal.
As we'll see later, a verbal tautology can be used to add emphasis and rhythm to your writing.
However, a clear, concise sentence is often a better choice.
The logical tautology
A logical tautology is a statement that is always true – it covers all scenarios.
For example:
“You too have blue eyes or you I don't have blue eyes.”
“You are brave or you are not brave.”
“I will get into trouble or I will don't get into trouble.”
These statements are always true because if you put both halves of the sentence together, there is no possibility that they are not true. Therefore, it feels redundant, just like a verbal tautology.
10 Examples of Tautology You Didn't Even Know You Used
Now that you've seen what the dictionary says, let's take a closer look at some tautologies you would hear in everyday conversation.
Chances are, your own language is full of them.
Do you recognize favorite animals?
Examples of logical tautology
Even though these logical statements are popular colloquialisms, they do not add meaning or deeper clarity to your writing.
“It is what it is.“
This is a logical tautology since it involves the repetition of “It is” in a simple statement that applies universally to whatever “it” is. However, repeating does not add any information.
As Nina Simone (and many others) said:
You must:
“Do what you have to do.”
This is the same kind of logical tautology.
But what do you have to do?! The meaning comes from the context. What you're really saying is that you have no choice in the matter.
Logical tautologies are often used more consciously than verbal tautologies.
Examples of verbal tautology
We use a lot of verbal tautologies in our local dialects and speech mannerisms. Many of us use tautological redundancies to add emphasis, rhythm, variety, or even a touch of local color to a phrase.
“I personal I made this card for you with my own hands.”
“The The soggy ground was wet And covered with mud.”
“The teacher supports I from portion I’ll complete the task.”
“Enjoy yours additional bonus!”
“Be careful, there are a lot frozen ice cream on the way!”
“You always Exaggerates.”
“They wandered there summit on Top of the mountain.”
“The hotel room wasn't great, but that's what it was sufficient enough.”
If you live in a community where these tautologies are common in local chatter, by all means join in and have fun!
However, when writing, choose your words carefully. It ensures clear and concise writing.
5 tautology examples that will put a smile on your face
Some tautologies are so obvious that they'll probably make the corners of your mouth tickle. Maybe you'll even grace us with a genuine smile or a teenage eye roll!
We have selected a few famous examples for you:
“A person is a personno matter how small”
— Horton hears a Who, Dr. Sweet
“Discovered by Pooh, Pooh found it.”
— Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
“You'll just have to Score more points than the other team To win the game.”
– John Madden
“Our nation must come together To unite.”
– George W Bush
“It is Déjà vu all again and again.”
— Yogi Berra
The famous quote by Yogi Berra is one of my favorite quotes.
It's not just déjà vu (French for already seen). It's not just déjà vu again.
It's déjà vu all again and again.
It's killing me.
Which one do you like best?
If they are so bad, how come Shakespeare uses tautologies?
The words of the great masters have delighted us for centuries. They used many literary devices to express their ideas.
Tautology is one of them.
It can be particularly effective in children's literature, poems and song lyrics.
We can also use tautologies in dialogue to develop a character's thoughts and personality.
The point is that tautology has a purpose – for example, to give words emotional impact or to make an idea memorable.
3 great examples of tautology in literature
We have discussed tautologies, mainly for not using them.
Now you'll see three clever uses of tautology that add rhythm and punch to writing.
“And as for me, if I am grieving my children, I am grieving.”
—Genesis 43:14
This epic biblical tautology makes clear Jacob's helpless situation.
If he stays, the Egyptian prime minister will keep his beloved youngest son in prison.
If he goes to Egypt with his other sons, he will put the entire family in danger.
This is the moment of greatest fear in history.
In ancient Hebrew culture, there was nothing worse than losing your children. Therefore, the author uses a tautology to heighten the impact of this statement.
“To be or not beThat is the question here.”
– Hamlet, William Shakespeare
In this famous logical tautology, Hamlet ponders life and death.
More than 400 years later, these words remain an icon of English literature.
Shakespeare was a master at conveying big ideas, expressing the dramatic mood in every scene, and he managed to express everything in iambic pentameter!
“I am ready to tell you. I am want to tell you. I am Wait To tell you.”
— Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw
Shaw used tautology in this line to add a poetic touch to Alfred Doolittle – to impress Professor Henry Higgins with his natural poetic ability.
Was Higgins impressed? Well, that's for the audience to decide.
Why music is tautological anarchy
Poetic forms follow different rules to create rhyme and rhythm. Therefore, poets and lyricists can be more relaxed about the rules than other writers.
Song lyrics use filler words to fit the structure of the song. For example:
“I love you. I really do.”
In other writing styles it sounds superfluous, but it fits perfectly in a song.
Let's look at a few examples.
Kiss' hit song “Shout it Out Loud” uses a verbal tautology in the chorus.
“Scream itscream it, scream it loud!”
– Kiss
“Scream it loud” is a verbal tautology because if you scream Something, you always have to use a loud voice. So “loud” is superfluous.
In the context of the song, this “unnecessary” repetition makes for a fun, pulsating chorus, and Kiss fans love it!
The Beatles have plenty of examples of tautologies in their songs. “All You Need is Love” is full of logical tautologies like this:
“There is nothing you can do The it does not work. There are nothing you can sing The cannot be sung”
– The Beatles
These are logical tautologies because they express a thought in a statement that is always true.
The song “Qué será, será” uses the same technique but takes it a step further by using different language to repeat the idea.
“The will be, will be. Whatever will be, will be.”
—Livingston & Evans
When writing poems and song lyrics, be sure to use tautologies to make your words stronger rather than weaker.
What tautology examples do you love to hate?
You've seen that a tautology can sound more like a broken record than an emphatic literary device.
And how the literary masters have used tautologies to create a meaningful impact on their audiences.
So here is the conclusion:
- Write clear, concise sentences.
- In general, avoid tautologies from your writing.
- Use a tautology only when it gives your words greater impact.
Whatever you write, use the most effective words you can—and try to use the power of tautology wisely.
This post was originally published on December 21, 2022. It has been updated for clarity and completeness.
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