Chapter5-6

张兵

These chapters took the idea of redundancy further. Chapter 5 showed how repeating the same idea in different words can confuse readers and make writing feel unprofessional. In Chinese, repetition sometimes creates rhythm or emphasis. But in English, it usually just slows the reader down.
I found the examples really helpful. For instance, instead of writing “This method is a method that can be used,” we can just say “This method can be used.” It’s such a small change, but it makes a big difference. It also made me think more carefully about the editing process—not just checking grammar, but checking meaning and flow.
Chapter 6 was a short but strong conclusion to the first part. It summed up all the lessons about word economy. The most important takeaway for me is this: English prefers clarity and efficiency. If I want my writing to sound natural, I need to stop thinking in Chinese and translating word by word. Instead, I should ask: “If an English speaker wrote this idea, how would they say it?”