Here are more examples of long and unnecessary phrases. They are grammatically correct, but should be avoided.
The example The better option
With a view to To
(con miras a)
In spite of the fact that Even though
(a pesar de que) (aunque)
In addition to which Additionally
(además de que) (aún más)
On a temporary basis Temporarily
Some people say – those who are preparing for the Cambridge University Advanced (CAE) English exam – that they have to write 220 words for the exam, and that these longer phrases count towards the number of words. This is a mistake.
Long and unnecessary phrases use up words that could be used for more content. This means that the “content” part of your exam marks will be lower, as you have “wasted” the word count.
For example, the above four long phrases comprise 18 words, and they could be reduced to 5 words. That means you have 13 words that could be used for more interesting content for your essay or article.
The effect? Higher marks and a reader that is better informed. Everybody wins!
