Examine these:
- The prices of houses in England are falling down. “To fall” means to go down, so to use “falling down” is for unthinking minds. The correct versión is: the prices of houses in England are falling.
- The man fell down. Again, a person who falls goes down. The correct option: the man fell.
- Mr. Johnson climbed up the tree. To climb means to go up. The correct option: Mr. Johnson climbed the tree.
- Mr. Morales is going to give close (detallado) scrutiny (examen) to the Brexit agreement. To scrutinize (escudriñar) something is to review it carefully and thoroughly. So “close” in this example is redundant and shows that you do not understand the word “scrutiny”.
- The “final conclusion” was that Spanish taxes must rise. A conclusion is, by definition, the final part of a review or a report. So “final” is a mistake.
- Mrs Merkel grabbed (cogió) hold of the rake. To grab something is to hold it, so “hold” is redundant. The correct option: Mrs. Merkel grabbed the rake.
