Recently, a prospective candidate emailed mbaMission with the following question: \u201cWhat is the most basic stylistic error that candidates make when writing their essays?\u201d Our answer: unnecessary repetition. Although repeating a word within a single sentence or in consecutive sentences does not constitute a grammatical mistake, it can still be grating to a reader’s \u201cear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Consider this\u00a0example:<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring my time at XYZ Sales, I increased productivity by 31% and increased revenue by 21%. Meanwhile, I increased my client base by an industry-leading 81%, bringing increased prestige to my firm<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Although this example above\u2014which uses the word \u201cincreased\u201d four times in just two sentences\u2014may seem like an exaggerated case, it is actually not as rare as you might think. However, the repetition can be easily eliminated and the sentences made \u201cincreasingly\u201d reader friendly with just a few simples changes:<\/p>\n