In addition to cutting individual words, the possibility of whittling down whole phrases shows the scope for making texts shorter and thus easier to read. This list from the BBC Academy, in “Writing: Fashionable, foreign and superfluous words”, includes several that, while patently obvious, bear reminding.
at this moment in time now
by virtue of the fact that because
In the absence of without
made good their escape escaped
leaves much to be desired is poor
was of the opinion that thought
put in an appearance appeared
on account of the fact that because
in conjunction with with
placed under arrest arrested
In the event that if
with the exception of except
surrounded on all sides
patently obvious
red in colour
razed to the ground
close proximity
the field of biology
collaborate together
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