personal, personally. When it is necessary to emphasize that a person is acting on his own rather than as a spokesman or that he is addressing people individually rather than collectively, personal and personally are unexceptionable. But usually the context makes that clear and the word is used without purpose, as it was here: 'Dr Leonard has decided to visit personally the Oklahoma parish which is the centre of the dispute …' {Daily Telegraph}. He could hardly do otherwise. Personal in many other common terms – personal friend, personal opinion, personal favourite – is nearly always equally redundant.
In many contexts, the use of the words "personal" and "personally" is unnecessary because the situation already indicates that someone is acting as an individual rather than a representative. For example, when Dr. Leonard chooses to visit a parish involved in a dispute, it is implicit that he is making this decision on his own, so stating that he is visiting "personally" adds little value to the sentence. Additionally, phrases like "personal friend," "personal opinion," and "personal favorite" often lack clarity or necessity, as the word "personal" does not contribute meaningfully to the description. According to Bill Bryson's "Troublesome Words," these usages can be considered redundant and should be used with care to avoid cluttering language.
In many contexts, the use of the words "personal" and "personally" is unnecessary because the situation already indicates that someone is acting as an individual rather than a representative. For example, when Dr. Leonard chooses to visit a parish involved in a dispute, it is implicit that he is making this decision on his own, so stating that he is visiting "personally" adds little value to the sentence.
Additionally, phrases like "personal friend," "personal opinion," and "personal favorite" often lack clarity or necessity, as the word "personal" does not contribute meaningfully to the description. According to Bill Bryson's "Troublesome Words," these usages can be considered redundant and should be used with care to avoid cluttering language.
