Grammar question...

by 14 replies
16
Is the word "appropriately" redundant in "appropriately qualified"?

For example, from my disclaimer:
If the reader desires medical opinion, this should be sought from an appropriately qualified healthcare practitioner, such as a licensed medical doctor.

I see those two words used frequently but I'm not positive it's correct. After all, if someone's qualified, doesn't that mean they're appropriately qualified? You can't really have someone that's not appropriately qualified, can you?
#off topic forum
  • [DELETED]
    • [1] reply
    • I'd say it's more of a medical question than a grammatical one, from your example.

      There are so many kinds of qualifications that healthcare practitioners might claim for themselves, that saying "appropriately qualified" could be read as shorthand for "make sure that the healthcare practitioner you consult is suitably qualified to advise you for your particular medical condition. If in doubt, consult a licensed medical doctor".

      In that context, "appropriately qualified" sounds like an appropriate phrase to me.


      Frank
      • [1] reply
  • B.J.
    I wish I didn't know the answer to questions like this one, but having had a mother who was an English teacher, I do.

    In your example, the word "appropriately" is unnecessary. After all, if one isn't qualified "appropriately" then one isn't really qualified at all. However, as was mentioned earlier, 99.9% of the U.S. population isn't going to realize this distinction.
  • appreciate the responses. here's what i've changed it to:
    Medical opinion should be sought only from a qualified healthcare practitioner, such as a licensed medical doctor.

    thoughts???
  • It is not redundant. It indicates that there are varying qualifications. Drop the last phrase, you don't need it.

    For example: You have an ear infection. Are you going to go to a podiatrist or Proctologist? Technically, they are qualified. Yet you will probably go to a general practitioner or an eye, ear, and throat guy (lol, can't remember what they're called).

    Edit: didn't see your last post. Now you still have a lot of unnecessary words. Depending on who you are writing for, they may expect something a little more succinct. Drop the last phrase - it"s not needed.
    • [1] reply
    • No it is not incorrect usage for the reasons Frank and Sal have written.

      Dan

      PS: Not sure about eye, ear and throat Sal but we have ENT Consultants in the UK for Ear, Nose and Throat. Technically they are called Otolaryngologists.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Banned
    My old English teacher (she would be about 127 yrs old now ) would have asked for a suitably qualified person to give an appropriate answer - but that was just her style . . .
    • [1] reply
    • If your old English teacher had dealt with the American Medical system - she would have said to tell them to look for someone "over-qualified". :rolleyes:
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • I think that I would drop that last phrase, too. It's unnecessary.
    • [1] reply
    • So how does this look:
      Medical opinion should be sought only from a qualified healthcare practitioner.
      • [1] reply
  • Direct - simple - tight.

    It's good.
    • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Yes I think the word "appropriate" does serve a purpose in this context. The person in question needs to be qualified in the appropriate branch of medicine rather than just qualified in medicine generally.
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