CONTENTS FEATURE: If something 'goes without saying,' don't say it GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions FINDER'S FEE: Recommend a friend—and earn up to $500 FEATURE: If something 'goes without saying,' don't say it      Some thoughts are better left unsaid.      Despite agreeing with that premise, many people who know better seem unable to hold their tongues or keep their typing fingers at bay.      "It goes without saying that all the information that is presented has to be technically correct," declared an article about Web search engine optimization."      Where was the editor when that line slipped through? The first five words obviated the need for the remainder of the sentence. If the writer truly believed that readers needed a reminder about the necessity for accuracy, the sentence would have retained its meaning without the empty five-word introductory phrase "it goes without saying that."      A review of a musical recording said that "Mozart's famous Quintet for Piano and Winds in E-flat major, KV452, needs no introduction."      The sentence is self-contradictory. If the introduction truly were needless, none should have been made. On the contrary, however, an introduction is necessary for people who are unfamiliar with that musical work. The reviewer would have made better use of ink by explaining what makes the composition exceptional.      Closely related is the stodgy master of ceremonies who invokes the stale recitation, "and now I'm pleased to present a man (or woman) who needs no introduction."      Any master of ceremonies who thinks before speaking should realize that the audience already knows whom to expect as the keynote speaker at a luncheon or convention, or as the featured performer at a concert. An introduction is, indeed, superfluous for some celebrities. At a concert appearance, Bob Dylan does not need a preamble by a master of ceremonies. The thunderous applause that begins when he parts the curtain announces his arrival on stage. Welcoming a guest speaker or performer with a gracious introduction usually is expected of a host, however. An introduction can be crafted to reveal some little-known information about the speaker or performer, or the logistics for arranging the appearance. But if no other audience had to ever endure the phrase "a man (or woman) who needs no introduction," that would be just fine.      A participant who praised a fund-raising event wrote, "Needless to say, I will participate in the event again next summer."      That statement is not at all needless. No one would be aware of his intention without such a declaration.      "We face a daunting challenge ahead of us. We recognize that," a commission declared.      Following a statement of fact, the addition of "we recognize that" is superfluous. Moreover, it suggests that the commission might choose to dispute other facts, but grudgingly acknowledges the reality of this one. To avoid arousing such questions, eliminate such gratuitous remarks.      An article about robotic submarines said, "Autonomous underwater vehicles advance — not to mention stop, turn and hover."      Golly — the article DID indeed mention that these vehicles stop, turn and hover. Those functions are important for an operator who would like the craft to be more maneuverable than simply moving straight ahead.      The expression "not to mention" is a rhetorical device that linguists call "paralipsis (also called "paralepsis" or "paraleipsis"). Paralipsis is supposed to convey irony by drawing attention to something while claiming to ignore or dismiss it. Other phrases used to set up a paralipsis are "to say nothing of" and "leaving aside." Paralipsis has its place when a writer wants to illustrate a stark contrast or paradox — for example, "she is a brilliant astronomer and philosopher, not to mention a passionate skateboarder." But paralipsis is wasted — and inappropriate when the simple coordinating conjunction "and" will suffice: Autonomous underwater vehicles can move forward, stop, turn and hover.      "I need not remind anyone that the Phillies won the World Series, and even the Philly Soul won the Arena Football Championship," a Philadelphia "blogger" wrote in late December 2008.      On the contrary, people who are not baseball or arena football fans, or who are not from Pennsylvania, may find those facts forgettable.      In response to a poem posted on a political "blog" Web site, a commentator wrote, "I am speechless and grateful that you posted your poem here. It is ironic that you turned out to be so prescient with your 2006 piece. Thanks for commenting in such a special way."      The commentator was hardly speechless.      "I read with interest the Feb. 21 front-page article on inhalant abuse," began a letter to the editor in a newspaper.      The letter writer's interest in the article is self-evident; he wouldn't have taken the time to write a letter about inhalant abuse if he were uninterested. Not until the fourth sentence, however, did the writer disclose his point — his dispute with a legislative proposal to penalize minors for inhalant abuse. His disagreement with the proposal should have been foremost in his letter; the fact alone that the article interested him is of little consequence to anyone else.      In post-game news conferences or interviews, sports coaches are often inclined to characterize a defeat as "a disappointing loss." Of COURSE it was a disappointing loss. Any defeat is a disappointment; saying so is superfluous.      In response to intense questioning by audience members, many speakers seem unable to restrain themselves from saying, "I'm glad you asked that question." While some speakers may appreciate the opportunity to clarify a point, use of that prefacing remark often appears disingenuous.      On some television stations, newscasters introduce the lead story with the phrase "topping the news tonight...."      OBVIOUSLY, the item they're introducing is "topping the news" — it's the first news story in the broadcast, isn't it?      In a message about the functions of rituals in religious ceremonies, a pastor wrote, "God didn't make denominations. People did, and continue to do, if the truth be told."      Readers understandably have an expectation that statements that are written by clergy members and that appear in ecclesiastical publications have a foundation of truth, without the need for a specific disclaimer. Yes, "if the truth be told" is an idiomatic expression, but it's usually superfluous. The pastor's statement would have been just as potent — perhaps more so — if it had simply read "God didn't make denominations. People did."      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tried to bait readers with inflated rhetoric in a draft for a "Climate Change Strategic Plan." The draft promised that "Moving forward, we will engage partners in a dialogue about working together to apply our resources with the best science to ensure landscapes are capable of sustaining America's fish and wildlife for generations to come."      That sentence contains a lot of fishy hyperbole. The verb of the main clause, "will engage," is in future tense. In what way other than "moving forward" can you advance to the future? The phrase "moving forward" is plain silly — and superfluous. And instead of "we will engage partners in a dialogue about working together to apply our resources..." the agency could simply promise We and our partners will use our combined resources....      In their defense, people who habitually bloat their prose may have picked up the habit in school. Using "filler" words and phrases to meet the length requirements for essays in high school or college classes is an age-old tactic. Later in life, people who are asked to deliver a speech of a designated length may draw upon those well-entrenched bad habits.      Before adding a statement to a piece of writing, analyze whether or not it's necessary. If it isn't, don't use it. Of course, that goes without saying. GRAMMAR COACH: Fielding your questions 1. Doris from the United Kingdom wrote:      "I am reading a text translated from German and I am confused by the use of 'obtain'. Is the following sentence grammatically correct? 'This approach is based on the assumption that systems theory must of necessity be a theory of the relationships that obtain between the core of a system and its environment.'" The grammar coach replies:      The word "obtain" may be used as either a transitive verb or intransitive verb; the two forms have disparate meanings. It is used most commonly as a transitive verb, in which case it means "to acquire" (as in Stuart obtained a copy of his father's birth certificate).      As an intransitive verb, "obtain" means "to be prevalent, customary or established" or "to be in effect." The Columbia Guide to Standard American English offers this example: "A tomblike silence always obtains in the reading room." Webster's New World College Dictionary shows another example: "a law that no longer obtains." The intransitive use of "obtain," which is considered formal, is uncommon in conversational English. In your example ("the relationships that obtain between the core of a system and its environment"), the verb "obtain" is being used intransitively to mean "the relationships that prevail between the core....").      Although the use of "obtain" in that sentence is proper, it may be incomprehensible to readers who are unfamiliar with that seldom-seen use. Replacement of the verb "obtain" with a more conventional choice — perhaps "arise" or "emerge" — would be preferable. 2. Laura J. wrote:      "Is it 'your welcome' or 'you're welcome'? I have no idea why this confuses me, but it does!" The grammar coach replies:      The word "your" is a second-person possessive pronoun, which would be used to indicate items, people or concepts that belong to you (as in "your car," "your sister" or "your design").      The word "you're" is a contraction that substitutes for the statement "you are," as in "you're early" (which really means "you are early"). The apostrophe, which is a "placeholder" for one or more missing letters, identifies the word as a contraction. Other common contractions are don't (do not), she'll (she will), couldn't (could not), it's (it is), we've (we have), who's (who is), and could've (could have).      Either of the two examples you showed may be correct, depending upon context. "I appreciated your welcome message" and "Certainly, you're welcome to stay for dinner" are each correct.      Are you perplexed by some aspect of grammar or word usage? Don't be shy! Ask the "grammar coach" at EditPros and we'll try to help—at no charge, just for the sport of it. FINDER'S FEE: Recommend a friend—and earn a finder's fee of up to $500      Do you know of a friend or colleague whose office can benefit from EditPros' services? If you do, EditPros may reward you with a "finder's fee" of up to $500.      EditPros LLC, established in 1993, performs writing, editing, proofreading and publication management services for newsletters, brochures, Web sites, annual reports, research studies, business proposals, and other informational and marketing materials. Our office is in Davis, Calif., between Sacramento and San Francisco; however, our clients include educational institutions, private corporations, health-care organizations, trade associations, scientific research institutions, Web site developers and government agencies from throughout the United States. We have worked with some of them for more than 10 years.      If you recommend our services to a friend or business colleague, and that introduction leads to an assignment for EditPros, we will award you a "finder's fee" equaling 10 percent of the amount we earn on the first assignment for the new client, up to a maximum finder's fee of $500. 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