[Vocabulary] My personal favorite singer.

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jiaruchan

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I heard a person say, ' Celine Dion is my personal favorite singer.'

Did she use 'personal' correctly?
 

emsr2d2

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I heard a person say, ' Celine Dion is my personal favorite singer.'

Did she use 'personal' correctly?

Not really, no. "Personal" is redundant here. If you say someone is your favourite singer, you are clearly talking about yourself. Had she said "Personally, I really like Celine Dion" then it would have been acceptable.

Having said that, you will hear people say, for example "So, tell me, what is your own personal favourite film?" or something similar. Again, it's redundant as you have clearly been asked for your own favourite, not the favourite of a friend or relative! Yet still, it's said!
 

Tdol

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If she were talking about, say, her and her partner's favourites, it could make sense:
We both really like xxxx, but my personal favourite is Celine Dion. (Even here, it's not necessary, but somehow less redundant)

Such redundant usage is very common, though.
 
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