The Internet makes it easy for people to lie about and invent details about themselve

[newkeenlearner]

The Internet makes it easy for people to lie about and invent details about themselves.

Can we rewrite the sentence above in the following way to avoid repeating about:

The Internet makes it easy for people to lie and invent details about themselves.

 

[emsr2d2]

Your rewrite is grammatically correct but it changes the meaning. By just using "lie", you are suggesting that it makes it easy for them to lie about anything. However, if you add a couple of commas, you can avoid the repetition.

The internet makes it easy for people to lie, and invent details, about themselves.

In that version, "about" is clearly connected to both "lie" and "invent details". I find it a little tautologous though. "Inventing details" is lying.