Huh? I saw this in an email message.

Problems:
The adverb contradicts the verb in the sentence, and the implied object of the verb should be provided.

Explanation:
The sentence in the email message was along the lines of “Please review the document, identify any defects in the attached log, and forward [the log] back to me by 12 PM CT on 3/20/2008.”

The adverb “back” contradicts the verb “forward” in the sentence. The solution to this first problem is replace “forward back” with “return”.

I believe that the writer of the email message was thinking “return back” — because, as I’ve written earlier, so many people today erroneously follow the verb “return” with the redundant “back” — and then replaced “return” with “forward” to get “forward back”.

Replacing “forward back” with “return” is insufficient, though. What’s missing is the object of the verb “return”. The solution to this second problem is to put “the log” immediately after the verb “return” to get “return the log”.

Some might argue that “return it” instead of “return the log” would be sufficient, but others may rightfully argue that “it” could refer either to the earlier “the attached log” or to the even earlier “the document”, which could lead to confusion among some readers.

Solution:
“Please … return the log to me …”