Plain English writing is about communicating in clear and precise language so that your target audience easily understands your message.
Plain English writing: key principles
- Think before you write: your reader, your purpose and your message
- Get to know your target audience and tailor your language to suit
- Keep sentences short and simple
- Use examples and illustrations to explain complex information
- Break your information into short paragraphs, each delivering a single message
- Use headings and subheadings so the reader can focus on specific parts of your message
- Write with an ‘active’ voice not a ‘passive’ one. Active sentences are personal, direct and more explicit
- Write directly to your audience – as if you were speaking to them face to face (e.g. use the pronouns ‘you’, ‘I’ and ‘we’)
- Use everyday words or at least words that are familiar to your audience
- Be specific by avoiding vague terms
- Where you can, use verbs not nouns (e.g. ‘to apply’ is better than ‘to make an application’)
- Avoid inflated terms, write to communicate not impress
- Avoid trendy expressions, jargon, corporatespeak and legalese
- Be ruthless with words - use only enough to get your message across
- Write positively
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About plain English
Oxford Guide to plain English:
"The writing and setting out of essential information in a way that gives a co-operative, motivated person a good chance of understanding it at first reading, and in the same sense as the writer meant it to be understood"
