How to write in plain English

Plain English is a clear way of writing which put reader in mind and set in a clear and concise tone. Plain English Campaign’s focus is specifically on promoting this style of writing. They have written a guide which give you 8 rules to make your writing clearer:

• Keep your sentences short
• Prefer active verbs
• Use ‘you’ and ‘we’
• Choose words appropriate for the reader
• Don’t be afraid to give instructions
• Avoid nominalisations
• Use positive language
• Use lists where appropriate

… Sadly, thanks to the bureaucrats of public service industries, local councils, banks, building societies, insurance companies and government departments, we have learned to accept an official style of writing that is inefficient and often unfriendly.

But in the last few years, many of these offenders have started to put things right, either rewriting their documents clearly or training their staff in the art of plain English or both.

The main advantages of plain English are:

* it is faster to write;
* it is faster to read; and
* you get your message across more often, more easily and in a friendlier way.

If you spend more than an hour a day writing, you are to an extent a professional writer. So it’s vital that you get it right.

So what is plain English? It is a message, written with the reader in mind and with the right tone, that is clear and concise…

How to write in plain English – [Plain English Campaign]