Using Plain Language

Strategies: an overviewWriting with Style

~~~~Amanda Goldrick-Jones

UBC Writing Centre

What are “plain language” strategies?

Plain language is not synonymous with “dumbed down” writing. Using plain language means using any writing strategy that will best convey your meaning to your target readers, whoever they may be.

Plain language strategies include reducing wordiness, avoiding unnecessary jargon, and clarifying dense phrases and clauses.

A plain-language document also incorporates user-friendly, readable design strategies when appropriate: such as using white space effectively, replacing long paragraphs with bulleted lists, reorganizing information to improve readability, and using visuals.

What is plain language?

“ ...the appropriate and correct use of the full vocabulary in well-structured sentences, following established rules of grammar. It is language that is free of jargon and chosen with sensitivity to the needs and prior knowledge of the intended reader.”

From Cheryl Stephens, Plain Language Wizardry: http://plainlanguage.com/newwhatisplain.html

Plain language is readable“Readability” means ...

*fit to be read *interesting *agreeable and attractive in style *enjoyable

From Cheryl Stephens, Plain Language Wizardry: http://plainlanguage.com/newreadability.html

George Orwell’s classic “6 rules”

Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

Never use a long word where a short one will do.

If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

Never use the passive where you can use the active.

Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

• For more Orwell, click on “Politics and the English Language”

Top 5 plain-language writing strategies ...

(1)Keep your target audience in mind at all times

(2)Write direct sentences that quickly connect subjects to verbs to objects

(3)Use words economically: avoid jargon, bureaucratese, and dense noun-adjective clusters

(4)Avoid the “dense” look; design your document for ease of reading

(5)Write ethically and with purpose: justify your claims and check the validity of your evidence

Keep your audience in mind

Questions about AUDIENCE:

What do they expect from

you?

Do they know more or less

than you about the topic?

What background / knowledge / attitudes will they bring to your piece?

Write direct sentences

Move quickly to the MAIN SUBJECTConnect that main subject to its VERB and the verb to its OBJECTExtend the sentence after the verb and object.

An anti-plain-language sentence . . .

It was decided that the issue of implementing a workplace diversity

action-plan would need to be examined in a feasibility study.

What is the decision? Who is deciding? Who is doing what?

Use words economically

❖ Delete those &$%#*@! expletives (it/there is/are)

❖ Delete unnecessary prepositional phrases X prior to, with regard to, on the basis that

❖ Turn a noun-preposition (“the -- of”) into an “-ing”

X NOT the production and development of safety standards

✓INSTEAD, producing and developing safety procedures

X NOT the intent of Section 10(d) is to give reassurance

✓INSTEAD, Section 10(d) intends to reassure

Use readable design

Lorem ipsum Dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Suspendisse metus erat, scelerisque sed, placerat a, suscipit quis, est. Sed ut turpis ut massa molestie commodo. Mauris ultrices augue quis velit.

• Cras cursus. Sed et felis. • Phasellus non mi ac est convallis rutrum. • Ut eros lacus, auctor non, luctus dapibus, venenatis at, lorem.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Fusce a diam vitae turpis suscipit malesuada.

Curabitur sodales Etiam risus. Aenean dui. Vivamus fringilla eros id orci. Etiam sagittis, libero sit amet eleifend laoreet, magna mi rutrum erat, eget dictum nibh ligula ac turpis. Integer imperdiet.

Vivamus elementum vulputate augue. In vulputate lacus vel orci. Curabitur mattis. In pharetra commodo odio. Aenean elementum nunc vitae ipsum. Cras leo. Aliquam quis ligula.

Paragraphs of 7 - 10 sentences are appropriate in academic writing

Short paragraphs and bulleted lists

are most effective for online or business writing

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Suspendisse metus erat, scelerisque sed, placerat a, suscipit quis, est. Sed ut turpis ut massa molestie commodo. Mauris ultrices augue quis velit. Cras cursus. Sed et felis. Phasellus non mi ac est convallis rutrum. Ut eros lacus, auctor non, luctus dapibus, venenatis at, lorem. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Fusce a diam vitae turpis suscipit malesuada. Curabitur sodales etiam risus. Aenean dui. Vivamus fringilla eros id orci. Etiam sagittis, libero sit amet eleifend laoreet, magna mi rutrum erat, eget dictum nibh ligula ac turpis. Integer imperdiet. Vivamus elementum vulputate augue. In vulputate lacus vel orci. Curabitur mattis. In pharetra commodo odio. Aenean elementum nunc vitae ipsum. Cras leo. Aliquam quis ligula. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Suspendisse metus erat, scelerisque sed, placerat a, suscipit quis, est. Sed ut turpis ut massa molestie commodo. Mauris ultrices augue quis velit. Cras cursus. Sed et felis. Phasellus non mi ac est convallis rutrum. Ut eros lacus, auctor non, luctus dapibus, venenatis at, lorem. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Fusce a diam vitae turpis suscipit malesuada. Curabitur sodales etiam risus. Aenean dui. Vivamus fringilla eros id orci. Etiam sagittis, libero sit amet eleifend laoreet, magna mi rutrum erat, eget dictum nibh ligula ac turpis. Integer imperdiet. Vivamus elementum vulputate augue. In vulputate lacus vel orci. Curabitur mattis. In pharetra commodo odio. Aenean elementum nunc vitae ipsum. Cras leo. Aliquam quis ligula.

Make sure sentences are coherent

SENTENCE beginning SENTENCE ending

Topic/subjectGiven/old informationShorter, simpler, familiar

Action/verbNew informationNew/longer/complexStress/climax

A plain-language writing process . . .• Express your purpose or research question• Target and Analyze your audience• Evaluate the evidence you’ve gathered• Outline major arguments (logical order) • Check and Justify claims and grounds (evidence) • Draft ... submit for peer review when possible• Revise ... then hand-edit your revised print-out.

The Plain Language Association International comprises writers, lawyers, and teachers and holds an annual conference to share information about plain language initiatives. http://plainlanguagenetwork.org

The UK-based Plain English Campaign features a weekly sample of “gobbledegook.” It also includes poor graphic and typographic design among the problems plaguing public writing.http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/

The US-based Plain Language Action Network advocates revising and redesigning government documents and correspondence. Take a look at some of their “before & after” examples:http://www.plainlanguage.gov/examples/index.cfm

The Plain Language Service (Canada) provides consultants and resources to improve public health-related documents, strengthening the link between literacy and health.http://www.pls.cpha.ca/

Practical applications of plain language