Category Archives: Plain language / Plain English

Plain language is a style of organising information and writing that focuses on the readers’ (or users’) needs. It considers the intent of the author and what the reader needs to do with the content provided, as well as making sure that information is worded in way that the reader can easily understand.

Write ‘use’ not ‘utilise’

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

It’s one of my pet hates: people who write or say ‘utilise’ when they could just as easily write ‘use’. Why use ‘utilise’ when you could more simply utilise ‘use’?

And of course, when we put it in the noun form it becomes ‘utilisation’ – surely that’s a word of the size that will impress.

Often people use bigger or more complicated words than they need to, to try to impress others, to create an impression that the writer is highly intelligent or sophisticated.

Using a big word rather than a simpler word usually gets in the way of good, effective communication.

And some other words to keep an eye on are: writing ‘post’ rather than ‘after’, or ‘prior to’ rather than ‘before’.

It’s best to select the simplest and most familiar words you can to convey ideas.

Use parallel structures in sentences to smooth the flow

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

Good writing sounds good to the ear.

The sentence “Mary likes hiking, swimming and to ride a bicycle” is understandable; most readers will know exactly what it means.

However, the sentence feels uneven because the three activities do not share the same grammatical shape.

“Hiking” and “swimming” are -ing forms, while “to ride” shifts suddenly to an infinitive. Revising the sentence in this way, “Mary likes hiking, swimming and cycling,” is smoother because each item follows the same pattern.

This is called a parallel structure. It helps a sentence sound balanced, clear and natural.

Good writing is not only just about being correct; it is also about rhythm.

When sentences are read aloud, repeated patterns guide the ear, reduce awkwardness and make the message more pleasing to hear. 

How to introduce a new idea to readers

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

Prefer clarity over elegance.

Some writers like to find different words to express the same idea because they think it is stylistically more elegant.

Consistency, even if it involves an amount of repetition, can help your readers understand a new idea or product.

When you talk about a thing in a document, give it the same name or description every time you refer to it.

For example, describing something as a system, then calling it a process, then a component, then an enterprise, then a project can be confusing.

Likewise, calling a product, perhaps, XFire2, then X2, then FireSmart, can also confuse your readers.

You may know they are the same thing, but your readers may not, and they could be wondering about distinctions that don’t exist.

Draft the content, craft the message

Plain language / Plain English,

Very few organisations set out to publish documents that are confusing or difficult. Usually ambiguous or obscure documents happen by accident. What goes wrong?

Well, often the job is only partly done. Merely putting content together is rarely enough.

Organisations assign subject matter experts to research carefully, organise the content and conduct peer reviews. But then they publish without serious design thinking.

They miss a vital step: crafting the content into an effective communication piece.

Subject matter experts are usually very bright with a deep knowledge of their subject – their input is essential. However, they cannot help but write from their perspective, using their frame of reference and their language. Many readers need the material translated and put into a form that makes sense to them.

For example, a subject matter expert may write:
“Employees must not facilitate or permit the use of employer communication devices by persons not authorised by the Department, unless urgent business or personal circumstances would reasonably require such use.”,
but it is clearer if a user reads:
“You must not allow the Department’s equipment to be used by unauthorised people, unless there is a urgent need”.

Crafting communication from draft content is more than just getting the words right. It involves serious information design with an eye to the user and what they need to do with the information. It involves rethinking structure, document format and graphics.

It’s best to think of writing a complex document as a two-step process:

  1. draft the content (what you want to say)
  2. craft the message (how it should be said)

Two types of expertise are needed – the content expert and the communication expert.

Action

Next time you write a document, remember to both “draft and craft”. Consider involving a communication expert early.

Write to a person, not a crowd

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

Try this next time you need to write something: Imagine one or two people who would read your document.

Imagine what they look like – maybe download a photo to help you visualise. Give them names; perhaps Bob or Sue.

Think through what is going on for them and how they may react to your message – will they receive it willingly or could there be a bit of resistance? Are other things going on that may distract their attention?

When you write, write directly to Bob or Sue. Speak as though they are in front of you. You may even speak the words as you type. An exercise like this will help you write more personally and directly.

Remember, you are always writing to real people.

Create documents that users want to read

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip

Documents should be desirable – so users are drawn into the content.

Effective documents are a pleasure to use, maybe even fun. Strive for easy reading.

Don’t make you readers struggle to unpack the meaning of words and sentences. Especially when you are communicating complex and difficult ideas, express those ideas in simple and easy to read text.

And use an attractive layout – one that is pleasing to the eyes and that communicates the structure of the document at a single glance. No-one wants to read ugly!

And consider including some informative graphics. Not eye candy, but pictures, diagrams, or graphs that support, expand, or illuminate the ideas you are conveying.

3 things to strive for in your documents. They should be useful, usable, desirable.

Create documents that are easy to use

Plain language / Plain English, Writer training, ,

Usable documents are ones where users can easily and quickly find what they need. And when they find it, users should easily understand what they read.

This means your documents should be easy to navigate. A meaningful heading structure helps readers find what they need. Use a logic that meshes well with the way your readers think about the topic.

Talking headings – headings that summarise big ideas – are usually better than placeholder or bucket headings.

A well designed layout that makes the structure evident at a first glance also makes finding information easier.

Documents are easier to understand when they are written using ordinary, everyday words rather than specialised words. Sentences are usually easier to grasp when they cover just a single idea.

3 dimensions to think about documents: useful, usable, desirable.

How to create a document that readers want to read

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, ,

The documents we write at work should be, primarily, useful.

That is, these documents will usually contain vital information that users need to perhaps make a decision, or follow a process, or complete some other action.

Readers need information and knowledge they can act on, and they need to gain that knowledge with some ease.

Readers should be glad they read your document because it helped them in some way.

Here’s 3 dimensions to help evaluate documents:

  1. A document should be useful.
    That is, it provides content readers can act on.
  2. A document should also be usable
    That is, readers can quickly and easily find the information they need and understand it.
  3. A document should be desirable
    Attractive to look at and attractive and pleasant to read with valuable content.

How to increase the chances of people reading your text

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, , , ,

People are more likely to read your text if it answers a need they have

– if it gives them the knowledge they need to make a decision, or information they can act on to do something useful, or an insight that interests them or intrigues.

That’s why thinking about your reader – they are the user of the information product you will produce – thinking about your reader is so important before you start writing any document.

Think about their needs and interests, their fears, and the work they need to do. What do they want out of your document. Consider the questions they may have about the topic you are writing about.

But, if your document is going to be truly effective, it’s not just about your reader. The document must meet your organisation’s needs too.

How to write reports that people want to read

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip,

One of the most useful ways to think about a report, any report, is to consider a report as an answer to a question.

When someone asks you to write a report, they are seeking information about something they don’t know. So, your job when writing a report is to answer that question.

Having a clearly defined question at the beginning helps focus your work, helps to minimise unproductive investigations, and will make your report more useful.

But make sure you have the correct question – one that probes the heart of the matter.

Spend some time with the person who has commissioned the report and the likely readers to explore what they really need to know. Ask them what they will do with the answer you provide.

And of course, maintain your integrity. Never write a report to provide a predetermined answer.

Predicting your readers’ response can help guide your writing

Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, Writer training

Before you write your document, spend some time thinking about your reader.

Consider their passions and concerns, their situation and pressures, and the decisions they need to make or or the tasks they need to perform.

When you think from the readers perspective, you’ll be able to make a reasonable guess about how they will receive and react to your message.

That knowledge, even though it is a guess and is unsure knowledge, can inform the way you select content. It will help you decide what to include and what you’ll leave out. It will also guide how you organise your document. You can design a flow of argument that will resonate with your readers.

And you may be able to pre-empt questions and objections and address these before negativity become settled in your readers’ minds.

I’ve told them – isn’t that good enough?

Plain language / Plain English

Never! – unless all you want to do is meet some legal obligation. In that case, who cares if no-one reads or understands? But if you want people to read, understand and act on your message, you must do more than merely tell. You must tell in a way that makes sense to your readers and makes contact with them.

We’ve probably all seen “I’ve told you” messages. It’s clear that the writer doesn’t really care too much about their reader. These pompous writers force the reader to work hard unscrambling thoughts and making sense of poorly structured, poorly worded text. Often they deliberately use jargon, cumbersome expressions or lofty words in an effort to impress the reader. Sometimes these writers are deliberately obscure, so that they can say “gotcha” when the reader misunderstands.

You are probably reading text like this whenever you feel you are getting lost, whenever you have to re-read sentences and paragraphs to extract meaning.

Good writers make life easy for the reader. They work hard to help people read, understand and act on information.

Effective communicators take on the responsibility for helping others understand. They don’t shove this responsibility on the reader.

To do this they work hard to see things from the readers’ perspective. They put themselves in the readers’ shoes, asking searching questions before they put finger to keyboard. They ask things like:

  • why should the reader read this?
  • what information are they most interested in?
  • how will this message link with what readers already know?
  • what words and sentence structures are my readers familiar with?
  • what do readers need to do with this information? what actions or decisions will follow?

They then write from the readers’ point of view.

 “Writing is not about you, it’s about your reader. The sooner you can take yourself out of the picture and focus on doing good for your reader, the quicker you’ll be a good writer.” Michael Masterton

 

Social justice when writing

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, , ,

Clear, well-written documents from businesses and government agencies help people understand their rights, responsibilities, and options.

When information is written in plain language, more people can access, understand and act on it. This leads to fairer outcomes and greater participation. Complex, technical, or overly formal writing can exclude many readers — especially those who do not have an academic background or who struggle to read.

We can create or exacerbate social disadvantage just by the way we choose to word things and express ideas. That is a really sad outcome. Choosing not to write plainly can create disadvantage, limit access to essential services, and undermine trust.

Writing clearly isn’t just a communication skill — it’s a matter of equity.

Don’t assume others know all the words you do

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, , ,

If you have completed studies beyond high school, you likely have a broader vocabulary than most people.

You will likely know the meaning of more complex words and also be able to untangle complicated sentence structures. While this can be useful in academic or professional settings, it can work against you when you are writing for a broader audience. You may inadvertently assume your readers are OK with some words and phrases just because you are.

So, consider your audience when writing. Limit your use of uncommon or technical words, and stick to everyday language, the kind you’d find in a newspaper.

Simple, familiar words make your writing easier to understand for everyone.

Business and government documents must be written well because…

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, ,

Business and government documents often contain important information that places obligations on individuals, such as legal responsibilities, financial commitments, or compliance requirements.

When these documents are not written clearly, there is a real risk that people may misunderstand or only partially understand what is required of them. This confusion can have serious consequences, such as missed deadlines, penalties, or unintended breaches of the law.

Poorly written documents can create unnecessary stress, disadvantage, or even oppress people—especially those with lower literacy levels, those for whom English is a second language, or those in vulnerable situations.

Clear and accessible writing helps everyone understand their rights and responsibilities. It promotes fairness, reduces errors and disputes, and builds trust in institutions.

Plain language is also about honesty

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, , ,

Writing plainly means choosing words and sentence structures your readers can easily read, understand and use – information that is designed with their needs in mind.

But plain language is about more than just simplicity — it’s also about honesty and clarity.

A plain language document must give readers accurate, complete, and useful information. That means being upfront, leaving nothing important out, and avoiding confusing or misleading wording. There is no room for half-truths, vagueness, deliberate ambiguity, or obscured meanings.

Readers should be able to trust what they’re reading and clearly understand what it means. Writing this way shows respect for your audience and helps them make informed decisions.

In all government and business communication, plain language supports transparency, accountability, and better outcomes for everyone.

Audit vs Evaluation

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

Audit vs Evaluation – what’s the difference?

‘Audit’ answers the question ‘Did we do what we said we would do?’ For example, did we publish the document?, did it go out on time?, did it reach all our clients?

‘Evaluation’ answers the question ‘Did we achieve the outcome?’ For example, do our clients now understand our services?, are our procedures efficient?, how well did we predict that development?

Both types of questions are clearly important and have a role in managing an organisation well. But often matters that should be evaluated are audited instead.

For example, suppose you recognise a communication need – you want your clients to better understand what you can do for them, or you want the public to take advantage of a new government policy or initiative. The usual course of events goes something like this:

  1. Decide you need a product (people usually think a document or website is the best way to deliver information)
  2. Set goals and assign responsibility to someone (their job is to deliver the product)
  3. Tell your boss and colleagues about the product
  4. Get a project team together
  5. Develop a project timeline and determine a budget.
  6. Get the resources you think you will need
  7. Develop the product
  8. Deliver

How is a project like this measured? Usually against the project plan.

If the product is on time and on budget it is usually considered a job well done.

But that’s audit, not evaluation. Only rarely is the project measured against purpose.

Where do things go wrong?

There are at least two points of disconnect in this scenario:

1. Deciding a particular product (brochure, white paper, website) will achieve the objective even before the team has had a chance to explore options. This product is then locked in with your boss and colleagues so that it is hard to work on a new idea even if it is better.

2. Shifting the goal from ‘communicating’ to ‘producing a product’. While it’s easier to measure product production it is not the right thing to measure.

The solution is simple, but not easy.

Suspend judgement about what needs to be produced until after you have explored the users’ needs, the content to be communicated and the purpose of the communication. Never lose sight of the overall goal. Always be prepared to consider a change to the product if you come upon a better idea. When dealing with particularly complex material it is usual to have some ideas that initially look very good, but that are later rejected. Going up a few dry gullies is not failure, it is the nature of exploration.

How to introduce a new idea

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip

When introducing a new idea to people, remember, most people tend to stay loyal to their initial point of view. Moving to a new way of thinking takes some effort.

A single piece of paper, no matter how well written, may not be sufficient to sway an entrenched mind. Recognise that moving to a new way of thinking is rarely immediate – even when presented with compelling information.

Persuasion sometimes takes time and multiple presentations and encounters with new information in various forms.

So, when you write, aim to keep the lines of communication open so  your audience can understand and assimilate your message over time.

How to mitigate document risk: Test with real users

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, ,

Publishing a document that nobody reads, or that people don’t understand, or that users don’t act on, is a waste.

All the investment in crafting and reviewing will have zero return.

It’s very risky to assume a document will achieve purpose on the sole basis of internal review. Merely passing a document around the office to get your colleagues or boss’s opinion is not enough – it’s best to test with end users.

A document is an information product. Users are the only ones who can tell you if your information product is working.

Test early, test frequently to check your document is hitting the mark with users to get confidence that it will be effective.

Readability – necessary but not sufficient

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip

Readability refers to how easy it is to read text. It depends on how complex the ideas are and how they are expressed. (Readability is different to legibility. Legibility refers to how easy it is to see the letters that make up words.)

There are many tests that measure how readable a piece of text is.

I always use readability software

Readability tests quick and easy, and usually free. MS Word has the Flesch Reading Ease score and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level built in. Their are many other tests available on the web – all have value.

Other apps (like Grammarly) offer to check tone, spelling and grammatical errors. Readable.com is one of my favourites – it provides lots of helpful information. I’m writing this blog using the Hemingway app.

Software can alert me to silly mistakes, things I can improve in my writing. Even when I think I’ve done a good job, running my text through a tool makes it better. There’s no such thing as good writing, only good re-writing.

I never rely on readability software

Readability and writing apps work by analysing words and sentences. They count up syllables, look for passive voice and do other analysis. It’s a mechanical review only.
It’s possible to write highly readable rubbish. That is, you can write useless text that scores well on readability tests.

Readability tests don’t consider other matters that are vital. Effective writing meets the needs of readers while achieving the writer’s purpose. Writers must structure content well – usually point first. Text must be relevant to readers and give information they can use.

Inbuilt limitations, yet valuable

Many tests were developed decades ago. They reference US grade levels, not Australian readers. There are many weaknesses in the tests.

Despite the weaknesses, readability test are valuable. They provide good, but not definitive, feedback. They are quick and easy to use – why wouldn’t you use them?

How to review documents: Be gentle and kind, but robust

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip

If you are working inside an organisation, it is likely that everything you write will be reviewed by someone else before it is published or reaches its final destination.

Document reviews can be challenging for writers, so if you are a reviewer, please take care.

When reviewing someone’s work, remember what they have written is a reflection of their thinking and of themselves. That’s because thinking and writing are closely related.

Editing can be seen as criticising someone’s writing, and some people will take that as criticising their thinking. None of us like that. All writing is personal to some extent.

So, consider the person, not just the text.

But that is no reason to allow sloppy or ineffective writing to slip through. Be robust too so that whatever moves around inside the organisation, or that goes outside, is fit for purpose.

Purposeful communication – beyond shared understanding

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

In business and government, we write functional documents. Functional documents demand purposeful communication.

Traditional models of communication have understanding as the goal of communication. A person constructs an idea, codes into media (speech, text, images), and then transmits it. The receiver decodes and reconstructs that as a new idea. Feedback and re-transmitting continues until both the sender and the receiver have the same idea. That is, the aim is a shared understanding. But that is not good enough for functional documents.

Purposeful communication starts by asking ‘Why?”.

The purpose of all business and government communication is to impact the thinking, attitudes or behaviour of readers in some way. We write to achieve an organisational purpose.

For example, marketing communication aims, ultimately, to get people to buy from you. Policies and procedures aimed to cause people to act in a particular way.

Purposeful communication goes beyond understanding and effectively transmitting ideas. It is more about influence.

So, the simplest way of testing any communication piece is to look at your audience. Are they doing what you wanted them to do? Are they moving towards doing what you want? Is your document achieving purpose?

Define purpose before you write

Plain language writing starts by being clear about your purpose. Before writing, complete a sentence in this structure:

As a result of reading this document <my reader> will
<do, think, feel> something.

The purpose of your document will support the overall purpose of your organisation.

For a government agency or not-for-profit, purpose will likely be related to fulfilling its mission. That mission may be to provide good roads or to administer taxes fairly or to provide care services to a part of the community.

For a business, its ultimate purpose is probably to make a profit. (But there will be other important things like ensuring its employees work safely, protecting the environment and the like.) A business will have other aims and objectives that support this purpose like increasing market share, keeping quality on track, or improving the skills of its employees.

Effective purposeful communication will supports these aims and objectives.

Workplace communication aims to enhance the business performance of the organisation. Purposeful communication enables and energises employees to carry out strategic intent. Communication is a means, not an end.

Can you know a document will achieve purpose before it is published?

Sensible user testing gives good insights and can help you avoid reckless writing. Communication products, like all products, should be tested before being released.

Building the best structure for your document

Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, , , ,

Placing your content in the correct order makes a big impact on the effectiveness of your document.

Before designing a structure for your document:

  1. define the purpose of your document – what you want to achieve
  2. understand your readers – what they want and need

Structure follows purpose

If your purpose is to persuade or share information and your readers are likely to give you a fair hearing, then a ‘point first’ structure is often the best. (sometimes called a pyramid or telescoping structure.)

A ‘point first’ structure starts with your key point. You follow this with explanation, reasoning and detail that justifies and expands the point.

Structure for your readers

Readers find this structure easy to follow; it’s always easier to grasp an argument when you are told the conclusion first. It also allows readers to stop reading when they have had enough without missing your main point.

But if your readers are likely to resist your message, then you may need to walk them through your reasoning and research before telling them your conclusion.

Documents aimed to persuade, a business case for example, are often structured by talking about the problem or opportunity first. This highlights the motivation for change and sets the scene for your solution.

When writing procedures, consider starting with the overall aim or intent of the procedure (to give clear context and purpose) and then present the steps in chronological order.

An effective document structure is one where readers can quickly understand and use the information you provide.

Plain language vs Plain English – a subtle but important difference

Plain language / Plain English, , ,

When I first started in this industry over three decades ago, I thought the terms ‘plain language’ and ‘plain English’ were synonymous.

Writing professionals from Canada often talked about ‘plain language’ because they dealt with both French and English, but in countries like Australia, New Zealand, USA and Britain the term ‘plain English’ was more common. (By the way, Canada has a long and rich history encouraging plain writing – since the 1920s the Royal Bank of Canada newsletter has provided helpful advice about writing clearly.)

But over the decades I’ve observed a subtle shift; a shift in emphasis or focus.

Plain English professionals tend to focus on features of the language. They aim to make documents clear and concise. They talk about helpful techniques like using familiar words, preferring the active voice, writing with more verbs than nouns, keeping sentences short and writing in a conversational style.

Plain language professionals tend to focus more on readers and the way they respond to a document. They aim to make documents clear, concise and effective. They consider how the reader will encounter the document and the desired response. Plain language professionals see documents as information products, and so often incorporate user testing before publishing, just as we would for any other product.

Plain English professionals often concentrate on correctness; plain language professionals focus on usefulness.

plain language focuses on usefulness

Of course, the overlap between the two groups of professionals is vast. There is more that unites than divides. Plain language writers will use all the plain English techniques, and plain English writers always consider their readers. However, in my view, the gradual shift in focus is real.

The Australian Office of Parliamentary Counsel has said:

We prefer to use the term “plain language” rather than “plain English” because we believe that it covers a wider range of techniques and practices. (http://www.opc.gov.au/PLAIN/index.htm – link no longer active)

Even Wikipedia entries reflect this subtle difference in focus:

Plain English is language that is easy to understand, emphasizes clarity and brevity, and avoids overly complex vocabulary.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_English)

Plain language is writing designed to ensure the reader understands as quickly, easily, and completely as possible.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language)

So what? Is this an artificial distinction and ‘splitting hairs’.

I think not. The difference is important, especially when writing functional business documents. Writing clear and concise text is not the goal. Effective communication is the goal – and that requires a deliberate focus on readers and usability. Readers should both understand the content and know what to do with it. Functional documents are not just about informing; they aim to impact the way readers think, feel and act.

Think in ink

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

Putting your thoughts on paper gives rigour to your thinking. Vague notions can no longer hide in the dark recesses of the mind, they must be brought into the light where they can be examined more closely.

Thinking is only valuable when it can be expressed

If your thinking just stays in your head, it’s not of much value to anyone – even to yourself.

Writing crystallises your thinking, even if it’s just a few words or half a sentence. It frees up short-term memory space – by holding your thoughts on paper rather than in your head – so creativity can flow once more. Mind maps are a great tool when exploring ideas. As you quickly jot down ideas and chunk them together new, related ideas quickly spring to mind.

If you are writing process instructions or specifications, more complete sentences will help make your thinking more precise. Writing forces deep and complete understanding that’s difficult to get by just thinking or talking.

thinking and writing are recursive activities

Something special happens when you force your thoughts onto paper. “Almost” ideas become more concrete, better understood and actionable.

‘The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation… The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.’ Jacob Bronowski

Action – start writing your thoughts

Struggling with a difficult issue? Start writing!

Paper, white board or the back of a bus ticket; single words or full sentences – it doesn’t matter. Just get your thoughts out there where you and others can examine and build on them.

5 steps for effective document review

Plain language / Plain English, , ,

You’ve slaved away for weeks on an important document. You’ve researched and talked to people. You’ve worked hard to understand your audience, their needs and how they will use your work. You’ve carefully structured the content into sensible chunks and you’ve used plain language techniques as you’ve crafted the text.

But, will the document work? Will it achieve the goals you had in mind?

It’s time for the document review and test phase. Time to find out what other people think of your work. Or perhaps time to send it ‘upstairs’ for sign-off.

Too often authors simply e-mail the document around to colleagues in the office with a message like “I’ve written this. What do you think?” If they don’t hear anything back they assume it’s all OK. But a review process like this rarely provides confidence that the document will communicate effectively. In fact, such a sloppy document review process could be reckless writing. (Our writer training course can reduce costly review churn.)

All communication products should be tested well before release, just like any other product. (Why don’t we test information products?)

So, when you ask people to review a document focus on assessing how well the document will achieve purpose.

Try these 5 steps:

1. Develop thick skin.

People may suggest improvements to your writing (and, by implication, improvements to your thinking). It’s easy to become defensive about the structure and words you have used. Don’t be. If someone finds your message is unclear then you need to improve it.

2. State your purpose clearly; identify your audience.

People can only provide useful review comments when they know what the document is intending to do, and who it is aimed at. When asking for review, explain who the document is for, and how you would like people to respond to your document. Judge the feedback you receive in the light of your purpose and audience.

3. Identify real users.

Representatives of your target audience are the best people to tell you how well your document will work. Anybody else is guessing (although experienced reviewers usually guess well).

4. Prepare document review questions.

Questions help reviewers engage with the material. For example:

  • Does this document contain information or ideas that are important to you?
  • Can you easily find the information you need?
  • Once you find the information, can you understand it?
  • Does it tell you too much? Does it tell you too little?
  • Is the information correct? Could it be misleading?
  • Does it comply with the law (if relevant) and our internal standards (if they exist)?
  • Do you know what to do now that you have read this?

5. Make feedback easy

Tell people how to get their comments to you. Do you want them to talk to you about the document, email you some ideas, or insert their comments in your text? And tell reviewers when you expect their comments.

You don’t need to act on all the review comments. Exercise judgement – some comments will be helpful, some will not. Use feedback to improve your writing, but don’t be bullied by it. After all, it’s your document, so take ownership of it.

How to write procedures for business benefit

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, ,

Most businesses define work activities in a written procedure. (If your business doesn’t, it should.) Procedures, sometimes called Standard Operating Procedures, Work Instructions or Safe Work Method statements, are the basis for a well controlled business.

But how do you write a procedure well? What makes a good SOP?

You could mindlessly follow a template someone else has developed, or you could think about what you want to achieve, what would work best for your business. Some templates can be helpful, but they may not be best for your organisation. See some examples.

The elements of good work procedures

A purpose statement and a link to overall process

Workers need to know how the activity they perform fits into the big picture; how it contributes to the overall process and the purpose of the organisation.You could do this with a context statement, or locating the activity in a process map. Also give a thoughtful title to the procedure.

When working in the road surfacing industry, we changed a procedure title from ‘Drive the broom tractor’ to ‘Prepare the surface’. This had an immediate impact on how workers viewed the activity and lifted the self esteem of the broom driver.

Performance standards

Procedures should do more than merely provide a list of tasks to perform. They should include information about how to assess the quality of those tasks. Workers and supervisors then have some objective measures to judge performance.

The standards could be related to quality, performance or safety.

Grouped into sensible work chunks

Chunking work into steps and sub-steps provides helpful structure for workers. It avoids a long list of tasks, and fits well with the way workers think about the job.

For example, the work chunk ‘Find outstanding invoices’ could have sub-steps like Find the file, Search invoices by date range, Print report.

‘Thinking’ and ‘Doing’ sections

“Work is the exercise of discretion within boundaries.”
John Ralph, former CEO of CRA.

Procedures, SOPs, define the boundaries. They are the things workers must do. But to better engage workers, we want them thinking about their work too. That’s good for them and good for the business. So we might want to direct thinking about productivity, safety or environmental matters.

For example, include thinking prompts in the procedure like: ‘How could we reduce the paperwork?’ ‘Residents may be moving in and out of driveways as you inspect the footpath – take care.’

Standard resources

Include the equipment needed for the task, including safety related equipment. Describe the skills and competencies required. It may be appropriate to include the standard time taken for the task.

All this information allows you to cost the procedure and measure the impact of improvements and changes to business practice. For example, we discovered it takes 10 minutes to process and record payments into a law firm’s trust fund. If the firm offers clients a payment plan, increasing the number of payments, they may significantly increase their back office costs.

Plain language

All documents should be written in plain language.

When procedures are written plainly, workers can understand them quickly and implement them. If they are written in a style that workers find difficult, they may be confused and do the wrong thing, or waste time asking for clarification, or totally ignore the procedures and do what they think is best.

How to write standard letters

Plain language / Plain English,

Crafting a letter once and then sending it to multiple customers or members is a smart way to communicate. Standard letters are especially useful in organisations with repetitive processes and a need to send an identical message to many people.

Standard letters reduce costs because the work is done once only and the benefit enjoyed many times. Standard letters also make sure the message is always consistent.

However, just because a letter is ‘standard’ does not mean it is a good piece of communication. Frequently readers misunderstand letters or fail to appreciate their importance.

One common consequence is increased call centre costs. Recipients call to find out what the letter really means.

Tips when writing standard letters

 1. Know your purpose in writing

Having a clear outcome in mind is essential when writing anything. You must know why you are writing and the impact you intend to have.

Before putting pen to paper, you need to be able to complete the sentence: “As a result of reading this letter, I want Mr Smith to …..”. It may be that you want Mr Smith to do something, think something, or feel something.

Defining the purpose of the letter helps you determine the content, the style and tone, and the call to action.

2. Understand your readers

The better you know and understand your readers, the more likely your letter will ‘contact’ them. Understand their situation, their current understanding of the material, their fears and desires.

It’s helpful to write down all the questions your reader is likely to have. You can probably guess some of these questions, but the only way you’ll know for sure is to ask people. User research (users – people who will use your letter) is essential when planning to write.

3. Know the situation

Standard letters are sent in response to some previous action, often by the member or customer, or because some threshold has been reached.

Knowing what has triggered the letter provides the context for writing and reading. It is helpful to explain to the reader why they are receiving this letter. The context may be obvious to you but your reader may not.

4. Write to your least sophisticated reader

Standard letters are read across a range of readability levels and across a range of familiarity with the content. Write so your less able readers will comprehend. Writing this way won’t disadvantage your more able readers; it just makes it easier for everybody.

Use plain language techniques: familiar words, sentences that make just one point, active voice, etc.

Your readers will appreciate being able to understand your message at first glance, and your call centre will benefit from fewer enquiries generated by unclear letters.

5. Be brief, write point first

Most people are busy. They want to read and understand your letter in the shortest time possible.

Put the main point of your letter at the very beginning. Don’t hold people in suspense. Some readers may only read the first line or two, so don’t keep vital information until the end.

Use as few words as possible to get your message across. If your letter is more than one page long, you reduce the likelihood of it being read completely.

6. Use appropriate variable material

Powerful standard letters include content drawn from your underlying data systems. For example, a superannuation fund may include different information for members aged under 65 than for those over 65.

Including specific information gives your reader a letter that is closely tailored to their needs. They don’t need to figure out for themselves what is relevant and what is not.

Including variable content in standard letters reduces the total number of letters to manage and may reduce system complexity.

7. Test, test, test

You will only know if your letter is working by testing it.

While you are crafting the letter, test early drafts with real users. Ask if they are likely to read the letter, ask if they can understand what it says, ask what they would do as a result of reading it. Refine in response to feedback and re-test.

When your letters are in production, measure if they are achieving purpose. Are people doing what you want them to do when they receive your letter?

Clear, concise and effective: what ASIC says about disclosure documents

Plain language / Plain English,

It’s the law. Many types of disclosure documents – prospectuses, financial services guides, statements of advice and the like – must be written in a way that is clear, concise and effective.

Too often disclosure documents are complete and accurate, but they don’t communicate well. They don’t help readers fully understand the issues so they can make an informed investment decision.

But what does it mean to be clear, concise and effective?

ASIC’s Regulatory Guide RG 228 ‘Prospectuses: Effective disclosure for retail investors’ (Nov 16) unpacks this phrase. In short it recommends using the principles of plain language when writing a prospectus and other disclosure documents.

The guidance ASIC provides in RG 228 comes as no surprise to Plain Language Professionals – we’ve been advocating using plain language and a deliberate focus on the needs of users in all sorts of documents for years. It’s the best way to get your message across.

Risk in disclosure documents

Ignoring these guidelines, just writing the way disclosure documents have always been written, is risky. The consequences of a disclosure document being found to not be clear, concise and effective could be very costly. RG 228 provides some ways to judge a disclosure document, but ASIC says the guide will not be used as a simple checklist.

The foundational principle of plain language is to focus on the user or reader of the document.

RG 228 says that when writing a prospectus to focus on your readers’ need to understand the content and use the information to make an informed decision.

The guide lists a number of writing techniques that help; things like using the active voice, talking directly to the reader, using verbs rather than nouns, avoiding jargon, writing with short sentences.

Plain Language Professionals have been using these ideas for decades, but this writing style is rare in disclosure documents. I guess that’s not surprising: most disclosure documents are written by people with financial and legal expertise rather than by expert communicators.

Writing in plain language is no longer a ‘nice to have’; it’s essential.

How to avoid writing dull text

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, , ,

Nothing makes a document duller than turning verbs (action words) into nouns (labels). So ‘inspect’ becomes ‘inspection’, ‘manage’ becomes ‘management’ and ‘use’ becomes ‘utilisation’ (my pet hate!).

Some people think words like these sound official and the sort of language that should be used in business documents. It’s just plain dull. If you replace action words with labels your writing will lose its vigour and power.

But worse than that, it hides meaning. For example, you can write ‘perform an inspection’ without clearly stating what is being inspected. But when you write ‘inspect the …..’ you are forced to say what to inspect, and perhaps what you are looking for.

In general, using verbs forces greater rigour in thinking and greater precision in writing.

And always choose the simplest word you can find in preference to impressive,  pompous words.

Three essentials of financial disclosure documents – be clear, concise and effective

Plain language / Plain English, ,

The law says that financial disclosure documents must be worded and presented in a clear, concise and effective manner.

    This is a requirement of the Corporations Act 2001:

    • Financial Services Guides – Sect 942A (6a)
    • Product Disclosure Statements – Sect 1013C (3)
    • Statements of Advice – Sect 947C (6)

    Being complete and accurate is not enough

    My observation is that many disclosure documents do not meet the standard of ‘clear, concise and effective’. Writers seem to focus on complying with other aspects of the law – having  the correct content. They assume that being complete and accurate is enough. That’s a very risky position to take, and it may break the law.

    These standards of ‘clear, concise and effective’ are tough to meet because they can only be judged with reference to the reader, or user, of the document.

    An effective document – achieves purpose

    The general purpose of disclosure documents, as described in the law, is to help people make a decision about whether to buy financial services or products, or follow advice. To be effective, disclosure documents must work to achieve that purpose.

    That means you must know something about your readers and their decision making process, and use that knowledge to inform your writing. It may mean including additional content not required by the law, but that is helpful for your readers.

    A concise document – everything readers need, and nothing they don’t

    Being concise means not including unnecessary material, not saying the same thing multiple times (removing redundancy) and not using more words than is needed to express an idea. It means you should not blindly use a boiler-plate template that includes material that is irrelevant to some readers.

    A clear document – readers can find the information they need, understand it, and then use it to achieve their goals

    Being clear is a matter of

    1. organising content in a way that makes sense to your readers
    2. using words, sentence structure and a style that can be understood easily.

    In short, all financial disclosure documents must be written using the principles of plain language, with a deliberate focus on the needs of users.

    Poor superannuation PDS readability disadvantaging workers

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

    The superannuation industry is in the news again today; described as an “unlucky lottery”. Among other issues, poor information is still a problem – ” They’re bamboozled by poor disclosure …”

    I thought I’d have a look at how easy it is to read some Product Disclosure Documents. I’ve looked at two dimensions across 10 popular superannuation funds.

    1. Reading time

    People are less likely to read longer documents. We all prefer to read short documents than long ones – we want information fast.

    2. Readability

    People need easy to read text to help them understand complex ideas. Readability indices are one way to measure how easy it is to read and understand text.

    All these indices are higher than the Australian Government’s recommendation of about grade 7 – or maybe a little higher for this type of content.

    Why readability matters

    The PDS is a functional document. People are supposed to use these to decide whether the fund is a right fit for them. Of course they need to read and understand the information in the PDS to be able to make this decision. And this is an important decision that can have impacts over a lifetime.

    Many application forms ask potential members to declare that they have read and understood the PDS. A lengthy or difficult to read document discourages reading. It may encourage people to make a false declaration – to tick the box without reading or understanding.

    And difficult to read documents are risky for funds too. The focus is shifting from ‘did you read the document’ (aimed at the reader) to ‘is the document readable’ (aimed at the writer).

    Be careful with readability tools

    The readability tests I’ve used are mechanical tests that look at word and sentence complexity. They cannot be relied on by themselves, but a high grade index does indicate the text could be simpler. (The grade number refers to US school grade)

    These tools do not consider document structure, meaning and the usefulness of content. It is possible to write highly readable rubbish.

    The tests in detail

    Reading time

    I divided the total word count by 200. The average reader reads at about 200 – 220 words per minute.

    Readability

    I used computerised versions of

    • Flesch Kincaid Grade Level
    • Gunning Fog Score
    • Coleman Liau Index
    • SMOG Index
    • Automated Readability
    • Index Spache Readability Score
    • Dale-Chall Readability Score

    and calculated the arithmetic mean.

    Documents were sourced on 29 May 2018 from:

    Hostplushttps://hostplus.com.au/financial-services-guide
    Australian Superhttps://www.australiansuper.com/tools-and-advice/learn/product-disclosure-statements
    Intrust Superhttp://www.intrustsuper.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Core-PDS.pdf
    CareSuperhttps://www.caresuper.com.au/super/forms-publications/pds
    Cbushttps://www.cbussuper.com.au/content/dam/cbus/files/forms-publications/general-information/Cbus-Industry-Super-PDS.pdf
    BUSSQhttps://www.bussq.com.au/disclosure
    ANZ Smart Choicehttps://www.wealth.anz.com/content/dam/anzwealth/pdfs/superannuation/Smart-Choice-Super-Pension-PDS.pdf
    Virgin Money Superhttps://virginmoney.com.au/content/dam/virginmoney/vma-downloads/superannuation/Virgin-Money-Super-Product-Disclosure-Statement.pdf
    AMP MY Northhttps://www.amp.com.au/content/dam/product/mynorth/MyNorth_SuperPension_PDS.pdf
    ING Living Superhttps://www.ing.com.au/pdf/ING_DIRECT_Living_Super_PDS.pdf

    Why people don’t read everything you write

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

    Business readers are predictable. They usually read for information, not for pleasure. They are constantly under pressure from other demands that compete for their time.

    The thoughtful writer tries to convey as much information as possible, accurately and as clearly as possible, in as little reading as possible.

    Business reading is different to reading a novel. Don’t try to hold your readers in suspense. Get to the point fast. Often a reliable headline is all readers need. Readers are eager to put your document aside as soon as they decide they have all they need.

    But the reader may put your document aside too soon. They may scan a report or memo quickly and decide “this doesn’t have anything for me”, and miss the most important point. Or the reader may find some good information, be pleased, then say (again wrongly) “OK good stuff. I don’t need the rest” and miss something even more important. The skillful writer needs to ensure that really important information is received properly.

    What is the one statement about which a writer would be willing to say: “It’s all right if my readers read nothing else”. That should appear at the beginning. And if it does, it may be truly all right if the reader reads nothing else.

    In wanting to stop early, the reader is not lazy or irresponsible; it is simply that the reader is reading only for information, is busy, and is eager to receive important information quickly, then move on.

    In business and government writing, seek to maximise meaning, minimise reading.

    Action

    Next time you write, identify the one statement your readers must read to get your message. Put this near the beginning.

    Some of these ideas have been adapted from Put it in writing by A Joseph.

    When a logical structure doesn’t work

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip,

    Sometimes structuring your document in what seems to be a logical order just doesn’t work.

    We all know that the traditional “scientific” report structure we learnt in school is usually not the best way to present information to an audience. Its biggest problem is that it leaves the conclusion to the end – your readers have to trawl through pages of consideration and argument before finding out what you really have to say.

    So normally we’d recommend you structure a complex document by putting the big idea first. You’d then gradually start to unpack that idea by providing more detail and examples. This helps your readers by giving them a framework to understand the detail. It also gives them the option of putting aside your document when they have read enough without missing out on your most important point.

    But sometimes the ‘point first’ approach is not the best way. If your readers have a particularly burning question that they are expecting you to answer, you will engage them best if you satisfy them quickly. Even if their question is at a lower level of detail than the big picture you really want to talk about, answering their question early will save them the frustration of reading material that they think is irrelevant to them. However, be sure that you present the answer in context so that they are not misled.

    So how do you decide what structure to use?

    You must know your readers very well and know as much as possible about the things that are important to them. You also must know clearly why you are writing – what your purpose is. Are you trying to inform, persuade or entertain?

    Action

    Think

    • what are you trying to achieve?
    • what does your audience already know?

    Structure your document to engage your readers’ interests and move them towards your purpose.

    Australian writing skills at an all time low – what’s the impact?

    Plain language / Plain English, Writer training, , ,

    A recent news article states that NAPLAN analysis shows the writing of skills of Australian children are at all time low after what has been described as a 30 year policy failure in schools

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-26/teaching-resources-reverse-students-poor-writing-naplan/105454122

    Where are the children who have been failed for these last 30 years?

    They are in the workforce – in mid-career. They are the people who are now writing policy, letters, procedures, briefing notes, reports. If the NAPLAN analysis is correct, then these workers missed some basic education in their formative years in primary school. They did not master the skill of writing at that time. And some may have been struggling ever since.

    Of course, school is not the only place where you can learn writing. I’m sure many who attended school during these years are now fine writers. They may have learned writing from good guidance during their tertiary studies, or maybe they’ve learned write well on the job. But it’s possible some of this cohort may still be struggling as they perform the writing tasks required of modern government and business employees.

    And I hear senior managers talk about this weakness frequently. They are frustrated about the internal review process – it often takes far longer than it should. And reviewers waste time correcting writing rather than interacting and building on ideas.

    Writing is a critical capability.

    Failing to develop writing skills is a career disadvantage for individuals. But it also means organisations are also suffering. Ideas may not be expressed clearly; logic and thinking may not be rigorously tested. Information leaflets, letters and other documents do not have the clarity that the users of these products rightly expect.

    Writing and thinking are closely connected.

    We cannot write well until we can think well. But equally, cannot think well unless we can write well. Writing helps people shape ideas, taking vague and fuzzy notions into concrete words and sentence. Writing makes implicit ideas explicit so that they can be examined and tested by both the writer and by others. Not having a sound writing capability within an organisation puts it at risk of underperforming, of not achieving its objectives as well as it should.

    Do you manage people with inadequate writing skills?

    Some thoughts if you are in a position of managing people whose writing skills have not yet developed to the level we expect:

    1. Recognise there may have been a gap in learning and development at an early stage. Poor performance may not be related to a lack of intelligence or lack of effort.
    2. Consider enrolling workers in a writer training program. A day of training isn’t going to change the habits of a lifetime immediately. But a well design program will provide direction for participants to practice and follow.
    3. Provide access to helpful tools. Programs like Grammarly and Hemingway can be helpful in getting the basics correct.
    4. Be kind and gentle during the review process. Use document reviews as an opportunity to develop skills. Take the time to explore alternative ways of organising and structuring documents, and explain how to improve sentences and paragraphs.

    Developing the writing skills of your people will make documents more effective and efficient.

    How to write in plain language (plain English)

    Plain language / Plain English

    Impress people with your thinking, not your language.

    Big words and complex sentences can generate an impression of being ‘educated’. Some writers deliberately make text difficult to understand to create an air of mystique and to emphasise the distance between their intelligence and that of the reader. This pretence gets in the way of communication.

    A good writer works hard so that the reader won’t have to.

    The writer’s job is to tell as much as possible, accurately and clearly, in as little reading as possible. Make it easy for your reader to receive and understand your ideas.

     1. Prefer clear, familiar words

    The reader should never have to guess at a meaning, encounter ambiguity or be forced to interpret an expression. Use words familiar to your audience. Use just enough words to get the message across clearly.

    Do not use facilitate when you could use help, utilise when you could write use, endeavour instead of try, or sufficient when you could write enough.

     2. Prefer the active voice over passive voice

    Sentences written in the active voice tend to be more direct and easier to follow. They are usually more personal than sentences in the passive voice because they include references to human “agents” (participants doing the action).

    In active voice sentences, the ‘agent’ (the participant doing the action) is placed before the verb:

    We will send your receipt next week.

    (agent) (verb) (thing acted upon) (circumstance)

    rather than

    Your receipt will be sent next week.

    (thing acted upon) (verb) (circumstance)

     3. Use verbs, not nouns made from verbs

    One of the best ways to make text easier to understand is to replace abstract nouns (nouns like ‘verification’, ‘identification’, ‘performance’, ‘encouragement’, ‘authorisation’) with the equivalent verb.

    Write You must comply rather than Compliance with these regulations is vital.

    Write We could explain this by … rather than A possible explanation is that there is …

    Write When you renew this policy rather than Upon renewal of this policy

     4. Write short, point first sentences

    Long sentences can confuse readers even though they may be grammatically correct. People read all the way to the full stop before pausing to absorb what they have read, so long sentences strain memory.

    It’s nearly always better to have the point that you want to make at the beginning of the sentence – that’s where readers start reading!

    Write Without further information the draft submission cannot be approved. if you want to emphasise the lack of information.

    Write The draft submission cannot be approved without further information. if you want to emphasise rejecting the submission.

     5. Use conversational style as a guide

    You are writing to people!

    Be wary of deliberately distancing yourself from people by the way you write. Even bureaucratic organisations are designed, maintained and populated by people. They impact people. Address the reader directly whenever possible and especially when you are writing a letter. Use personal pronouns – “you” for the reader and “we” for your organisation. Use “I” if you are specifically referring to yourself.

     

    Writing in plain language is not ‘dumbing down’

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

    I get really annoyed when I hear people use the expression ‘dumbing down’ when they talk about writing documents – especially documents intended for the public. It’s as though they think their readers are idiots. It betrays a level of arrogance that is never helpful when we are communicating with anyone.

    Most of the time we are not writing to idiots, but to people of average, maybe even above average, intelligence. They just may not have had all the experiences we have. Writing plainly is about crafting text that is clear and easy to read to help people understand. As Einstein said ‘Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler’. And always write with great respect for your readers.

    Writing is easy!

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing

    Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your head. (Gene Fowler)

    Nearly everybody finds it hard to write at some time. Next time that happens to you, try this 5 step process.

    1. Plan

    Write down the answers to these questions. Don’t just think about these questions – writing brings clarity.

    Who is your audience? – characteristics, attitudes? What is important to them?

    What do you want them to do? Do you want them to understand something or do something?

    What information do they need? What do they need to know? When?

    2. Capture ideas

    Gather all the bits and pieces that you think may need to go into the document. You could use mind mapping or just start writing randomly.

    Don’t worry about word choice, grammar or spelling.

    Don’t worry about sequence

    Don’t try to work out details

    Use diagrams, shapes or symbols – not just words

    Don’t be neat

    3. Organise and shape

    There are no hard and fast rules about organising. You cannot organise until you know what it is that needs putting in order. So be wary of templates – they can be useful, but they may also restrict your thinking.

    Answering these questions will help you organise your document.

    How will the reader discover this information?

    Will they be looking for an answer to a specific question they have, or just reading for interest?

    What are they likely to be doing when they encounter this information?

    What will the reader do with the information?

    Do they need to follow a procedure you are describing?

    Do they need to combine this information with other information? Where will they get this from?

    How can this be organised in a way that makes sense to my reader?

    How are the ideas related? (usually, it is best to start with the ‘big picture’ before moving into detail)

    What do my readers already know about this topic?

    How can I organise this into less than 7 ‘chunks’? (Use headings to separate the chunks, use paragraphs to further organise the chunks.)

    What can I safely leave out? (Readers find it tiresome to wade through text that has no relevance to their interest or needs.)

    4. Write, edit and revise

    There is no such thing as good writing, only good re-writing!

    • Get straight to the point.
    • Use words familiar to your reader.
    • Keep sentences short and simple. Each sentence should cover only one point.
    • Use the active voice and avoid the passive voice.
    • Write directly to your audience i.e. use ‘we’ and ‘you’.
    • Use verbs (action words), not nouns made from verbs.
    • Use simple, short words.

    5. Test

    Readers are the only people who can tell you whether your writing is good or bad. If possible, test your document on a sample of your target audience. Ask them questions to see if you have effectively conveyed your message.

     

    The power of little words

    Plain language / Plain English

    When you come right down to it, there is no law that says you have to use big words when you write or talk.

    There are lots of small words, and good ones, that can be made to say all the things you want to say, quite as well as the big ones. It may take a bit more time to find them at first, but it can be well worth it. For all of us know what they mean.

    Some small words, more than you might think, are rich with the right feel, the right taste, as if made to help you say the thing the way it should be said.

    Small words can be crisp, or sharp, or brief, or terse. They go straight to the point.

    Small words can dance, or twist, or turn, or sing, with a charm all their own. They are the grace notes of prose. You know what they say the way you know a day is bright and fair – by first sight.

    And you find, as you read or as you hear, that you like the way small words can catch large thoughts and hold them up for all to see and hear.

    They are like rare stones in rings of gold, or joy in the eyes of a child. Small words can make you feel, as well as see, the cold deep dark of night, or the hot salt sting of tears.

    Big words can bog you down and get in the way of what want to say. Small words move with ease to say what you mean.

    For those who teach, and for those who learn, small words are links in the chain. There is not much, in all our work, that small words will not say – and say well.

    a brilliant piece of writing from Training and Development in Australia, August 1974

     

    Writing newsletters

    Plain language / Plain English

    Newsletters should always contain something new!

    Newsworthy articles entice readers to read. So, provide content that is useful of interest to them. Focus on what they want to hear rather than on what you want to say.

    Newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with previous and potential customers. You can demonstrate your competence and how your business can help them.

    Printed newsletters,on-line newsletters and blogs all serve pretty much the same purpose – they keep you and your business ‘top of mind’ with your customers. That’s important because when they have a need or are ready to buy, you want them to think of you.

    Try to get in front of your customers at least once per month, although that will depend on your business, your customers, and what your competitors are doing. The best way to get your frequency right is to ask your customers – “Are my newsletters bothering you? Would you like to get them more often?” You may also get good ideas on what information your readers would like to receive.

    Some content ideas:

    New products

    Most readers want to keep up to date with what is happening in the industry.

    Technical advice

    Give away a little bit of your expertise. That show’s people you are knowledgeable and generous – just the sort of person they want to do business with.

    Case studies

    People love to read stories, especially if it is relevant or similar to their situation. Case studies are an opportunity to show how your business solves real life problems.

    Human interest stories

    Be a bit careful with these, but stories about what’s happening with your staff or your customers (promotions, weddings, etc) can help you develop ‘contact’.

    Special deals and time limited opportunities

    Give people a reason to do business with you NOW.

    Why good readers may not read all your text

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English,

    Just tell me what you’ve gotta tell me, clear and straight, and get to the point fast.

    John Wayne (in The Sands of Iwo Jima)

    Reading for purpose

    Business readers read for information, not for pleasure.

    They are usually busy and eager to put your document aside as soon as they can, after they have all the information they need. Often a reliable headline is all readers need.

    Maximum meaning, minimum reading

    In choosing not to read an entire document, the reader is not lazy or irresponsible; they are reading only for information. They are eager to get information quickly and then move on.

    So, don’t hold your readers in suspense. Get to the point fast. Convey as much information as possible, accurately and clearly, in as little reading as possible.

    Start with the conclusion

    Have your point at the beginning, and then support and explain it throughout the rest of your document it. Never make readers wonder, “What are you getting at?”. (There are some exceptions, but generally it’s unwise to place the most important information near the end.)

    The lift (elevator) door statement

    When really pressed, like when talking with someone while waiting for the lift door to open, we can usually condense our message to a single statement.

    Find the one statement about which you could say: “It’s all right if my readers read nothing else”. That statement should appear at the beginning. It may truly be OK if the reader does read nothing else.

    Leading the reader along the path

    It is always easier to grasp an argument if you are told the conclusion first. Even if the reader will read every word in detail, they will understand more readily if they have the conclusion first.

    Without a summary statement overview, the reader’s brain receives isolated bits of information and does not know what to do with them until the end. An overview helps the reader understand the details better. This is not so much a principle of writing as it is of learning.

    This approach is different to that learnt by most of us in school. The structure we used then was usually:

    • ….. therefore
    • ….. therefore
    • conclusion.

    However, readers generally find this structure much easier:

    • conclusion
    • because…..
    • because…..

     

    Write for impact

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing

    The purpose of all government and business communication is to impact the attitudes, thinking or behaviour of readers.

    For example, marketing communication is aimed at getting people to buy from you. Policies and procedures are aimed at causing people to act in a particular way.

    So, before you write ask ‘Why?”. Why are you writing? What do you want the user to do as a result of reading your work? Be sure you know the impact you want to have before you put pen to paper, finger to keyboard.

    Your purpose will depend on your organisation. In a business, your prime purpose is to make a profit. But other things are important too, like keeping workers safe, protecting the environment, etc. In government, purpose will be more likely related to mission – providing good roads, administering taxes fairly, or delivering care services.

    Communication must be related to an organisation’s purpose – it goes beyond understanding and effectively transmitting ideas. It’s all about influence.

    So, the simplest way to evaluate any communication piece is to look at your audience. Are they doing what you wanted them to do? Are they thinking in the way you want them to think? Did you have the impact you intended?

    Action
    Write down the impact you want to have before you start writing.

    And before you publish, test your communication – will it have the impact you intend?

    Good design gives information meaning

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

    We have more information available now than ever before. Getting information is not the problem – making sense of it is!

    Sifting and sorting – the key to meaning

    People make meaning by sifting through information to find those bits that are important to them. They then sort it by placing like with like within their own mental model or view of the world.

    The communicator who helps the user do this best, wins.

    That is, the best communicators work hard so the reader doesn’t have to. They take raw information and do some pre-sifting and pre-sorting for the user. This smooths the path and helps the information move more easily from the mind of the sender into the mind of the receiver.

    Good information design is the key to making this sifting and sorting process easy for the user.

    Eyes on the user

    When designing information (or designing anything for that matter) it is vital to focus squarely on the user and how they will use it.

    View content from the perspective of the user. Think about how they will encounter the information, and what they will be expected to do with it. Put yourself in their shoes.

    Good design is important for information too

    Just like any other product or service, information must be put together skilfully if it is to achieve its purpose.

    Too much information, or information that is poorly structured or expressed, will not do the job.

    One task of Information Design is translation:

    • technical language > everyday language
    • words and numbers > pictures and graphics
    • complex sentences, paragraphs > one thought at a time
    • information all at a single level > a structure that distinguishes between big ideas and detail

    Rethink how you express ideas

    Take the time to be more concise and precise in your writing.

    Sometimes it means using a simpler word, or using a verb rather than a noun. Other times a serious rethink is needed.

    Consider these examples:

    OriginalImprovement
    P-X will contribute by developing advances in early diagnosis…P-X will help us diagnose illness earlier …
    Staff will be trained in the correct usage of chemicals.Staff will be trained to correctly use chemicals.
    It is reliant on …It relies on ..
    ..constant degree of control…constant control
    the mechanism by which credits are to be distributedthe mechanism used to distribute credits
    ..during the refuelling of motor vehicles.. while refuelling motor vehicles
    …agreed that consideration be given to proposing the development of a set of guidance and decision support tools… agreed to consider proposing a set of guidance tools
    There has been a substantial initiative to improve the accessibility to information held by the State.There has been an effort to make information easier to get.
    This type of scheme has the potential to significantly reduce the costs associated with gaining improvements in ore quality.This type of scheme may significantly reduce the costs of improving ore quality.
    In order to achieve a successful outcome from this program it is considered necessary to have the support of the local Councils in areas where the program will be implemented.Support from local councils is needed for the program to be successful.
    The financial services sector, through its own activities and the influence it has over other activities can impact whether funds are directed toward activities that hinder or help the community. Influence can be exerted through more rigorous consideration of community risk in financing, the adoption of community criteria in investment strategies, and the integration of community issues into insurance products.Financial institutions exert their influence by:
    – rigorously considering community risk when financing
    – adopting community criteria when developing investment strategies, and
    – integrating community risk into insurance products.


    Why I am a plain language zealot

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, ,

    All business and government documents should be written in plain language. These are ‘functional documents’; people are expected to use these documents (information products) to do something.

    Plain language builds a more just society

    Writing plainly means more people will be able to read and understand your message.

    If our audiences cannot follow legal documents, information leaflets or letters, there is the risk of their breaking the law, or failing to do what is expected of them or receiving what is rightfully theirs.”
    (Tasmanian Government)

    Choosing not to write plainly can introduce social disadvantage. Excluding people from being able to easily understand contracts, laws and other information limits their choices. They can’t fully participate in society.

    Plain language displays clear thinking

    “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” (attributed to Albert Einstein) No matter who said it, the idea is helpful.

    When you have a deep understanding of an idea, you can find words, metaphors and images that help other people understand it too. You can explain the idea simply and with precision. If you only have a superficial understanding, you are likely to express the idea vaguely. It is unlikely to be written plainly.

    If people understand more of what you’re saying, they will likely feel that you make sense.
    (Hoa Loranger)

    Plain language aids effectiveness and efficiency

    Business and government documents need to be both effective (achieve purpose) and efficient (read and understood quickly). Writing in plain language helps achieve both goals.

    Complex, technical or pompous writing does not convey ideas quickly – readers have to battle to make sense of what is written. Writing plainly means using words and structures that your audience can quickly understand. (Knowing your audience is vital – when writing for technical readers you may use terms that lay people would call jargon.)

    Writing plainly using familiar words and simple structures is not dumbing down. It helps less able readers to understand, and helps more able readers to read faster.

    Enjoy writing

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

    Take delight in the words you use and the ideas you are communicating. If you don’t enjoy your writing, there is no way your reader will. Find joy in expressing yourself and communicating ideas.

    If you work in either business or government, you are usually writing about things that are important and worthwhile, so write with energy and enthusiasm. That doesn’t mean you need to be flamboyant or overly clever, just be engaged as you write.

    Have a worthwhile conversation with your readers – one that progresses the objectives of your organisation while meeting your readers’ needs. Your enjoyment will carry through to your readers – readers can sense when writing is flat and forced.

    In the advent … really?

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

    I came across this phrase in a report a while ago – in the advent. The writer was trying to use a fancy expression for ‘if’. But it made them look foolish.

    They meant to write ‘in the event’, but they ended up talking about the religious season before Christmas, or something coming into existence. I’m not sure why anybody would want to write ‘in the event’ when you could use the word ‘if’ – 3 words when one would do! Why would you write that way?

    Fancy writing, intended to show off how clever or sophisticated you are, nearly always gets in the way of clear and useful communication. And it can reflect poorly on you. Write simply.

    Your writing should be like a clean shop window

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip,

    Plain language writing has been described as like looking through a shop window.

    When you are looking through a shop window, you are looking at the goods on display. You are not looking at or being bothered by the glass in the window – it is transparent, you see straight through it.

    In the same way, when you are reading something that has been written clearly in plain language, you should be interacting and engaging with the ideas. You should not be bothered by or struggle with the language the writer has used– it should be transparent, defining the writers ideas so that you can easily understand their thoughts.

    Write simply and clearly so readers engage with your ideas, don’t hide them behind fancy or convoluted writing.

    Some parts of conversation should not enter your writing

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip,

    One of the techniques of writing in plain language is to use a conversational style – to write as though your reader is physically in the room with you.

    But there are aspects of spoken conversations that should not enter your writing. ‘ums’ and arhs’ and ‘you knows’ are clearly out.

    Sometimes when we speak with each other we include words that are not really necessary for the content we are delivering. These clutter phrases and additional words can be helpful in conversation to slow down information delivery, giving the hearer a little more time to process the ideas.

    But this not needed when communicating using the written word. Readers can control their reading speed and the rate they encounter new ideas in a way that hearers can not.

    The price of good writing is constant vigilance

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip,

    All successful communication requires unwavering alertness. Never let your keyboard get ahead of your brain.

    The moment we allow our fingers to race faster than our thoughts, we risk misunderstandings, offence, or maybe even complete miscommunication. Effective writing requires us to pause, consider our audience, and choose our words deliberately.

    Prioritise mindfulness over speed. Each sentence should serve a clear purpose and reflect genuine understanding of the readers’ needs and perspectives. Avoid the common pitfalls of hasty responses: unclear instructions, unintended rudeness, or messages that completely miss their mark.

    Our workplaces can be fast-paced and demanding – the pressure to respond immediately can be overwhelming. However, taking a few extra seconds to review and refine our writing leads to documents that are effective and achieve purpose.

    How to write sentences

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, ,

    Never begin a sentence until you are sure of what you want to say in it and how it will end.If that means you only write short, simple sentences for a while, that’s OK.

    Think clearly before committing words to paper or screen so that every word serves a purpose. Rushing ahead without clarity can lead to confusion, both for you and your reader.

    And usually just write one single, focused thought per sentence. This makes your writing easier to follow. Readers can process single ideas more effectively than complex, multi-layered statements that weave together several concepts.

    But, if you choose to include more than one point in a sentence, place the most important thought first. Your reader will find your main message immediately, even if they stop reading mid-sentence.

    If you do this, over time you’ll develop a writing style that is both powerful and easy to follow. You’ll be able to communicate complex ideas clearly and succinctly.

    Email: Use your subject line well

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, ,

    Don’t waste the subject line in your emails – it is very valuable real estate!

    The subject line is the first thing your reader will see – and you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

    Use the subject line to highlight your main point. Structuring an email in this way is an application of the general principle of writing ‘point first’.

    Writing point first orients your reader to what follows. An effective subject line can prime your readers’ minds so they engage more readily with your message.

    An accurate subject line respects your readers’ time, and helps them decide whether or not they will read on immediately or leave your message for later.

    Email: A single chunk of information

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, writing tip

    Usually it is best to cover only one topic in an email. The most effective emails are short, clear, and focused on a single purpose.

    When you try to include several different matters in the same message, it becomes cluttered and harder for the reader to process. Too many ideas can confuse your audience, delay their response, or even cause important details to be overlooked.

    Deliberate brevity, focused on a single matter, respects the recipient’s time. Keeping to one subject makes your writing sharper – the reader can respond quickly to a single issue.

    A single-topic email is also easier to file, track, and search for later in an email trail.

    If you have multiple distinct matters to discuss, send separate emails with clear, specific subject lines for each topic.

    How long is a paragraph?

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, , , ,

    Paragraphs are flexible. A paragraph can be a single word, or it could be 8 sentences or more if the idea is complex.

    A paragraph should contain a single idea. If you have a new idea or a shift in focus, start a new paragraph.

    Write the main point in the first sentence. That guides your reader, so they know what to expect. Use the following sentences to expand or explain or illustrate that central point.

    Readers are most comfortable when paragraphs average about 4-6 lines. This length provides enough space to develop an idea without overwhelming the reader or creating dense blocks of text.

    But it’s also good to have some variety in both sentence and paragraph length to keep your text visually interesting and reduce reader fatigue.

    No need to start at the beginning when writing

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, ,

    When writing any document, you don’t need to start at the beginning. Writing is often not a linear process.

    Instead of stressing over the perfect opening line, focus on writing the sections you already have ideas for. Begin with the content you feel most confident about—whether it’s a key argument, a conclusion, or even a list of bullet points.

    This initial burst of content serves as a solid foundation, and once those parts are in place, you can shape the rest of the document around them.

    Starting where you are most comfortable is also a really useful way to approach corporate templates. 

    An approach like this allows you to build momentum and avoid writer’s block. It’s a flexible, efficient strategy that helps you stay productive and develop a message that has impact.

    Wild words

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, ,

    Words ought to be a little wild, for they are the assault of thought on the unthinking. (J.M. Keynes)

    A lot of the time when writing in a business and government context we are not wild. We write to control and maintain good governance.

    But there are times when we don’t need polite exchange but rather we need a spark, a provocation, a way to jolt the mind from the comfortable silence of the status quo. There are times when we need to change thinking, or introduce a new direction.

    We don’t want words to be mere placeholders, echoes of what has already been said. Sometimes our writing needs to be sharp, unexpected, even disruptive so that we can help our readers see the world in a new way.

    Strong ideas often require wild words to fight against complacency and against the quiet surrender of thought.

    A really bad thing to do to your writing

    Plain language / Plain English,

    Stephen King, the famous author of many books, says in his book  On Writing:

    ‘One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of the short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed.’

    Some writers think using big words and long sentences makes their writing more impressive or authoritative. They feel they have a need to impress others by using language in a complex way.

    Studies show the reverse is true – people who can express ideas in a simple way are often perceived as more knowledgeable and competent.

    Write to think better

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip

    C.S. Lewis, the famous author of the Narnia series, but also a philosopher and theologian said:

    “I do not sit down at my desk to put into verse something that is already clear in my mind. If it were clear in my mind, I should have no incentive or need to write about it. We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand.”

    This relationship between thinking and writing is what excites me about the writing process. Expressing our thoughts in words forces the abstract and the fuzzy to become concrete and definite.

    It does allow us to share our thinking with other people. But perhaps even more usefully, writing our thoughts down allows us to share our thinking with ourselves, helping to refine our thoughts and develop richer and more useful ideas.

    Write to communicate

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, , ,

    While writing can be very powerful and useful in helping to develop and clarify our ideas, we often write to communicate our thoughts to other people.
    The text we generate is for consumption by others.

    We may be communicating instructions or requirements, or perhaps inviting others to engage with us in our thinking.

    Strive to achieve both clarity and contact.

    Clarity is about making sure your reader picks up your intended meaning without modification. Usually the best way to do this is to write plainly. Use familiar and simple words. And just have one idea in each sentence.

    Contact is about conveying to your reader the importance of your message, so they make an effort to get their head around what you are saying and then take appropriate action. To do this, get to know your reader well. Learn about their circumstances and what’s important to them.

    Hold your readers’ attention

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, ,

    Johann Hari, in his book Stolen Focus, claims average office workers focus for a maximum of just 3 minutes at a time.

    Our ability to concentrate and read for an extended time is diminishing, largely due to being constantly interrupted by various forms of technology.

    Just about all modern readers struggle to focus on large slabs of writing.

    So, what can we as writers do to help our messages get across. Well writing succinctly using as few words as needed helps. Also, chunking your content into bite size chunks is more important than ever.

    And above all, engage – tap into the things that are important for your reader, perhaps that they are passionate about.

    There are so many distractions to take your readers’ minds from your message.

    Use the quality of your thinking to impress your readers, not the complexity of your language

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

    Big words and complex sentence structure can be used to generate the impression of being ‘educated’.

    Some writers deliberately make text difficult to understand to create an air of mystique and to emphasis the distance between their intelligence and that of the reader. This pretence gets in the way of communication.

    “The source of bad writing is the desire to be more than a person of sense – to be thought a genius. If people would only say what they have to say in plain terms, how much more eloquent they would be.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge

    Often obscure, foggy writing is a consequence of obscure, foggy thinking. The subject is not as well understood as the writer pretends, so they bombard us with words that hide meaning. Readers need to work hard to unpack the ideas. When you write in plain language your thinking is held up clearly for all to see.

    It’s important to resist the temptation to impress with your language. Using plain expressions will mean more readers will understand, and readers who can handle complex language will not be disadvantaged in any way.

    Sure there are times when specialist language and jargon is appropriate, but most of the time using speech patterns and the plain words of every day conversation is the most effective way to get your message across.

    See related post

     

    Write short sentences

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip

    Short sentences are usually easier to understand.
    And short sentences are more lively.

    If you write a really long sentence containing lots of different ideas the reader has to wait until they reach the full stop before they can take a quick mental break to process all the ideas and all the things you have told them and then they have to make sense of it all and figure out how they should respond. (that sentence was longer than it needed to be – 61 words)

    Joining words like ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘then’ are good places to consider breaking a long sentence into two or more sentences.

    On average, aim for about 15-20 words per sentence. But don’t make all your sentences that long – readers like variety. There is nothing wrong with a 3 word sentence, and nothing wrong with a 35 word sentence. Just don’t write them all the time

    Write ‘point first’

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

    Busy readers may not read a whole document.

    It’s not that they are lazy, it’s just that they are pushed for time and may stop reading when they think they have all they need from your document. There’s a danger there, because they miss some even more important information that you’ve placed later in the document.

    So, for nearly all documents, it’s best to organise your content so the most important information comes first – where it is most likely to be read. And if some readers don’t read the rest, it may not matter too much.

    Structuring content point first also provides readers with a context for what follows, and that can help them understand your message more readily.

    This idea of writing point first works at the overall document level, at sections within the document, for paragraphs and even when writing sentences.

    Use familiar, short words

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, , ,

    When you write, think carefully about the words you choose to use.

    In general, select words that will be familiar to your audience – words that they know and use frequently themselves.

    This allows readers to quickly find meaning rather than having to search in their mind for the meaning. Or even worse, have to look up the meaning of a word in a dictionary.

    Overlap using familiar words with also choosing short and simple words. Shorter words are generally easier to read and process.

    So, write ‘use’ rather than ‘utilise’; ‘try’ rather than ‘endeavour’; ‘help’ rather than ‘facilitate’.

    Choose words that are firstly familiar to your audience, and secondly prefer simple and short words.

    But above all, choose words that convey your meaning with clarity and precision.

    Prefer concrete words over abstract ones

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

    CS Lewis, the famous author, gives this advice:
    Never use abstract words when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don’t say “Mortality rose”.

    The power of concrete words is that they communicate meaning immediately; readers are more easily able to create an image in their minds of what it is you are saying.

    If you use abstract words readers need to search their minds to find the meaning, and then work to apply that meaning to the situation.  

    For example, don’t write about ‘problems’ and ‘corrective measures’ – they are abstract ideas.

    Tell the reader what the problem was and how it was corrected. Help them create an accurate image in their mind.

    https://youtube.com/shorts/Ge74nmDwiIk?feature=share

    Why write in the active voice?

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

    Stephen King (in On Writing) says timid writers prefer the passive voice.
    ‘The passive voice is safe….I think unsure writers also feel the passive voice somehow lends their work authority, perhaps even a quality of majesty’.

    Writing in the passive voice is very common in business and government.

    The passive voice often hides who is doing what, and can be used to create distance between the writer and the reader. That’s often a distance used to emphasise the power of the writer over the reader.

    Suppose we write a sentence like this: “Your objection has been considered and it has been decided to reject it.” The reader would rightly want to know who considered the objection and who decided to reject it. Were they the same person, or was it a committee decision? Were they appropriately skilled?

    Of course, the passive voice is not wrong and there are times when it is better. But in general, prefer the active voice.

    Define purpose before writing

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip,

    The starting point for any writing project, any document, is to be clear about your purpose before you start.

    Writing a crisp, clear purpose statement helps you to focus your mind. It will help you when you make decisions about content – deciding what goes in and what you will leave out.

    A clear purpose will also guide your writing style – do you need to be formal or more friendly.

    To clarify your purpose think about the impact you would like to have on your reader – ask yourself “What do I you want my readers to think or feel or do after reading?” Answer in a sentence structured like this ‘As a result of reading this, I want Mr Smith to … whatever it is”.

    Your purpose statement does not need to be complex or clever, it just needs to be clear.

    Review and edit to improve

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, , ,

    There’s no such thing as good writing,
    only good re-writing.

    If you’ve been writing for a while, you will know that is true. We very rarely craft perfect text on our first attempt.

    Writing is a really thinking in concrete words. The process of refining and editing is part of the thinking process, helping ideas become clearer and more precise.

    If you can, often it’s good to write a first draft and then leave your text for a day or two.

    This allows your sub-conscious to bubble away and enriches your thinking. I’ve got no idea how the subconscious works, I just know it does.

    Allowing yourself a bit of soak time helps. Then get into reviewing and editing.

    And you may need to repeat that process a few times.

    Write with verbs not nouns

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, ,

    It’s better to write ‘evaluate‘ rather than ‘make an evaluation‘; write ‘decide‘ rather than ‘make a decision‘. ‘Evaluation’ is a noun, ‘evaluate’ is a verb.

    Use verbs (action words) to make your writing more lively.

    When you write with verbs your writing becomes more engaging and energetic because you are using action words. And it can also help you reduce your word count.

    Many noun forms end in …ion, …ent, so keep an eye out for them.

    And I’d love to ban the word ‘undertake’- we only ever use that when we need it to accompany a noun.

    So we write the wordy phrase ‘we will undertake an investigation’ rather than saying more simply ‘we will investigate’.

    Choosing to write with verb forms rather than nouns is a simple change, but it can powerfully improve your text.

    Personalise your writing

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip,

    Your writing will be read by people, so write directly to them.

    Organisations don’t read letters or other documents, people inside them do.

    So it’s OK to use personal pronouns – words like you, me, I, us.

    Using personal pronouns helps make contact with your readers and creates a more engaging, conversational tone. It helps them better understand how they should respond and what actions they need to take.

    Write ‘you must …’ rather than the vague ‘the ratepayer must ….’. Writing directly makes your writing clearer, more accessible, and helps readers feel acknowledged and respected.

    This simple shift from third person to second person can dramatically improve comprehension and response rates.

    Impress with your thinking, not your language

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip,

    Some writers deliberately write in a way that makes their text difficult to read.

    They do this to create an air of mystique or superiority or to appear more ‘educated’ than their readers. They emphasise the supposed distance between their intelligence and that of the reader by using words that their readers may not know and putting it altogether in long and complex sentences.

    This is a pretence! It always gets in the way of good, effective communication.

    If you feel you need to impress you readers in some way, do it with the power and clarity of your thinking, not by showing off with your language or vocabulary skills.

    And sometimes, difficult writing is simply a cover-up for a lack of clear and insightful thinking. Some writers use complex writing in an attempt to sound profound when they are not really saying anything worthwhile at all.

    See related post