Tag Archives: simple words

Don’t accept complex and pompous writing

Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, ,

Some organisations continue to publish text that contains complex sentences and lots of big words. Managers tell their people they need to communicate in a formal, or bureaucratic way.

They think this makes them sound more professional or competent or authoritative. They claim ‘we need to say it this way so that others can see we know our stuff’, so that readers will be impressed.

But this pompous style gets in the way of good communication – it is a pretense. It reminds me of the old story by Hans Christian Anderson of the ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’.

A truly knowledgeable person can explain complex ideas simply so that others can understand with little effort.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.