Plain Language / Plain English / Simple Language/ Clear Language

A communication your audience can A communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it.understand the first time they read or hear it.

A written material is in plain language if your audience can:

•Find what they need;•Understand what they find; and•Use what they find to meet their needs.

“Plainness does not mean the absence of all ornaments, only the more obvious ones.”

General features that distinguish plain language from the traditional writing style:

•They are organized for easy reading.•They use words effectively.•They are built of clear, simple sentences and paragraphs.•They are designed for visual appeal.

Difficult text cause more:

MisunderstandingErrors

ComplaintsEnquiries

Staff Time Lost to Problem Solving

Plain language means your readers can understand your documents more quickly.

It results to an effective and efficient communication.

1. Effectiveness2. Efficiency / Cost Efficiency3. Competitiveness4. Confidence / Reassurance

Plain Language Standard (Document Checklist)

• written for the average reader• organized to serve the reader's needs• has useful headings• uses "you" and other pronouns to speak to the reader• uses active voice• uses short sections and sentences• uses the simplest tense possible—simple present is best• omits excess words• uses concrete, familiar words• uses "must" to express requirements; avoids the ambiguous word "shall“• places words carefully (avoids large gaps between the subject, the verb and the• object; puts exceptions last; places modifiers correctly)• uses lists and tables to simplify complex material

• Identify your audience.• Use active, not passive sentence.• Compound words• Pronouns can establish a personal tone.• Avoid gobbledygook.• Keep it short!

Write in a visually appealing style.• Don’t be wordy.

• Use graphics and tables.• Use parallel phrasing.• Avoid shall.• Don’t use multiple negatives.• Avoid redundancies.

Clear writing, effective organization and inviting presentation are all keys to creating

readable, informative documents.

Reading Ease, as it results from a writing style.

Improves:Comprehension, Retention, Reading Speed,

and Reading Persisitence

Features Affecting Readability:Content, Style, Design, Structure

Some features that determine Readability:• Number of personal pronouns• Average number of words in a sentence• Percentage of different words• Number of prepositional phrases• Word length and sentences• Sentence structure• Organization of Ideas

Produces clear, logical writing.An essential part of conveying your message

clearly.

General to specific, specific to general, positive to negative, step by step, most important to

least important.

Spacing• Keep paragraphs no more than 4 or 5

sentences.Color of ink and paper• Dark Ink on light paper• Avoid color combinations with low

contrast.

Graphics and Illustrations• Use graphics with caution.• Don’t use too many graphics.• Place all graphics and illustrations as close as

possible to the text they refer to.• Must not interrupt normal reading patterns.• Make sure all graphics and illustrations are

clear and the captions are easy to read.

The Ph of Plain Language