Plain language also known as plain english is a way of writing or presenting. I could nominate one hundred reasons why i think plain english is my favorite podcast, but here are some. The plain writingact requires agencies to use plain writing in every paper or electronic. We believe that using plain language saves federal agencies time and money and provides better service to the american public. Strunk and whites the elements of style and gowers the. It is also the standard for all business and government. Notes are saved with you account but can also be exported as plain text, ms word, pdf. The task for legal writers is to separate real terms of art from all the rubble. Unique jargon buster the only editing software to guarantee you write in a jargonfree style. Statistics in plain english, third edition is an ideal complement for statistics, evaluation methods, andor for packages that use statistics taught on the undergraduate or graduate diploma, or as a reference software for anyone in refreshing their memory about key statistical concepts. The law in plain english for writers describes how to take advantage of your skills and profit from your work. Russian in plain english enables complete beginners to acquire the skill of reading words written in cyrillic independently, with no english transcription or imitated pronunciation, within a. Put the reader first and write as if you are explaining the facts in person. Bold marks the dirty dozen, the 12 offenders most likely to weaken your work.
Taking charge of your business is the key to having it all. Wikipedia articles ought to be written in plain english, states wikipedia s manual of style the art of writing plain english has to be learned. Review basics of writing in plain english linkedin learning. Asdste100 simplified technical english techscribe technical.
Support to support me, please click subscribe on youtube, click like on videos, click the bell, share your comments and wisdom with other parents and educators. May, 2020 the plain language action and information network plain is a community of federal employees dedicated to the idea that citizens deserve clear communications from government. Plainenglish editing laura ripper proofreading and. In this course, writing instructor judy steinerwilliams explains the characteristics of plain english and the importance of learning to write clearly, and introduces some online tools you can use to analyze your own writing. Google docs comes part of g suite and as a wordprocessing software goes.
Get instant feedback on your businesswriting blindspots. When we say that one should write plainly, we mean using good, basic english. Readers want an effortless, readable and clear writing style. You can also download drivel defence, a software application which inspects. A plain english measure of financ ial reporting readability. If you see a red highlight, your sentence is so dense and complicated that your readers will. Bibliographies pdf, 21kb design and layout pdf, 35kb forms pdf, 16kb gdpr help for small businesses pdf 51kb letters pdf, 18kb. Using simpler words and phrases is rewarding for the reader and for you because it makes your writing easier to read. Plain english is impossible because the law deals with complicated ideas that require great precision. Step by step writing guide for developing plain english. Plain englishor plain languageis a message written for the reader in a.
It is also the standard for all business and government communication in the us. The plain english movement plain english is known in some places as plain language. Statistics in plain english, third edition is an ideal complement for statistics, evaluation methods, andor for packages that use statistics taught on the undergraduate or graduate diploma, or as a reference. Our agencies already use plain language our operating agencies already use plain language and train employees in the importance of clear communication. Writing laws in plain english in new zealand in custodia. Introducing plain language principles to business communication students. To use plain english, you may need to edit your writing several times over, or even ask someone else to read it for you. Writing tips for urban and environmental planners, natalie macris draws from more than a decade of editing experience to explain how to craft. See how plain english can transform overly complex text with our.
Its the writing style of the best professional writers and communicators. The plain language action and information network plain is a community of federal employees dedicated to the idea that citizens deserve clear communications from government. Plain english article about plain english by the free. Wydicks plain english for lawyersnow in its fifth editionhas been a favorite of law students, legal writing teachers, lawyers, and judges for over 25 years. Published by lousy writer editors available in pdf format. Plain english is writing that is clear and straightforward, targeted at the appropriate reading level, and free of jargon, wordiness, and cliches. Many people think plain writing means its simplistic, boring or childish. Before writing, ask yourself the following questions. A to z of financial terms pdf, 85kb a to z of legal phrases pdf, 337kb a to z of pension terms pdf, 368kb special subjects. Plain english software free download plain english top. Plain english writing for lousy writers paves the way of writing clear and concise copy in 16 critical essays. So, listening to plain english at a slower velocity helps me to get confident to continue to learn english.
Learn writing techniques to comply with the plain writing law if you are working or planning to work for the u. We validate our plain english measures using a quasiexogenous shock provided by the. Writing for dollars, writing to please software for writers. Plain english software free download plain english top 4 download offers free software downloads for windows, mac, ios and android computers and mobile devices. A controlled language is a solution to the problems of plain english. Write short sentences with just one idea in each sentence. The guides are provided in adobe acrobat pdf format. If you cannot read pdf files on your computer, you will need to download adobe reader. The annual plain english awards recognize excellent plain english writing in both government and business. This guide will help you to produce plain english resources for your patients, clients and carers. The main goal in writing is to put your message across clearly and concisely. How to write in plain english pdf, 69kb the az of alternative words pdf, 177kb glossaries.
Plain english software free download plain english top 4. Plain english campaign is an independent group fighting for plain english in public communication. Your reader may want to browse a document for an overview. You can also download drivel defence, a software application which inspects webpages.
Aug 17, 2008 we use your linkedin profile and activity data to personalize ads and to show you more relevant ads. The office of the federal register ofr offers the following resources to help writers comply with the plain writing act of 2010 and presidential memorandum of. It uses short, clear sentences and everyday words without unnecessary jargon. Plain english means analyzing and deciding what information investors need to make informed decisions, before words, sentences, or paragraphs are considered.
Experts and authorities on good writing have a name for this style. There are many lists of complex words and suggested substitutes. Plain english is a style of writing that enables the reader to understand the message the first time they read it. Instructions are brief, examples are plentiful, and learning is instant. How to write in plain english plain english campaign. There are plain language movements in many parts of the world, including the uk, usa, canada, new zealand. If you see a red highlight, your sentence is so dense and complicated that your readers will get lost trying to follow its meandering, splitting logic try editing this sentence to remove the red. Get instant feedback on your business writing blindspots.
To write in plain english you need to first put yourself in your readers shoes. The one indispensable guide is garners dictionary of modem legal usage 1987. Writing tips for urban and environmental planners, natalie macris draws from more than a decade of editing experience to explain how to craft clear, understandable, and highly readable planning documents. For instance, miller 2010 uses output from earlier and much more limited versions of the same software used to generate the bog index to create a somewhat ad hoc measure of plain english reporting. Plain english writing software for writers grammar. Individual customization check for your own style rules and proofreading issues. Advanced writing statistics stylewriter provides meaningful statistics and ratings you can use to become a. The app highlights lengthy, complex sentences and common errors. Using plain english will save time in writing, make writing far easier, and improve. For another thing, a body of literature has grown up around the plainlanguage movement. Pdf introducing plain language principles to business. Plain english is concise, everyday language that tells the. As cedric the saxon then was, his plain english tale needed no garnish from french troubadours, when it was told in the ear of beauty. In my opinion plain english is the best because in a few minutes it gives us one good listening exercise plus the explanation of a.
Plain english foundations free writing tools will help you write clear, compelling and concise communications. Using plain english assures the orderly and clear presentation of complex information so that investors have the best possible chance of understanding it. Many writers make the mistake of writing about a topic from their own perspective, rather than that of the reader. Almost 80% of users scan the page instead of reading. This book introduces the cyrillic alphabet gradually, feeding in the letters and their.
Plain english is not sufficient for many technical documents. Our free ebook, writing website copy in plain english shows you how to choose words and phrases carefully to capture your readers attention and make your website easy to navigate to find information. The introduction to plain language course will address these topics. Garner provides lawyers, judges, paralegals, law students, and legal scholars sound advice and practical tools for improving their written work. Published by lousy writer editors available in pdf. You achieve plain english when you use the simplest, most straightforward way of expressing an idea, says bryan garner, author of legal writing in plain english. Write personally, as if you were talking to the reader. When youre making word choices, pick the familiar or commonly used word over the unusual or obscure. The office of the federal register ofr offers the following resources to help writers comply with the plain writing act of 2010 and presidential memorandum of june 1, 1998 plain language in government writing. The plain writing act of 2010 act is intended to make it easy for the public to understand government documents.
Plain writing legislative history this project of the plain writing association presents a legislative history of the passage of the plain writing act of 2010, documenting the process by which failed plain. We have a series of guides which we provide free of charge on this site. Plain english editing cuts the complexity and redundancy in your writing to leave a clear, streamlined and flowing style your readers can understand effortlessly. The topics, the explanations and the vibes of jeff and jr are really cool. Specifically, we use a computational linguistics software program, stylewriterplain english editor, to develop two multidimensional measures of. Plain english handcraft the finest, bespoke kitchens with an unparalleled dedication to quality, high luxury and an immaculate attention to detail. The full text of the essential handbook for business writing 192 pages is designed to offer a lesson on every page. Writing website content in plain english free ebook our free ebook, writing website copy in plain english shows you how to choose words and phrases carefully to capture your readers attention and make your website easy to navigate to find information. Software for writers grammar checker spelling proofreader. It forbids the use of all slang words, vulgar phrases, obsolete terms. Writing website copy in plain english big businesses, lawyers, doctors, and all upper clevel executives may use inflated words when writing a print document within the organization, but everyday consumers and information seekers do not have the same level of education as these trade professionals. Most lectures have downloadable pdfs related to the videos. Written from the experience and perspective of a longtime teacher of english, the text is devised to make learning the skills of. There are many lists of complex words and suggested substitutes, like the one below.
It supports english, some european languages, simple and traditional chinese, korean, and japanese. Writing in plain english linkedin learning, formerly. Keep your writing skills sharp with our tips, tools and quizzes. Advanced writing statistics stylewriter provides meaningful statistics and ratings you can use to become a better writer.
Federal government, or intending to correspond and do business with it. The plain language action and information network plain is a community of federal. In 2010, the winners included a number of government agencies, including the office of the auditorgeneral for its overall commitment to clarity and the accident compensation commission for a brochure on handling cattle safely. Alright, youve earned a 15 minute break just by getting this far down the page. Apr 08, 2020 additionally, the plain writing act of 2010 requires all federal agencies to write clear government communication that the public can understand and use. A plain english measure of financial reporting readability. Russian in plain english enables complete beginners to acquire the skill of reading words written in cyrillic independently, with no english transcription or imitated pronunciation, within a short period of time. The guide then looks at the main ways to make writing clearer. The law in plain english for writers internet archive. Writing the english language without using technical terms. Plain english takes into account design and layout as well as language. Writing for the web is very different from other types of writing mainly because online readers access information differently. This highly practical workshop will provide you with the skills to write in plain, professional english that engages customers and reflects your brands tone of voice.
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