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Plain English Course - Martin Cutts

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
63 views

Plain English Course - Martin Cutts

Uploaded by

Saili Dixit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Writing

Plain English
Be clear,
be brief,
be human

Free self-study guide to the basics of good business writing


by Martin Cutts, author of The Oxford Guide to Plain English
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Writing Plain English


Be clear, be brief, be human
Free self-study guide to the basics of good business writing
by Martin Cutts, author of The Oxford Guide to Plain English

Plain Language Commission


PLAIN The Castle, 29 Stoneheads, Whaley Bridge,
LANGUAGE High Peak SK23 7BB, United Kingdom

COMMISSION Email: [email protected]


Web: http://www.clearest.co.uk
© Martin Cutts, 2024
Plain Language Commission is independent of the UK Government.
ISBN: 978-1-7399178-3-8
Design: M+IM Frost Design Consultants
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Writing Plain English


Be clear, be brief, be human

:-)
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Writing Plain English


Be clear, be brief, be human

;-)
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Contents
Clicking on any
heading opposite will
1 Starting points
take you to the start of 2 Some easy examples
that chapter.
3 Using everyday words
On all text pages
there’s a red button 4 Getting the grammar right
top right. Click on it to
return to this page. 5 Being brief
6 Breaking up long sentences
7 Punctuating well
8 Using active-voice verbs
9 Making your writing more verby
10 Using personal words
11 Writing better instructions
12 Using a simple way to plan
13 Avoiding common pitfalls in word choice
14 Avoiding clichés
15 Ignoring myths about writing
16 Checking for errors and absurdities
Page 4 17 Further reading
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

1 Starting points
One of your most important work skills is to write well. To do
this, you need to say what you want to say to colleagues and
customers in a clear style, using good grammar and sound
punctuation.

Writing well is a highly marketable skill and, some would say, a


surprisingly unusual one. So if you can put clear thinking on the
page in the form of clear writing, this will be good for your
career. It will get you noticed for all the right reasons.

The terms ‘plain English’ and ‘plain language’ are used


interchangeably in this course and in many English-speaking
countries. The International Plain Language Federation says:
‘A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure,
and design are so clear that the intended audience can easily
find what they need, understand what they find, and use that
information.’

Page 5
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

This course gives you a quick guide to some of the main points
about writing well in plain English. It’s mainly about writing for
business, not for journalistic or artistic purposes.

You’ll be able to complete the course in about two hours, but


you can go at your own speed and return to it whenever you
want. Just scroll through the pages and, if you wish, test your
writing reflexes by responding to the examples I give.

I have used British English, including British punctuation and


spelling. Most of the examples I give are from UK sources but a
few are from India, Australia and the US. I hope all users of
English, wherever they live, will find the course useful.

To help you take your study further, I've listed some books at
the end. I recommend my Oxford Guide to Plain English (edition
5) because it expands on all the points in this course; covers
different topics such as report-writing and summary-writing; is
available to borrow from public libraries; and is on sale as a
low-cost paperback.
Page 6
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

2 Some easy examples


We can all recognize good writing when we see it. Take this
paragraph from a possible response to a letter of complaint
about the cancellation of a hospital appointment:

Page 7
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

2 Some easy examples


We can all recognize good writing when we see it. Take this
paragraph from a possible response to a letter of complaint
about the cancellation of a hospital appointment:

:-o I regret we had to cancel your appointment on 26 January


because there were no suitable clinics that day. However, the
senior optometrist reviewed your case and decided that a delay
would be medically safe.

Page 7
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

2 Some easy examples


We can all recognize good writing when we see it. Take this
paragraph from a possible response to a letter of complaint
about the cancellation of a hospital appointment:

:-o I regret we had to cancel your appointment on 26 January


because there were no suitable clinics that day. However, the
senior optometrist reviewed your case and decided that a delay
would be medically safe.

Looks easy, doesn’t it? It has short sentences, everyday words


(apart from the doctor’s job role) and simple punctuation. It’s
pleasant, friendly and reasonable. It has a point of view and
makes it simply and effectively.

If only that’s what the real author had written!

Page 7
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

In fact, he wrote this (and it was signed off under the name of
the hospital’s chief executive, which makes it even worse):

Page 8
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

In fact, he wrote this (and it was signed off under the name of
the hospital’s chief executive, which makes it even worse):

Unfortunately your appointment for 26 January had to be


:-( cancelled because there were no clinics running that day. It is
normal practice for access to all clinics for this day being
denied, however this was not possible on this occasion due to
the outreach clinics still running. I again would like to reiterate
that all cancelled appointment are reviewed by the consultant
or a senior member of their team or in your case by the senior
optometrist, to ensure it is medical safe to delay the patient.

Page 8
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

In fact, he wrote this (and it was signed off under the name of
the hospital’s chief executive, which makes it even worse):

Unfortunately your appointment for 26 January had to be


:-( cancelled because there were no clinics running that day. It is
normal practice for access to all clinics for this day being
denied, however this was not possible on this occasion due to
the outreach clinics still running. I again would like to reiterate
that all cancelled appointment are reviewed by the consultant
or a senior member of their team or in your case by the senior
optometrist, to ensure it is medical safe to delay the patient.

What a mess! The punctuation is poor. Phrases like ‘medical


safe’ and ‘cancelled appointment are reviewed’ are poor
English. There’s defensive jargon about ‘access being denied’
and unexplained talk of ‘outreach clinics’. It’s all a muddle that
may generate another complaint. It may even damage the
patient’s opinion of the hospital’s competence on other matters,
such as surgery.

Page 8
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Here’s part of a response from a well-known high-street


retailer to another complaint:

Page 9
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Here’s part of a response from a well-known high-street


retailer to another complaint:

We are sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with the above


:-( product, however due to the nature of the product there will be
a variance in taste and texture from batch to batch, we have
therefore passed on your comments to the Quality Assurance
department for their information.

Page 9
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Here’s part of a response from a well-known high-street


retailer to another complaint:

We are sorry to learn of your dissatisfaction with the above


:-( product, however due to the nature of the product there will be
a variance in taste and texture from batch to batch, we have
therefore passed on your comments to the Quality Assurance
department for their information.

What do you notice about this overlong (48-word) sentence?


Yes, both the commas are wrong – they should be full stops
because a sentence ends at each of those points. Getting the
punctuation right is an important aspect of good writing.

And what about ‘variance’? Sounds official and scientific,


doesn’t it? The dictionary gives variance several meanings but
none of them is ‘variation’ or ‘difference’, which is what the
author intends to say here.

Page 9
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

You can see the same problem in this sentence, where the
author is trying to be sarcastic (rarely a good idea in writing):

Page 10
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

You can see the same problem in this sentence, where the
author is trying to be sarcastic (rarely a good idea in writing):

May I begin by congratulating you on the extemporary way you


:-( have followed company procedures in how to fob off a valued
customer who you have repeatedly let down.

Page 10
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

You can see the same problem in this sentence, where the
author is trying to be sarcastic (rarely a good idea in writing):

May I begin by congratulating you on the extemporary way you


:-( have followed company procedures in how to fob off a valued
customer who you have repeatedly let down.

Unfortunately the sarcasm falls flat because ‘extemporary’


means ‘spoken or done without preparation’ (the same as the
equally rare word ‘extemporaneous’). The author probably
meant excellent or exemplary. It’s a good writing principle not
to use a word if you don’t know what it means – and online and
printed dictionaries are there to help if you’re not sure.

Page 10
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Things can be even worse in legal documents. Here’s a clause


from a life insurance policy meant to be read by individual
policyholders:

Page 11
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Things can be even worse in legal documents. Here’s a clause


from a life insurance policy meant to be read by individual
policyholders:

Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained no partial


:-( surrender may be effected unless both the sum payable on the
partial surrender and the total after the surrender of the
Participating Sum Assured and the Related Bonuses thereon
and of all Further Participating Sums Assured and Related
Bonuses thereon exceed a minimum sum which the Society
shall determine at the time of the partial surrender.

Page 11
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Things can be even worse in legal documents. Here’s a clause


from a life insurance policy meant to be read by individual
policyholders:

Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained no partial


:-( surrender may be effected unless both the sum payable on the
partial surrender and the total after the surrender of the
Participating Sum Assured and the Related Bonuses thereon
and of all Further Participating Sums Assured and Related
Bonuses thereon exceed a minimum sum which the Society
shall determine at the time of the partial surrender.

The author may be a wizard with legal concepts but this is hard
work for typical policyholders, and even for lawyers and judges.
Nowadays, Jo Public expects to be able to have a good chance of
understanding legal documents that set out the consumer’s
rights and benefits.

Page 11
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Whether you’re writing on paper, in an email, or on a website,


you have a duty to be as clear as possible. If you do this, your
readers won’t have to work too hard for the information.
Remember: they are busy people, with plenty of other things to
do. So let them focus on your messages instead of getting
bogged down in unusual words and long sentences. Help them
do that and they’ll respect you, even though they may not
always agree with you.

Page 12
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Whether you’re writing on paper, in an email, or on a website,


you have a duty to be as clear as possible. If you do this, your
readers won’t have to work too hard for the information.
Remember: they are busy people, with plenty of other things to
do. So let them focus on your messages instead of getting
bogged down in unusual words and long sentences. Help them
do that and they’ll respect you, even though they may not
always agree with you.

So let’s recap on the main points so far:


䡵 Writing well is a vital work skill.

Page 12
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Whether you’re writing on paper, in an email, or on a website,


you have a duty to be as clear as possible. If you do this, your
readers won’t have to work too hard for the information.
Remember: they are busy people, with plenty of other things to
do. So let them focus on your messages instead of getting
bogged down in unusual words and long sentences. Help them
do that and they’ll respect you, even though they may not
always agree with you.

So let’s recap on the main points so far:


䡵 Writing well is a vital work skill.
䡵 Clear thinking is the first step to clear writing.

Page 12
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Whether you’re writing on paper, in an email, or on a website,


you have a duty to be as clear as possible. If you do this, your
readers won’t have to work too hard for the information.
Remember: they are busy people, with plenty of other things to
do. So let them focus on your messages instead of getting
bogged down in unusual words and long sentences. Help them
do that and they’ll respect you, even though they may not
always agree with you.

So let’s recap on the main points so far:


䡵 Writing well is a vital work skill.
䡵 Clear thinking is the first step to clear writing.
䡵 Take care to keep sentences short and get the punctuation
right.

Page 12
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Whether you’re writing on paper, in an email, or on a website,


you have a duty to be as clear as possible. If you do this, your
readers won’t have to work too hard for the information.
Remember: they are busy people, with plenty of other things to
do. So let them focus on your messages instead of getting
bogged down in unusual words and long sentences. Help them
do that and they’ll respect you, even though they may not
always agree with you.

So let’s recap on the main points so far:


䡵 Writing well is a vital work skill.
䡵 Clear thinking is the first step to clear writing.
䡵 Take care to keep sentences short and get the punctuation
right.
䡵 Don’t use unusual words unless you know what they mean.

Page 12
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Whether you’re writing on paper, in an email, or on a website,


you have a duty to be as clear as possible. If you do this, your
readers won’t have to work too hard for the information.
Remember: they are busy people, with plenty of other things to
do. So let them focus on your messages instead of getting
bogged down in unusual words and long sentences. Help them
do that and they’ll respect you, even though they may not
always agree with you.

So let’s recap on the main points so far:


䡵 Writing well is a vital work skill.
䡵 Clear thinking is the first step to clear writing.
䡵 Take care to keep sentences short and get the punctuation
right.
䡵 Don’t use unusual words unless you know what they mean.
䡵 Consider the needs of your audience.

Page 12
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

3 Using everyday words


The breadth and richness of English enables us all to develop a
wide vocabulary of both common and unusual words to express
ourselves effectively in many kinds of writing, from emails and
texts to letters and reports.

In most trades and professions, unusual words can be great


time-savers. So lawyers, architects, medical doctors and
engineers will often prefer to use jargon and shorthand terms
to communicate quickly with others in their field. ‘TIA’ is a time-
saving medical acronym for transient ischaemic attack, for
example.

This kind of useful jargon is also widespread in roofing,


bricklaying, plumbing and carpentry.

Page 13
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Sometimes, though, authors use jargon and high-level


language when simpler words would be better understood by
most of the readers. So, in business documents and patient-
information leaflets, you may occasionally find difficult words
like ‘adumbrated’, ‘manifestation’, ‘commensurate’,
‘arboricultural’, ‘exudate’, ‘maceration’, ‘debridement’ and
‘dosimetry’ without explanation.

If you want to communicate clearly with a wide audience,


everyday vocabulary will normally do the job best.

And if you do need to use specialist terms when writing to a


non-specialist audience, consider adding ‘explainer’ panels to
help.

Page 14
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Here are a few high-level words and phrases that can easily be
replaced:

ascertain
commence
consequently
despite the fact that
erroneous
expenditure
expiration
indebtedness
monies
notwithstanding
particulars
prior to
representations
utilize
Page 15
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Here they are again with simpler, more easily understood


alternative words and phrases alongside:

ascertain find out


commence start, begin
consequently so, therefore
despite the fact that despite, although, even though
erroneous wrong, mistaken, false
expenditure spending
expiration end, expiry
indebtedness debt
monies money
notwithstanding despite, even if, but
particulars details
prior to before
representations comments
utilize use
Page 16
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Sometimes you can simply substitute a common word for the


more unusual one, or you may need to rephrase the sentence to
make it clearer. Usually there will be little or no change of
meaning. Have a look at these examples:

Page 17
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Sometimes you can simply substitute a common word for the


more unusual one, or you may need to rephrase the sentence to
make it clearer. Usually there will be little or no change of
meaning. Have a look at these examples:

Example 1
:-( From the plethora of letters that have been received from you, it
is impossible to determine the gravamen of your complaint.

What do you think the author was trying to say?

Page 17
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Sometimes you can simply substitute a common word for the


more unusual one, or you may need to rephrase the sentence to
make it clearer. Usually there will be little or no change of
meaning. Have a look at these examples:

Example 1
:-( From the plethora of letters that have been received from you, it
is impossible to determine the gravamen of your complaint.

What do you think the author was trying to say?


Perhaps he or she meant:

You have sent us many letters but we still do not understand


:-o what your complaint is about.

Page 17
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Sometimes you can simply substitute a common word for the


more unusual one, or you may need to rephrase the sentence to
make it clearer. Usually there will be little or no change of
meaning. Have a look at these examples:

Example 1
:-( From the plethora of letters that have been received from you, it
is impossible to determine the gravamen of your complaint.

What do you think the author was trying to say?


Perhaps he or she meant:
You have sent us many letters but we still do not understand
:-o what your complaint is about.

Example 2
:-( The physical condition of a property is a fundamental
determinant of its quality.

What do you think the author was trying to say?

Page 17
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Sometimes you can simply substitute a common word for the


more unusual one, or you may need to rephrase the sentence to
make it clearer. Usually there will be little or no change of
meaning. Have a look at these examples:

Example 1
:-( From the plethora of letters that have been received from you, it
is impossible to determine the gravamen of your complaint.

What do you think the author was trying to say?


Perhaps he or she meant:
You have sent us many letters but we still do not understand
:-o what your complaint is about.

Example 2
:-( The physical condition of a property is a fundamental
determinant of its quality.

What do you think the author was trying to say?


It’s hard to know, but perhaps he or she meant:

The quality of a house depends mainly on its condition.


Page 17
:-o
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 3
:-( Following a service outage at one of our data centres earlier
today some customers may experience difficulties in receiving
email. Our engineers are working around the clock to alleviate
the issue and emergency maintenance to our service has been
scheduled for 00:00 to 02:00 on the morning of Thursday
10/04/XX.

What do you think the author was trying to say?

Page 18
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 3
:-( Following a service outage at one of our data centres earlier
today some customers may experience difficulties in receiving
email. Our engineers are working around the clock to alleviate
the issue and emergency maintenance to our service has been
scheduled for 00:00 to 02:00 on the morning of Thursday
10/04/XX.

What do you think the author was trying to say?


Perhaps he or she meant:

:-o There was a fault at one of our data centres today, so you may
be having difficulty getting email. We’re sorry about this and
our engineers are working on the problem now. There will also
be special maintenance to our service from midnight till 2am on
10 April 20XX.

Page 18
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( At retirement age, your choices will include the open market
option.

What do you think the author was trying to say?

Page 19
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( At retirement age, your choices will include the open market
option.

What do you think the author was trying to say?


Perhaps he or she meant:

At retirement age, you can decide to buy your pension from any
:-o company you choose. This is called the open-market option.

Page 19
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( At retirement age, your choices will include the open market
option.

What do you think the author was trying to say?


Perhaps he or she meant:

At retirement age, you can decide to buy your pension from any
:-o company you choose. This is called the open-market option.

Example 5
:-( We believe investment flexibility is a vital element to retirement
provision.

How could you say it more clearly?

Page 19
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( At retirement age, your choices will include the open market
option.

What do you think the author was trying to say?


Perhaps he or she meant:

At retirement age, you can decide to buy your pension from any
:-o company you choose. This is called the open-market option.

Example 5
:-( We believe investment flexibility is a vital element to retirement
provision.

How could you say it more clearly?


Perhaps (but who knows?):

When planning your retirement income, it’s vital to be able to


:-o change your investments from time to time.

Page 19
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( At retirement age, your choices will include the open market
option.

What do you think the author was trying to say?


Perhaps he or she meant:

At retirement age, you can decide to buy your pension from any
:-o company you choose. This is called the open-market option.

Example 5
:-( We believe investment flexibility is a vital element to retirement
provision.

How could you say it more clearly?


Perhaps (but who knows?):

When planning your retirement income, it’s vital to be able to


:-o change your investments from time to time.

So don’t be afraid to use everyday words your readers are likely to


know. They’ll often be the best way of saying what you mean.
Page 19
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

4 Getting the grammar right


Grammar broadly means putting the right words in the right
order so that your writing conveys your intended meaning to
another person.

People worry about grammar because they think others will


belittle them if they get it wrong. And they’re right to think this,
because it does happen. Bad grammar may amuse pedantic
people who think they get it right all the time, and may thus
feel superior. Yet not all the rules of grammar are hard and
fast, and people who study grammar often disagree about
what’s right, wrong or merely conventional. They may even
disagree about the grammar of standard English, which is seen
as the ‘best’ grammar for business writing but is spoken in the
UK by only a few of the population. So if someone corrects a
grammatical mistake they think you’ve made, check whether
they’re right and (if they are) learn from it. You won’t be the
only one to make the same mistake.

Page 20
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Here are some examples of bad grammar. You don’t need to be


an expert to spot them. You’ll probably be able to tell that
something is wrong from how they sound to you.

Example 1
:-( Motorways is the safest type of road in the country.

What’s the problem?

Page 21
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Here are some examples of bad grammar. You don’t need to be


an expert to spot them. You’ll probably be able to tell that
something is wrong from how they sound to you.

Example 1
:-( Motorways is the safest type of road in the country.

What’s the problem?

Answer: ‘motorways’ is plural but ‘is’ is singular. In standard


:-o English, they need to agree: ‘Motorways are...’

Page 21
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Here are some examples of bad grammar. You don’t need to be


an expert to spot them. You’ll probably be able to tell that
something is wrong from how they sound to you.

Example 1
:-( Motorways is the safest type of road in the country.

What’s the problem?

Answer: ‘motorways’ is plural but ‘is’ is singular. In standard


:-o English, they need to agree: ‘Motorways are...’

Example 2
:-( This is to inform you that the venue for the conference will take
place at Hotel Londonium, Tower Bridge in the Ferret Suite.

What’s the problem?

Page 21
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Here are some examples of bad grammar. You don’t need to be


an expert to spot them. You’ll probably be able to tell that
something is wrong from how they sound to you.

Example 1
:-( Motorways is the safest type of road in the country.

What’s the problem?

Answer: ‘motorways’ is plural but ‘is’ is singular. In standard


:-o English, they need to agree: ‘Motorways are...’

Example 2
:-( This is to inform you that the venue for the conference will take
place at Hotel Londonium, Tower Bridge in the Ferret Suite.

What’s the problem?

Answer: The author means to say that the conference will take
:-o place at Hotel Londinium, but actually says, ‘the venue...will
take place’. Better to write ‘that the venue for the conference
will be...’ or ‘that the conference will take place...’.

Page 21
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 3
:-( We are aiming to relaunch our Easy Reading guidance to raise
awareness among staff who regularly write reports and
documents. How much would Mrs Hobbs charge at speaking at
such an event and what the content might be?

What’s the problem?

Page 22
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 3
:-( We are aiming to relaunch our Easy Reading guidance to raise
awareness among staff who regularly write reports and
documents. How much would Mrs Hobbs charge at speaking at
such an event and what the content might be?

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: There are two things wrong here:


1 ‘How much would Mrs Hobbs charge at speaking...’ should be
‘for speaking...’.

Page 22
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 3
:-( We are aiming to relaunch our Easy Reading guidance to raise
awareness among staff who regularly write reports and
documents. How much would Mrs Hobbs charge at speaking at
such an event and what the content might be?

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: There are two things wrong here:


1 ‘How much would Mrs Hobbs charge at speaking...’ should be
‘for speaking...’.

2 ‘How much...and what the content might be?’ doesn’t make


sense. The author meant to write, ‘and what would the content
be?’ or ‘and what topics would she cover?’

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 3
:-( We are aiming to relaunch our Easy Reading guidance to raise
awareness among staff who regularly write reports and
documents. How much would Mrs Hobbs charge at speaking at
such an event and what the content might be?

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: There are two things wrong here:


1 ‘How much would Mrs Hobbs charge at speaking...’ should be
‘for speaking...’.

2 ‘How much...and what the content might be?’ doesn’t make


sense. The author meant to write, ‘and what would the content
be?’ or ‘and what topics would she cover?’

You get a bonus point if you noticed that ‘reports and


documents’ reads oddly, since reports are a kind of document.
The author could have said ‘reports and other documents’.

Page 22
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( One of my staff has serious problems with basic letter writing
skills. He has a poor understanding of the correct use of written
English and unable to construct proper sentences.

What’s the problem?

Page 23
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( One of my staff has serious problems with basic letter writing
skills. He has a poor understanding of the correct use of written
English and unable to construct proper sentences.

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: The second sentence should say, ‘is unable to


construct proper sentences.’ Without ‘is’, the sentence reads
‘He has...unable to construct...’, which is nonsense.

Page 23
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( One of my staff has serious problems with basic letter writing
skills. He has a poor understanding of the correct use of written
English and unable to construct proper sentences.

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: The second sentence should say, ‘is unable to


construct proper sentences.’ Without ‘is’, the sentence reads
‘He has...unable to construct...’, which is nonsense.

Example 5
:-( From a beer-bottle label
Voopers Ales and Stout are brewed using the top fermentation
method and natural bottle conditioning, resulting in a
characteristic fine sediment forming in the bottle. This
sediment is completely natural and can be gently mixed before
drinking or poured carefully, leaving the sediment in the bottle.

What’s the problem?

Page 23
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( One of my staff has serious problems with basic letter writing
skills. He has a poor understanding of the correct use of written
English and unable to construct proper sentences.

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: The second sentence should say, ‘is unable to


construct proper sentences.’ Without ‘is’, the sentence reads
‘He has...unable to construct...’, which is nonsense.

Example 5
:-( From a beer-bottle label
Voopers Ales and Stout are brewed using the top fermentation
method and natural bottle conditioning, resulting in a
characteristic fine sediment forming in the bottle. This
sediment is completely natural and can be gently mixed before
drinking or poured carefully, leaving the sediment in the bottle.
What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: In the second sentence, it’s nonsense to say that the
sediment can be poured carefully, leaving the sediment behind.
Page 23 What’s poured is the drink.
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 6
:-( From a mailshot
As a previous delegate to a past event Introline are pleased to
announce the following conference.

What’s the problem?

Page 24
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 6
:-( From a mailshot
As a previous delegate to a past event Introline are pleased to
announce the following conference.

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: It sounds as if Introline is the ‘previous delegate’. Also,


it is unlikely that just because you were a delegate, Introline has
set up another conference! The sentence should perhaps begin:
‘As you have attended our events in the past, Introline is
pleased to announce a conference about...’.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 6
:-( From a mailshot
As a previous delegate to a past event Introline are pleased to
announce the following conference.

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: It sounds as if Introline is the ‘previous delegate’. Also,


it is unlikely that just because you were a delegate, Introline has
set up another conference! The sentence should perhaps begin:
‘As you have attended our events in the past, Introline is
pleased to announce a conference about...’.

Example 7
:-( The reason the dahlias didn’t grow is because the tubers were
too dry.

What’s the problem?

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 6
:-( From a mailshot
As a previous delegate to a past event Introline are pleased to
announce the following conference.

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: It sounds as if Introline is the ‘previous delegate’. Also,


it is unlikely that just because you were a delegate, Introline has
set up another conference! The sentence should perhaps begin:
‘As you have attended our events in the past, Introline is
pleased to announce a conference about...’.

Example 7
:-( The reason the dahlias didn’t grow is because the tubers were
too dry.

What’s the problem?

Answer: The words ‘reason’ and ‘because’ are doing the same
:-o job, so one of them should be deleted as pointless repetition
(which is bad style), for example: ‘The dahlias didn’t grow
because...’ or ‘The reason the dahlias didn’t grow is that...’
Page 24
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 8
:-( We noticed after you had left the hotel that room 10’s key was
missing. We wondered whether you had found it in your luggage
when you arrived home. If so, please contact us on 0000 and the
key put in the post to us.

What’s the problem?

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 8
:-( We noticed after you had left the hotel that room 10’s key was
missing. We wondered whether you had found it in your luggage
when you arrived home. If so, please contact us on 0000 and the
key put in the post to us.

What’s the problem?

Answer: The final sentence is wrong. The author wants the


:-o reader to do two things: ‘contact us’ and ‘return the key to us by
post’. As written, the author doesn’t make the second point. Of
course, it’s a trivial mistake and the meaning is clear enough.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 8
:-( We noticed after you had left the hotel that room 10’s key was
missing. We wondered whether you had found it in your luggage
when you arrived home. If so, please contact us on 0000 and the
key put in the post to us.

What’s the problem?

Answer: The final sentence is wrong. The author wants the


:-o reader to do two things: ‘contact us’ and ‘return the key to us by
post’. As written, the author doesn’t make the second point. Of
course, it’s a trivial mistake and the meaning is clear enough.

Example 9
:-( We believe the ethical and legal obligation of impartiality in
schools are being ignored.

What’s the problem?

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 8
:-( We noticed after you had left the hotel that room 10’s key was
missing. We wondered whether you had found it in your luggage
when you arrived home. If so, please contact us on 0000 and the
key put in the post to us.

What’s the problem?

Answer: The final sentence is wrong. The author wants the


:-o reader to do two things: ‘contact us’ and ‘return the key to us by
post’. As written, the author doesn’t make the second point. Of
course, it’s a trivial mistake and the meaning is clear enough.

Example 9
:-( We believe the ethical and legal obligation of impartiality in
schools are being ignored.

What’s the problem?

:-o Answer: ‘impartiality’ is singular but ‘are’ is plural’. For the


grammar to be right, they need to agree because they are the
grammatical subject and the verb it governs. It’s an easy
mistake to make because ‘schools’ is plural, which may have
Page 25 distracted the author.
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Before you send a document, text or email, always check it


carefully. This will help you pick up grammatical and spelling
mistakes that detract from the professional finish you want.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

5 Being brief
Readers are usually busy people. You waste their time if you
make them read more than they have to. The delete button is
your friend, and the reader’s. So, without being blunt or rude,
you need to cut waffle and keep to the point. You can do this by
examining everything you write and ruthlessly culling
unnecessary and long-winded expressions. There are two
questions you need to keep asking yourself as you review your
stuff:

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

5 Being brief
Readers are usually busy people. You waste their time if you
make them read more than they have to. The delete button is
your friend, and the reader’s. So, without being blunt or rude,
you need to cut waffle and keep to the point. You can do this by
examining everything you write and ruthlessly culling
unnecessary and long-winded expressions. There are two
questions you need to keep asking yourself as you review your
stuff:
䡵 Why am I saying this?
䡵 Why would anyone want to know this?

Page 27
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

5 Being brief
Readers are usually busy people. You waste their time if you
make them read more than they have to. The delete button is
your friend, and the reader’s. So, without being blunt or rude,
you need to cut waffle and keep to the point. You can do this by
examining everything you write and ruthlessly culling
unnecessary and long-winded expressions. There are two
questions you need to keep asking yourself as you review your
stuff:
䡵 Why am I saying this?
䡵 Why would anyone want to know this?

Even those two questions are too long. They really amount to
the single question, SO WHAT?

If you decide that a thing is worth saying, your job is then to be


crisp about it. Look at these examples and see how you can
make them more concise.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 1 Archway is a high-demand borough where demand for social


:-( housing exceeds supply.

How could you say it more briefly?

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 1 Archway is a high-demand borough where demand for social


:-( housing exceeds supply.

How could you say it more briefly?

:-o Perhaps:
In Archway, demand for social housing exceeds supply.

Or, more colourfully:


In Archway, too many people are chasing too few homes.

Page 28
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 1 Archway is a high-demand borough where demand for social


:-( housing exceeds supply.

How could you say it more briefly?

:-o Perhaps:
In Archway, demand for social housing exceeds supply.

Or, more colourfully:


In Archway, too many people are chasing too few homes.

Example 2
:-( We are writing to bring a matter of the utmost importance to
your attention regarding a current scam that has been brought
to our attention.

That sentence from a financial adviser to a client has many


redundant words, and repeats a phrase about bringing
something to somebody’s attention. What could you say instead
that would warn the reader but sound clear and calm?

Page 28
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 1 Archway is a high-demand borough where demand for social


:-( housing exceeds supply.

How could you say it more briefly?

:-o Perhaps:
In Archway, demand for social housing exceeds supply.

Or, more colourfully:


In Archway, too many people are chasing too few homes.

Example 2
:-( We are writing to bring a matter of the utmost importance to
your attention regarding a current scam that has been brought
to our attention.

That sentence from a financial adviser to a client has many


redundant words, and repeats a phrase about bringing
something to somebody’s attention. What could you say instead
that would warn the reader but sound clear and calm?

:-o Perhaps:
We’re writing to warn you about a clever new scam.
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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 3
:-( I have been given your name and contact details with respect to
your editorial services. Currently I am in the middle of the
preparation of a Communications Strategy for the borough
council and would like to be able to incorporate methods and
elements of “plain speaking” into it so that is likely to be as
comprehensible as possible to the members of the public who
are our target audience. Would you be good enough to explain
to me how your service could go about helping me undertake
this task?

How could you say it more briefly?

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 3
:-( I have been given your name and contact details with respect to
your editorial services. Currently I am in the middle of the
preparation of a Communications Strategy for the borough
council and would like to be able to incorporate methods and
elements of “plain speaking” into it so that is likely to be as
comprehensible as possible to the members of the public who
are our target audience. Would you be good enough to explain
to me how your service could go about helping me undertake
this task?

How could you say it more briefly?

:-o Perhaps:
I am preparing the council’s Communications Strategy. Please
let me know how your editorial service could help me write it
more clearly for the public.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( We specialize in the provision of Self-Invested Pension Plans
and are the market leader in the provision of this type of plan.
How could you say it more briefly?

Page 30
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( We specialize in the provision of Self-Invested Pension Plans
and are the market leader in the provision of this type of plan.
How could you say it more briefly?
Perhaps:
:-o We specialize in providing Self-Invested Pension Plans. In fact,
we are the market leader in them.
However, you’d want to avoid the ambiguous term ‘market
leader’. If you mean ‘we sell more of them than any other firm’,
it’s best to say that.

Page 30
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( We specialize in the provision of Self-Invested Pension Plans
and are the market leader in the provision of this type of plan.
How could you say it more briefly?
Perhaps:
:-o We specialize in providing Self-Invested Pension Plans. In fact,
we are the market leader in them.
However, you’d want to avoid the ambiguous term ‘market
leader’. If you mean ‘we sell more of them than any other firm’,
it’s best to say that.

Example 5
:-( The purpose of this article is to advise all customers of the
completion of the Customer Satisfaction Survey and associated
results.

How could you say it more briefly?

Page 30
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 4
:-( We specialize in the provision of Self-Invested Pension Plans
and are the market leader in the provision of this type of plan.
How could you say it more briefly?
Perhaps:
:-o We specialize in providing Self-Invested Pension Plans. In fact,
we are the market leader in them.
However, you’d want to avoid the ambiguous term ‘market
leader’. If you mean ‘we sell more of them than any other firm’,
it’s best to say that.

Example 5
:-( The purpose of this article is to advise all customers of the
completion of the Customer Satisfaction Survey and associated
results.

How could you say it more briefly?

:-o Perhaps:
This article gives the results of the Customer Satisfaction Survey.
(It’s obvious that the survey has been completed, otherwise
Page 30 there’d be no results.)
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 6
:-( Plain English should always be used on forms and notices in
order that they are capable of being understood by the people
using them.

How could you say it more briefly?

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 6
:-( Plain English should always be used on forms and notices in
order that they are capable of being understood by the people
using them.

How could you say it more briefly?

:-o Perhaps:
Always use plain English in your forms and notices, then people
will understand them.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 6
:-( Plain English should always be used on forms and notices in
order that they are capable of being understood by the people
using them.

How could you say it more briefly?

:-o Perhaps:
Always use plain English in your forms and notices, then people
will understand them.

Example 7
:-( Please note: this pot is fabricated by hand rather than machine
made, so please allow for a small tolerance of 5mm or so in the
outer dimensions.

How could you say it more briefly?

Page 31
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 6
:-( Plain English should always be used on forms and notices in
order that they are capable of being understood by the people
using them.

How could you say it more briefly?

:-o Perhaps:
Always use plain English in your forms and notices, then people
will understand them.

Example 7
:-( Please note: this pot is fabricated by hand rather than machine
made, so please allow for a small tolerance of 5mm or so in the
outer dimensions.

How could you say it more briefly?

:-o Perhaps:
! This pot is made by hand not machine, so the dimensions may
differ by 5mm or so.

Page 31
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Make sure every word is worth its place on the page. If you find
yourself writing ‘At this particular moment of time’, use ‘At
present’, ‘Today’ or ‘Now’ instead. If you write ‘During the
course of the day’ (which many weather forecasters put in their
scripts), just put ‘During the day’.

Despite what some TV gardeners seem to think, ‘tiny little


flower’ is a ridiculous expression: it’s either tiny or it’s little, so
only one word is needed. And if they say or write, ‘I’ll take as
many cuttings as I possibly can’, you’ll know that ‘possibly’ is
redundant because it’s implicit in ‘can’ – ‘can’ is from ‘could’,
which is about possibility.

Keep an eye out for those old favourites ‘consult with’ and
‘meet with’, as in: ‘I'll consult with colleagues before meeting
with Ms Pelling.’ Omit ‘with’ – twice! It’s redundant, even in US
English, where it’s common.

Ruthlessly cut out waffle and unnecessary words.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

6 Breaking up long sentences


I recommend you write sentences that average 15-20 words.
Note the word ‘average’. You need a mix of sentence lengths
otherwise your writing will seem dull. Official and business
English tends to have shorter sentences than it used to do, but
there are occasional lapses especially in legalistic texts. Would
busy readers easily make sense of this kind of thing in a
merchant banker’s report:

Page 33
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

6 Breaking up long sentences


I recommend you write sentences that average 15-20 words.
Note the word ‘average’. You need a mix of sentence lengths
otherwise your writing will seem dull. Official and business
English tends to have shorter sentences than it used to do, but
there are occasional lapses especially in legalistic texts. Would
busy readers easily make sense of this kind of thing in a
merchant banker’s report:

:-( ‘The planning permission does not include the construction of


an additional store, or an extension to Tesco’s, utilising the
ground floor of the car park, as complications arose in the car
park negotiations with the local authority, and it was deemed
expedient to remove this element from the application in order
to obtain a satisfactory permission on the remainder in time to
allow the works to be completed, and the new units let, in time
for Christmas trading this year.’

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

To rewrite it, we can start by jotting down the events in the


story. These seem to be:

1 We wanted planning permission for an extra store but the


council refused because of problems with car parking.

Page 34
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

To rewrite it, we can start by jotting down the events in the


story. These seem to be:

1 We wanted planning permission for an extra store but the


council refused because of problems with car parking.
2 So we removed the extra store from the planning application.

Page 34
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

To rewrite it, we can start by jotting down the events in the


story. These seem to be:

1 We wanted planning permission for an extra store but the


council refused because of problems with car parking.
2 So we removed the extra store from the planning application.

3 As a result we got a satisfactory planning permission.

Page 34
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

To rewrite it, we can start by jotting down the events in the


story. These seem to be:

1 We wanted planning permission for an extra store but the


council refused because of problems with car parking.

2 So we removed the extra store from the planning application.


3 As a result we got a satisfactory planning permission.

4 Building went ahead and the new units were open for
Christmas trading.

Then we can put the points in the best order, which in this case
is probably chronological (time sequence): 1-2-3-4. We can put
each in a short sentence, perhaps like this:

Page 34
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

:-o ‘We wanted the planning permission to include the building of


an extra store or an extension to Tesco’s, using the ground floor
of the car park. But we had to drop this after difficulties with the
local council. The alteration enabled us to get a satisfactory
permission on the rest of the scheme. This meant building work
could be done – and the new units let – in time for Christmas
trading this year.’

One of the things you’ll notice is that I’ve put ‘we’ and ‘our’ into
the writing, which helps readers to see who is doing what. See
chapter 10, ‘Using personal words’.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 1
:-( Please note that it is very important that you inform the
authority if you are moved to a different prison and that, if you
are liberated from prison, you give the authority details of your
new address and any address to which you move so it always
has your current address for correspondence about the case.

How could you split up the long sentence?


Hint: there’s a lot of redundant information here.

Page 36
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 1
:-( Please note that it is very important that you inform the
authority if you are moved to a different prison and that, if you
are liberated from prison, you give the authority details of your
new address and any address to which you move so it always
has your current address for correspondence about the case.

How could you split up the long sentence?


Hint: there’s a lot of redundant information here.
Perhaps:
:-o You must tell the authority if you are moved to a different
prison. If you are released from prison, you must make sure the
authority always knows your current address.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 2
:-( The referral of customer complaints to head office carries
resource implications, and it is therefore highly desirable that
the business conducts itself in such a way that fewer complaints
arise, and when they are made, as many as possible are resolved
as quickly and as closely as possible to the source, either within
the teams responsible or otherwise at a local level, with only the
most difficult complaints being referred to head office.

This is hard to disentangle. What would you do?


Hint: try to write it in small chunks, and convert ‘resource
implications’ into normal English.

Page 37
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Example 2
:-( The referral of customer complaints to head office carries
resource implications, and it is therefore highly desirable that
the business conducts itself in such a way that fewer complaints
arise, and when they are made, as many as possible are resolved
as quickly and as closely as possible to the source, either within
the teams responsible or otherwise at a local level, with only the
most difficult complaints being referred to head office.

This is hard to disentangle. What would you do?


Hint: try to write it in small chunks, and convert ‘resource
implications’ into normal English.

:-o Perhaps:
It’s costly for head office to deal with customers’ complaints. So
the business should:
• conduct itself in a way that leads to fewer complaints, and
• resolve complaints within the relevant team or otherwise at a
local level.
You should refer only the most difficult cases to head office.

Readers love full stops. Make sure you use plenty of them, and
in the right places.
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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

7 Punctuating well
Punctuating well is as important as choosing the best words.
Without it, writing soon becomes incoherent and falls apart.

A good way of delving deeply into this essential skill is to study


the punctuation of the quality daily newspapers. You’ll see the
full range of marks and nearly always they’ll be in the right
places, helping authors to be clear and precise. Often this is
because the text has been professionally subedited. By
contrast, you’ll sometimes notice gross errors of punctuation in
company websites, shop notices, sales letters and even letters
from schools to parents.

Getting the punctuation right is not too difficult, especially as


there are only a few marks in standard English and the main
rules are fairly simple.

Page 38
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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Full stop (US, ‘period’): to show a complete break at the end of a


sentence. In simple terms, a sentence is a complete statement
that makes sense in its own right. It usually has a subject and a
finite (finished) verb, like ‘ The ship sank.’ or ‘ The ship sank like
a stone.’ or ‘The ship sank like a stone to the bottom of the sea
where it lay for 200 years until naval divers raised it to the
surface and it was put in a museum.’

Page 39
.
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Full stop (US, ‘period’): to show a complete break at the end of a


sentence. In simple terms, a sentence is a complete statement
that makes sense in its own right. It usually has a subject and a
finite (finished) verb, like ‘ The ship sank.’ or ‘ The ship sank like
a stone.’ or ‘The ship sank like a stone to the bottom of the sea
where it lay for 200 years until naval divers raised it to the
surface and it was put in a museum.’

It’s important to know how to punctuate at the sentence


boundary, which is where one sentence ends and another
begins. In social-media posts and other informal writing, the
boundary is a troubled place where authors aren't sure what to
do (or don’t think it matters what they do). Increasingly, authors
of formal letters, reports and emails also seem to punctuate
haphazardly at the boundary, as if they’ve forgotten everything
they were (or should have been) taught at school.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

At the boundary, the normal punctuation mark is a full stop or


semicolon. Here’s an example from a water company:

Most of us don’t realise how much water we use, with many


guessing less than 50 litres each per day. On average each of us
uses around 140 litres per day, this amount may be much
higher during the kind of hot weather we’ve seen recently.

Page 40
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

At the boundary, the normal punctuation mark is a full stop or


semicolon. Here’s an example from a water company:

Most of us don’t realise how much water we use, with many


guessing less than 50 litres each per day. On average each of us
uses around 140 litres per day, this amount may be much
higher during the kind of hot weather we’ve seen recently.

Take each punctuation mark in turn. The comma after ‘use’ is


good, as the fragment that follows adds detail to the main
clause and doesn’t have a finite verb of its own. If the fragment
weren’t present, a full stop would be correct at this point.

The full stop after ‘each per day’ is good, because that marks
the boundary where the author finishes talking about what
people think or guess. But the comma after ‘140 litres per day’
is bad. You can see that there’s a full sentence either side of the
comma (each sentence has its own finite verb (‘uses and ‘be’),
so the comma should be a full stop. A comma is rarely enough
to cope with the boundary between two complete sentences; it
causes the readers to miscue, which reduces their fluency.

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When you use the right punctuation, you help the readers to
predict what’s coming next, and prediction is an important part
of fluent reading.

That said, instead of a full stop after ‘140 litres a day’, you could
use a semicolon. This is because a semicolon (as we’ll see in
the next few pages) is feasible when there are complete
sentences either side of the mark but they make closely
related points.

Be sure to avoid the kind of punctuation-free writing found in


this example from a major UK retailer, John Lewis, in response
to a customer’s question about a faulty roman blind:

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When you use the right punctuation, you help the readers to
predict what’s coming next, and prediction is an important part
of fluent reading.

That said, instead of a full stop after ‘140 litres a day’, you could
use a semicolon. This is because a semicolon (as we’ll see in
the next few pages) is feasible when there are complete
sentences either side of the mark but they make closely
related points.

Be sure to avoid the kind of punctuation-free writing found in


this example from a major UK retailer, John Lewis, in response
to a customer’s question about a faulty roman blind:

I am contacting you regarding your query about the blind that


:-( you had fitted back in 20XX I have searched through our
systems and the software of the Cheadle branch sadly I am
unable to find any order of this age most of our blinds only have
a warranty of a maximum of five years unfortunately we would
be unable to provide any kind of service at this point without
confirmation that the warranty was extended any further

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This looks careless and incompetent and would seem wrong to


most schoolchildren, let alone a firm that prides itself on
customer service. Look for the sentence boundaries. Where
would you put full stops (and even some commas)?

I’ve marked my choices here in red:

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This looks careless and incompetent and would seem wrong to


most schoolchildren, let alone a firm that prides itself on
customer service. Look for the sentence boundaries. Where
would you put full stops (and even some commas)?
I’ve marked my choices here in red:
I am contacting you regarding your query about the blind that
:-o you had fitted back in 20XX. I have searched through our
systems and the software of the Cheadle branch. Sadly, I am
unable to find any order of this age. Most of our blinds only have
a warranty of a maximum of five years. Unfortunately, we
would be unable to provide any kind of service at this point
without confirmation that the warranty was extended any
further.

I hope you’ll agree that the addition of those seven punctuation


marks – and the capital letters at the start of each sentence –
significantly improves clarity and reading ease. It seems
perverse to omit them.

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Comma: to show a short pause where there’s a need for some


separation of grammatical elements, perhaps because of a
change of direction or a new clause.

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Comma: to show a short pause where there’s a need for some


separation of grammatical elements, perhaps because of a
change of direction or a new clause.

So:
If I were you, there’d be two of us the same.

Or, using a pair of commas to cordon off a detail:


Alex Smith, who will start work soon as the new chief executive,
is a former professional footballer who left school at 16 without
any paper qualifications.

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Comma: to show a short pause where there’s a need for some


separation of grammatical elements, perhaps because of a
change of direction or a new clause.
So:
If I were you, there’d be two of us the same.

Or, using a pair of commas to cordon off a detail:


Alex Smith, who will start work soon as the new chief executive,
is a former professional footballer who left school at 16 without
any paper qualifications.

You can see the effective use of commas in the next example:
In 1969, Jimi Hendrix and his Band of Gypsys closed the
Woodstock festival with what many regard as the finest
performance of his life in front of a bedraggled, sleep-starved
throng who had endured rain, mud, performance delays and
dubious toilets. Some critics called his apocalyptic version of
the Star Spangled Banner unpatriotic but, as a former
paratrooper, Hendrix thought he’d earned the right to play the
anthem in his own unique way.
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The comma after 1969 could be omitted but is normal where


there’s a pause after a context-setting time point. The commas
after bedraggled, rain and mud separate words in a list. In US
English and books published by Oxford University Press,
there’d also be a comma after delays (the so-called Oxford
comma). The pair of commas in the second sentence cordons
off a detail from Hendrix’s background; that sentence would
make sense without the text within the pair of commas.

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Apostrophe: to show that one or more letters are missing, as in:


䡵 That’s a giraffe.
䡵 Who’s that girl?
䡵 There’s been an accident investigation.

Remember that the only times to put an apostrophe in its are


when it’s short for it is or it has.

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Apostrophe: to show that one or more letters are missing, as in:


䡵 That’s a giraffe.
䡵 Who’s that girl?
䡵 There’s been an accident investigation.

Remember that the only times to put an apostrophe in its are


when it’s short for it is or it has.

Apostrophes also show possession:


䡵 My friend’s dog (one friend).
䡵 My friends’ preferences were ignored (several friends).
䡵 My children’s hobbies include chess and cricket.

Note that the apostrophe comes immediately after the person


or people or things that are doing the possessing. So ask
yourself who or what possesses. Then put the apostrophe
immediately after it. In the final example, ‘children’ possess the
hobbies, so the apostrophe follows then. This all seems such a
simple rule, but what confusion it causes!

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And don’t forget the rule about its above. So if you write:
䡵 Its head is sky-blue
then there’s no apostrophe in its because its is a word in its own
right. It means ‘belonging to it’. The possession is inbuilt.

Normally, there’s no apostrophe in ordinary plurals where


there’s no possession, so these apostrophes will all be wrong:
䡵 Tomatoes’ and other vegetables’ for sale
䡵 Fish and chips’
䡵 Slow down: frogs' and toads' cross here
䡵 Farmers’ drove their tractors’ onto the showground

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See how you get on with these examples.

How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?

Example 1
:-( Thank you for your prompt reply, yes we would like to proceed
and our order number is 4365737 this is attached.

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See how you get on with these examples.

How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?

Example 1
:-( Thank you for your prompt reply, yes we would like to proceed
and our order number is 4365737 this is attached.

Perhaps like this:

:-o Thank you for your prompt reply. Yes, we would like to proceed
and our order number is 4365737. The order is attached.

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How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?

Example 2
:-( I have just taken over from Jane Jackson in this post, I see we
have a course booked for 22 Jan at Dodge House, I have had a
few enquiries regarding this course, I have information from the
last course that you ran in October, the pre-course booklet,
would this be ok for me to give to prospective delegates.

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How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?


Example 2 I have just taken over from Jane Jackson in this post, I see we
:-( have a course booked for 22 Jan at Dodge House, I have had a
few enquiries regarding this course, I have information from the
last course that you ran in October, the pre-course booklet,
would this be ok for me to give to prospective delegates.

He could perhaps write it like this:

:-o I have just taken over from Jane Jackson in this post and I see
we have a course booked for 22 Jan at Dodge House. I have had
a few enquiries about it. I have your pre-course booklet from
the last course that you ran in October. Would it be OK for me to
issue it to prospective delegates?

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How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?

Example 3
:-( Thanks for sending me through this information however I was
hoping to look at the actual detailed programmes not the
course outlines, is it possible to send me these through today.

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How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?

Example 3
:-( Thanks for sending me through this information however I was
hoping to look at the actual detailed programmes not the
course outlines, is it possible to send me these through today.

She could perhaps write it like this:

:-o Thanks for sending me this information. However, I was hoping


to look at the actual detailed programmes not the course
outlines. Is it possible to send me them today?

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How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?

Example 3
:-( Thanks for sending me through this information however I was
hoping to look at the actual detailed programmes not the
course outlines, is it possible to send me these through today.

She could perhaps write it like this:

:-o Thanks for sending me this information. However, I was hoping


to look at the actual detailed programmes not the course
outlines. Is it possible to send me them today?

How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?


Example 4
:-( I feel that my level of writing skills is already high however, I did
learn a lot today.

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How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?

Example 3
:-( Thanks for sending me through this information however I was
hoping to look at the actual detailed programmes not the
course outlines, is it possible to send me these through today.

She could perhaps write it like this:

:-o Thanks for sending me this information. However, I was hoping


to look at the actual detailed programmes not the course
outlines. Is it possible to send me them today?

How should the author reorganize and punctuate this?

Example 4
:-( I feel that my level of writing skills is already high however, I did
learn a lot today.

Better would be:

:-o I feel that my level of writing skills is already high. However, I


did learn a lot today.
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How should the author punctuate this?

Example 5
:-( Kimtex keeps the foot dry and comfortable with it’s advanced
moisture-transport capabilities.

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How should the author punctuate this?

Example 5
:-( Kimtex keeps the foot dry and comfortable with it’s advanced
moisture-transport capabilities.

:-o Simple: remove the apostrophe as possession is built into its.


(Then write ‘moisture-transport capabilities’ in normal
English!)

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How should the author punctuate this?

Example 5
:-( Kimtex keeps the foot dry and comfortable with it’s advanced
moisture-transport capabilities.

:-o Simple: remove the apostrophe as possession is built into its.


(Then write ‘moisture-transport capabilities’ in normal
English!)

How should the author punctuate this?


Example 6
:-( Exam’s Are In Progress Please Do Not Wait On These Step’s.

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How should the author punctuate this?

Example 5
:-( Kimtex keeps the foot dry and comfortable with it’s advanced
moisture-transport capabilities.

:-o Simple: remove the apostrophe as possession is built into its.


(Then write ‘moisture-transport capabilities’ in normal
English!)

How should the author punctuate this?


Example 6
:-( Exam’s Are In Progress Please Do Not Wait On These Step’s.

The apostrophes need to be removed as exams and steps are


just ordinary plurals. While we’re about it, we may as well get
rid of all the crazy capitals as well. So the result would be:

:-o Exams are in progress. Please do not wait on these steps.

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Semi-colon (;) has two main purposes.

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Semi-colon (;) has two main purposes.

First, it separates two closely related statements that would


otherwise be complete sentences because they each have a
finite verb:

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Semi-colon (;) has two main purposes.

First, it separates two closely related statements that would


otherwise be complete sentences because they each have a
finite verb:

䡵 Please let us have your comments by 3pm; we need to send our


reply tonight.

䡵 Some people think semicolons are pretentious punctuation that


nobody should have to learn about; of course, they’re entitled to
their opinion.

You can see that in each case, a full stop would be OK; but a
semicolon is better because it tells the reader that the
statements make closely related points.

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Second, it can separate items in a list, as an alternative to


commas, especially when one or more of the listed items
already include one or more commas:

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Second, it can separate items in a list, as an alternative to


commas, especially when one or more of the listed items
already include one or more commas:

䡵 By early 2024, the Horizon scandal had become a miscarriage of


justice in three acts: first, hundreds of people were hauled
through the courts for crimes they hadn’t committed, with
several taking their own lives and many going to prison; next,
there was a cover-up by company officials, lawyers and civil
servants, who knew (or should have known) that the software
had been faulty from the day it was installed; and finally, the
government was stirred into action by a TV drama that outraged
public opinion.

Of course, you could set out that long sentence in other, clearer
ways, such as a bullet-point list. But the use of three
semicolons as major dividers helps to show readers where the
main breaks occur after the colon signifies a long pause and
that a list is coming.

Sometimes, you’ll also see semicolons used to separate items


in vertical lists, especially in legal documents.
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Colon (:) has several main purposes, including these:

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Colon (:) has several main purposes, including these:

䡵 To introduce a vertical or horizontal list when there’s also a


substantial pause, as in the Horizon example above.

䡵 To act as a stop that predicts the arrival of important news –


‘The possibilities were equally dangerous: to advance or to
retreat.’ This is why you can think of it as a ‘why-because
marker’.

䡵 To herald a subtitle in an academic paper – ‘Skiving for experts:


how to look busy while avoiding work.’
䡵 To introduce a quotation when there’s a substantial pause.

A colon does not need to be accompanied by a dash... ever.

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‘’
Quotation marks (‘ ’) indicate the opening and closing of direct
speech:

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‘’
Quotation marks (‘ ’) indicate the opening and closing of direct
speech:
‘There is no alternative,’ said the prime minister.

Some people prefer to use double quotation marks, using


single quotation marks to surround a quotation within a
quotation. Quotation marks are sometimes used to draw
attention to the first use of a technical word or a supposedly
novel idea. Try not to use quotation marks to apologize for
jargon or misuse of a word – think of a better expression. Avoid
straight quotation marks, which are really for feet and inches.

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C Capital letters are for the first letter of a sentence; a person’s


name and courtesy title; the name of a country, county, town or
village and specific organizations – Amnesty International, the
British Legion; and Acts of Parliament. Other uses of capitals
are common within organizations but would be rare in the
press, for example:

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C Capital letters are for the first letter of a sentence; a person’s


name and courtesy title; the name of a country, county, town or
village and specific organizations – Amnesty International, the
British Legion; and Acts of Parliament. Other uses of capitals
are common within organizations but would be rare in the
press, for example:

Products:
Personal Life Assurance Plan; Home Development Loan.

Parts of the organization:


Finance Division; Customer Service Team.

Job titles of top officials:


Information Commissioner; Chief Executive.

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Hyphen (-) links words that form a composite adjective before a


noun – for example, computer-based work, short-term goals,
out-of-hours work, time-consuming effort, long-term gains,
PC-based network, pop-up shop.

Some nouns formed by two or more words need hyphens, such


as run-up, build-up, shake-up, free-for-all, call-out. These are
called composite nouns.

If you think hyphens are rare birds and should be minimized,


that’s your choice. But do have a look at how they are used in
quality newspapers and books from established publishers.
You’ll see they’re remarkably common in writing that’s been
professionally subedited. They help people read fluently.

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En dashes (–) with a space either side (‘spaced en dashes’) can


be used in pairs to surround and emphasize an aside, addition
or explanation.

Use a single, spaced en dash to indicate the start of an aside,


addition or explanation that runs down to a full stop.

Use an unspaced en dash to indicate a range, eg 6.30–10.30pm,


1939–45 war, 11–13-year-old children (note the length of
dashes and hyphens in this final one!)

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[]
Square brackets [ ] (US: ‘brackets’) show that the text within
does not belong to the document or quotation but is being
inserted for clarity.

He [Mr Jones] told me to buzz off home.

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[]
Square brackets [ ] (US: ‘brackets’) show that the text within
does not belong to the document or quotation but is being
inserted for clarity.

He [Mr Jones] told me to buzz off home.

()
Brackets ( ) are also called round brackets or, in the US,
‘parentheses’. They surround an aside, explanation or addition
that is relatively unimportant to the main text.

He described budgerigars as ‘egregious’ (outstandingly bad)


but meant to say ‘gregarious’ (fond of company, living in flocks).

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Punctuating vertical lists


Vertical lists, which are often bullet-pointed, should be
punctuated in a coherent way, preferably not as dictated by
Microsoft programs. I suggest a simple approach based on two
main rules.

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Punctuating vertical lists


Vertical lists, which are often bullet-pointed, should be
punctuated in a coherent way, preferably not as dictated by
Microsoft programs. I suggest a simple approach based on two
main rules.
1 If the listed items have a main verb and look like freestanding
sentences, they start with a capital and end with a full stop.

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Punctuating vertical lists


Vertical lists, which are often bullet-pointed, should be
punctuated in a coherent way, preferably not as dictated by
Microsoft programs. I suggest a simple approach based on two
main rules.

1 If the listed items have a main verb and look like freestanding
sentences, they start with a capital and end with a full stop.

2 If the introductory (‘platform’) statement creates one complete


sentence with all the listed items, then the listed items start
with a lower-case letter and the final item closes with a stop.
This is because the listed items are fragments of the larger
sentence.

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This gives us two types of list.

Type 1, where each item is a finished sentence/statement in its


own right...

The job includes: [unfinished sentence intro]


䡵 editing texts written by the staff
䡵 training all staff to use Excel, and
䡵 preparing ministerial briefings.

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This gives us two types of list.

Type 1, where each item is a finished sentence/statement in its


own right...

The job includes: [unfinished sentence intro]


䡵 editing texts written by the staff
䡵 training all staff to use Excel, and
䡵 preparing ministerial briefings.

Type 2, where the whole list forms a single sentence...


The scheme has several parts: [finished-sentence intro]
䡵 Locating places where speed-limit breaches create known
dangers.
䡵 Requiring highways staff to institute traffic-calming measures.
䡵 Working with local police to set up regular patrols.

In type 1, make sure the platform statement leads correctly on


to each listed item. In type 2, it’s often good to have ‘parallel
structure’ in the listed items; in the above case they all start
with a verb ending in -ing.
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Can you see what’s wrong with how the following list has been
set up?

:-( Before returning this form, please:


䡵 check you have fully completed it
䡵 signed and dated it
䡵 enclosed the patient’s consent form
䡵 enclosed your proofs of identity.

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Can you see what’s wrong with how the following list has been
set up?

:-( Before returning this form, please:


䡵 check you have fully completed it
䡵 signed and dated it
䡵 enclosed the patient’s consent form
䡵 enclosed your proofs of identity.

Answer: the word ‘please’ in the platform statement doesn’t


read on to three of the listed items. As the message here is all
about checking things, perhaps the best way to fix the problem
is to lift the ‘check’ idea into the platform statement, so you’d
get:

:-o Before returning this form, please check that you have:
䡵 fully completed it
䡵 signed and dated it
䡵 enclosed the patient’s consent form
䡵 enclosed your proofs of identity.

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8 Using active-voice verbs


When we speak, most of us use active-voice verbs. This
generally means we put the doer before the verb. In this
sentence, the doer ‘horses’ comes before the verb (doing word
or time-action word) ‘eat’:

The horses will eat all the hay.


So ‘eat’ is called an active-voice verb (active verb for short).

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8 Using active-voice verbs


When we speak, most of us use active-voice verbs. This
generally means we put the doer before the verb. In this
sentence, the doer ‘horses’ comes before the verb (doing word
or time-action word) ‘eat’:

The horses will eat all the hay.


So ‘eat’ is called an active-voice verb (active verb for short).

The reverse arrangement, giving the same meaning, would be:

All the hay will be eaten by the horses.


Here, ‘will be eaten’ is called a passive-voice verb (passive verb
for short).

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8 Using active-voice verbs


When we speak, most of us use active-voice verbs. This
generally means we put the doer before the verb. In this
sentence, the doer ‘horses’ comes before the verb (doing word
or time-action word) ‘eat’:

The horses will eat all the hay.


So ‘eat’ is called an active-voice verb (active verb for short).

The reverse arrangement, giving the same meaning, would be:

All the hay will be eaten by the horses.


Here, ‘will be eaten’ is called a passive-voice verb (passive verb
for short).

Here’s another example:

Active – The tenant must pay the rent monthly.


Passive – The rent must be paid by the tenant monthly.
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The active is usually shorter and easier to understand. The


passive can be useful if you want the reader to focus on the
thing being acted upon, in this case the rent, or if you don’t want
to mention the doer at all (eg, ‘Details can be found on our
website.’)

The general point is: favour the use of active verbs. Make sure
at least 90% of your verbs are active. Software tools such as
StyleWriter – the Plain English Editor, can help with this and
many other matters. You can get details from
www.editorsoftware.com.

Just one other thing to remember: ‘passive’ is nothing to do


with ‘past’. It‘s about who or what is doing the action in the
sentence and where that doer is positioned relative to the verb
it governs. It’s not about when the action was done.

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Put these examples into the active voice:

Example 1
:-( All fire doors and other fire-prevention devices will be checked
and repaired by us where necessary.

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Put these examples into the active voice:

Example 1
:-( All fire doors and other fire-prevention devices will be checked
and repaired by us where necessary.

Active voice:

:-o We will check all fire doors and other fire-prevention devices
and repair them where necessary.

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Put these examples into the active voice:

Example 1
:-( All fire doors and other fire-prevention devices will be checked
and repaired by us where necessary.

Active voice:

:-o We will check all fire doors and other fire-prevention devices
and repair them where necessary.

Example 2 Minor repair work will be carried out by our team after your
:-( tenancy starts.

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Put these examples into the active voice:

Example 1
:-( All fire doors and other fire-prevention devices will be checked
and repaired by us where necessary.

Active voice:

:-o We will check all fire doors and other fire-prevention devices
and repair them where necessary.

Example 2 Minor repair work will be carried out by our team after your
:-( tenancy starts.

Active voice:

:-o Our team will do minor repairs after your tenancy starts.

There’s more on active-voice verbs in The Oxford Guide to Plain


English.

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9 Making your writing verby


It’s a good idea to make your writing ‘verby’, full of vigorous
verbs that express the action in every sentence. If you smother
your verbs by using nouns (names of things) you’ll squeeze the
life out of your writing.

Here are some examples. How would you make them more
verby?

Example 1
:-( We will undertake the preparation of the report.

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9 Making your writing verby


It’s a good idea to make your writing ‘verby’, full of vigorous
verbs that express the action in every sentence. If you smother
your verbs by using nouns (names of things) you’ll squeeze the
life out of your writing.

Here are some examples. How would you make them more
verby?

Example 1
:-( We will undertake the preparation of the report.

More verby:

We will prepare the report.


:-o You can see that ‘prepare’ was smothered by ‘preparation’,
which had to be supported by ‘undertake’. This produced a
classic example of verbose, ‘nouny’ English.

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Example 2
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Example 2
:-( We can make a recommendation to the board for the
acceptance of the proposal.

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Example 2
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Example 2
:-( We can make a recommendation to the board for the
acceptance of the proposal.

More verby:

:-o We can recommend that the board accepts the proposal. (Or:
We can recommend to the board that it accepts the proposal.)

You can see that the verbs ‘recommend’ and ‘accept’ replace
the nouns ‘recommendation’ and ‘acceptance’. This creates a
sentence that’s simple, short and conversational.

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Example 2
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Example 2
:-( We can make a recommendation to the board for the
acceptance of the proposal.

More verby:

:-o We can recommend that the board accepts the proposal. (Or:
We can recommend to the board that it accepts the proposal.)

You can see that the verbs ‘recommend’ and ‘accept’ replace
the nouns ‘recommendation’ and ‘acceptance’. This creates a
sentence that’s simple, short and conversational.

Example 3
:-( They made a decision to set up a residents association.

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Example 2
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Example 2
:-( We can make a recommendation to the board for the
acceptance of the proposal.

More verby:

:-o We can recommend that the board accepts the proposal. (Or:
We can recommend to the board that it accepts the proposal.)

You can see that the verbs ‘recommend’ and ‘accept’ replace
the nouns ‘recommendation’ and ‘acceptance’. This creates a
sentence that’s simple, short and conversational.

Example 3
:-( They made a decision to set up a residents association.

More verby:

:-o They decided to set up a residents association.

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Example 2
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Example 4
:-( The starting point for consideration by the committee was the
evidence in the Smith case.

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Example 2
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Example 4
:-( The starting point for consideration by the committee was the
evidence in the Smith case.

More verby:

:-o The committee started by considering the evidence in the Smith


case.

Now the author focuses on the main action in the sentence,


which is that the committee ‘starts’ something. Then everything
else falls into place.

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10 Using personal words


When appropriate, use words like ‘I’, ‘we’ and ‘you’ in your
writing. This will help make it more human. But don’t address
your readers (or listeners) by such terms as ‘those of you’ or
‘some of you’ – every reader (or listener) is an individual not a
crowd.

You can often transform a piece of lofty, distant and impersonal


writing about, say, the rights and responsibilities of tenants or
elderly people, by replacing all the references to ‘tenants’ and
‘elderly people’ with the word ‘you’. You can then refer to your
own organization as ‘we’. This will produce text that’s more
informal and makes more sense to the readers because they
can see themselves in it. Many web pages, agreements and
official leaflets adopt this style.

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If you also use plenty of active-voice verbs, you’ll find that your
writing becomes much easier to read.

How would you make the following two examples more


personal?

Example 1
:-( If someone is deemed by us to be ineligible for an assessment
of housing need there is a right to request the council to make a
review of that decision.

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If you also use plenty of active-voice verbs, you’ll find that your
writing becomes much easier to read.

How would you make the following two examples more


personal?

Example 1
:-( If someone is deemed by us to be ineligible for an assessment
of housing need there is a right to request the council to make a
review of that decision.

Perhaps:

:-o If we decide you do not qualify for an assessment of housing


need, you can ask us to review that decision.

Or, even more personal:


If we decide you do not qualify for us to assess your housing
need, you can ask us to review our decision.
In the next example, think hard about how to break up the
information into manageable chunks so that the readers can
see clearly the stages of the process.
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Example 2
:-( The council has adopted a two-stage assessment process
whereby an initial assessment will be made for every housing
application received. The second stage will verify the
information assessed and if an applicant receives sufficient
priority they will be placed on the Active Housing Register.

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Example 2
:-( The council has adopted a two-stage assessment process
whereby an initial assessment will be made for every housing
application received. The second stage will verify the
information assessed and if an applicant receives sufficient
priority they will be placed on the Active Housing Register.

Perhaps:

:-o 1
When you apply for housing, we use a four-stage process:
We make an initial assessment.
2 We check that the information you have given is correct.
3 We give you a priority rating.
4 If your priority is high enough, we put you on the Active Housing
Register.

As you can see, I’ve also used a list and split up the original two
stages even further so they’ll make more sense to outsiders.
Doing this kind of thing is not easy. As an author, you have to
think hard about how to split the information into manageable
chunks; but the benefits to the reader will often be clear and
tangible.
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11 Writing better instructions


Instructions are orders or commands. Do this, do that. Please
do this, please do that. They explain how to carry out some
action or process in a preferred or mandatory way. So they need
to be clear and easy to follow, otherwise the users won’t do
what they’re supposed to do, or may do the right thing but in the
wrong order or at the wrong time.

Here are some main principles to follow when writing


instructions.

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11 Writing better instructions


Instructions are orders or commands. Do this, do that. Please
do this, please do that. They explain how to carry out some
action or process in a preferred or mandatory way. So they need
to be clear and easy to follow, otherwise the users won’t do
what they’re supposed to do, or may do the right thing but in the
wrong order or at the wrong time.

Here are some main principles to follow when writing


instructions.

Principle 1 Think about the readers


How much are they likely to know about the task? It’s probably
far less than you know, so you may need to set out the actions in
short steps, perhaps numbered. Technical language will baffle
many users, so you’ll need to name things carefully and
consistently, and explain any essential technical terms.

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Principle 2 Divide the task into headed sections


A typical first section will be an introductory explanation,
overview or summary. For experienced users, you can also
include a quick-start section. Further headed sections will deal
with the tools or materials required; definitions or explanations
of any technical terms; warnings; and main text.

The main text will set out detailed actions, probably under
headed subsections. All these headings help users to read the
instructions in small chunks and find what they need when they
need it. A contents list at the start will also help with this.

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Principle 2 Divide the task into headed sections


A typical first section will be an introductory explanation,
overview or summary. For experienced users, you can also
include a quick-start section. Further headed sections will deal
with the tools or materials required; definitions or explanations
of any technical terms; warnings; and main text.

The main text will set out detailed actions, probably under
headed subsections. All these headings help users to read the
instructions in small chunks and find what they need when they
need it. A contents list at the start will also help with this.

Principle 3 Use clear illustrations with good labels and captions

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Principle 2 Divide the task into headed sections


A typical first section will be an introductory explanation,
overview or summary. For experienced users, you can also
include a quick-start section. Further headed sections will deal
with the tools or materials required; definitions or explanations
of any technical terms; warnings; and main text.

The main text will set out detailed actions, probably under
headed subsections. All these headings help users to read the
instructions in small chunks and find what they need when they
need it. A contents list at the start will also help with this.

Principle 3 Use clear illustrations with good labels and captions

Principle 4 Split the information into manageable chunks, perhaps using


bullet lists or short paragraphs

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Principle 5 Prefer a basic style of language


This mainly means using the imperative (command) form of
verbs. So, do not write ‘The carrots should be washed, peeled
and chopped’ when you could write ‘Wash, peel and chop the
carrots’. This style saves words and gives you a simple word
order that puts the action first in each sentence. Almost all
instructional statements should use the imperative.

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Principle 5 Prefer a basic style of language


This mainly means using the imperative (command) form of
verbs. So, do not write ‘The carrots should be washed, peeled
and chopped’ when you could write ‘Wash, peel and chop the
carrots’. This style saves words and gives you a simple word
order that puts the action first in each sentence. Almost all
instructional statements should use the imperative.

Principle 6 Test the draft instructions with typical first-time users who
have little or no knowledge of the task
This will help show you where users are likely to go wrong,
enabling you to redraft accordingly.

See The Oxford Guide to Plain English for examples and more
details.

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12 Using a simple way to plan


It’s always a good idea to take a few minutes to plan any email
or letter that will include more than a handful of points. But
before you plan, you need to think about purpose. Why are you
writing this – what do you want to achieve? And who will the
readers be – will they be people who know a lot about the topic
or those who are new to it? You can then jot down your content
points in a random way, so you’ll easily be able to see how to
group like with like and put the points in the best order.

A bubble diagram is an easy way of doing this. You simply put


each of your points in a bubble, join them with lines to show
how you’ll group them into paragraphs, cross out points not
worth making, then number everything in the right order.

The next few pages show typical stages of a bubble diagram


where Mr J, who works from home, plans an email to the
supplier who has left him without a working phone line.

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Possible draft email based on the bubble diagram


Breach of contract
Failure to install a phone line at 4 Ash Road, SW37 9RP
I still lack a working phone line after you removed my line two
months ago and promised to replace it quickly. This has
breached your contract with me, meaning you have mis-sold
your product.
Please ensure you install a working line within seven days.
I have also been charged for a phone service I have not
received. Please ensure you withdraw the charges.
Your communications have been inadequate. Several times,
your complaints line has not answered my calls or answered
them only after long delays. You have repeatedly ignored my
emails and broken your promises to fix the problem.
I expect compensation for the anxiety you have caused and for
the time I’ve had to waste asking you to put things right.

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Mr J can now hone that draft so it says exactly what he intends.


The bubble diagram may look like a time-consuming step but it
will have saved Mr J time by helping him organize. Otherwise,
with 11 points to make, his brain has to decide the best order
from the 11-factorial possibilities, all 39.92 million of them.

Typical orders are chronological (time sequence) and news


triangle (order of importance to the reader, so put the big news
first). In longer documents, you can organize your points under
headed sections, perhaps using questions and answers.

Your letter or email will also benefit from a clear and predictive
main heading saying what it’s about and helping the reader
predict what you’re going to cover. This heading need not be
short: a detailed heading may save many words later.

You may want to end with one or more calls to action, where you
say what you’d like readers to do next.

If you’ll be writing reports and other longer documents, see the


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planning chapter in the The Oxford Guide to Plain English.
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

13 Avoiding common pitfalls


in word choice
English is full of words that sound similar or the same but are
spelt differently and therefore mean something entirely
different. Bear differs from bare, its from it’s, new from knew,
marshal from martial, style from stile, principal from principle,
horse from hoarse, source from sauce, course from coarse,
earn from urn, which from witch, sort from sought, born from
borne (and bourne), and Appalachian from appellation.

And just to keep people on their toes there are even a few words
like ‘cleave’ that have two opposite meanings (to split apart and
to stay together) – the intended meaning can be deduced only
from the context.

This section looks at a few of these troublesome words and


phrases.

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Accept means to agree, take or receive.

Except means to make an exception of or leave out from, and is


much rarer.

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Accept means to agree, take or receive.

Except means to make an exception of or leave out from, and is


much rarer.

Which is correct? We accept/except the gift in the spirit in which it was given.

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Accept means to agree, take or receive.

Except means to make an exception of or leave out from, and is


much rarer.

Which is correct? We accept/except the gift in the spirit in which it was given.

Accept is correct because it means receive or take.

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Accept means to agree, take or receive.

Except means to make an exception of or leave out from, and is


much rarer.

Which is correct? We accept/except the gift in the spirit in which it was given.

Accept is correct because it means receive or take.

Which is correct? We have accepted/excepted insurance payouts from the tax


regime.

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Accept means to agree, take or receive.

Except means to make an exception of or leave out from, and is


much rarer.

Which is correct? We accept/except the gift in the spirit in which it was given.

Accept is correct because it means receive or take.

Which is correct? We have accepted/excepted insurance payouts from the tax


regime.

Excepted is (probably) correct because it (probably) means that


the tax regime won’t apply to insurance.

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Flout means to disobey or ignore a rule or convention.

Flaunt means to show off or display provocatively.

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Flout means to disobey or ignore a rule or convention.

Flaunt means to show off or display provocatively.

Which is correct? When unjust laws are imposed on the population, many people
will choose to flout/flaunt them.

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Flout means to disobey or ignore a rule or convention.

Flaunt means to show off or display provocatively.

Which is correct? When unjust laws are imposed on the population, many people
will choose to flout/flaunt them.

It’s flout, which means disobey.

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Flout means to disobey or ignore a rule or convention.

Flaunt means to show off or display provocatively.

Which is correct? When unjust laws are imposed on the population, many people
will choose to flout/flaunt them.

It’s flout, which means disobey.

Which is correct? Despite lacking all fashion sense, they flouted/flaunted their
charms in revealing costumes.

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Flout means to disobey or ignore a rule or convention.

Flaunt means to show off or display provocatively.

Which is correct? When unjust laws are imposed on the population, many people
will choose to flout/flaunt them.

It’s flout, which means disobey.

Which is correct? Despite lacking all fashion sense, they flouted/flaunted their
charms in revealing costumes.

It’s flaunt, which means to show off or display.

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Practise, in British English, means to keep trying at something


with the aim of getting better at it.

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Practise, in British English, means to keep trying at something


with the aim of getting better at it.

Practice, in British English, means an act or event of practising,


like a cricket or football practice, or a business like a doctor’s
practice.

It’s easily remembered by thinking about advise and advice. The


first is a verb and the second is a noun, and they are pronounced
differently.

In American English, practice is both the verb and the noun,


which saves a lot of worry.

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Principle means a rule of conduct or a moral stance. It’s a


noun.

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Principle means a rule of conduct or a moral stance. It’s a noun.

Principal means the head of a college (or similar) and is also a


noun. More usually, it’s an adjective and means main, chief,
leading.

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Principle means a rule of conduct or a moral stance. It’s a noun.

Principal means the head of a college (or similar) and is also a


noun. More usually, it’s an adjective and means main, chief,
leading.

Which is correct? In those days, they stuck to their principles/principals that


eating meat on a Friday was wrong.

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Principle means a rule of conduct or a moral stance. It’s a noun.

Principal means the head of a college (or similar) and is also a


noun. More usually, it’s an adjective and means main, chief,
leading.

Which is correct? In those days, they stuck to their principles/principals that


eating meat on a Friday was wrong.

Principles is correct because a principle is a moral stance or


rule of life.

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Principle means a rule of conduct or a moral stance. It’s a noun.

Principal means the head of a college (or similar) and is also a


noun. More usually, it’s an adjective and means main, chief,
leading.

Which is correct? In those days, they stuck to their principles/principals that


eating meat on a Friday was wrong.

Principles is correct because a principle is a moral stance or


rule of life.

Which is correct? The principle/principal methods of scientific enquiry are


observation, experiment and deduction.

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Principle means a rule of conduct or a moral stance. It’s a noun.

Principal means the head of a college (or similar) and is also a


noun. More usually, it’s an adjective and means main, chief,
leading.

Which is correct? In those days, they stuck to their principles/principals that


eating meat on a Friday was wrong.

Principles is correct because a principle is a moral stance or


rule of life.

Which is correct? The principle/principal methods of scientific enquiry are


observation, experiment and deduction.

Principal is correct because it means main.

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Refute means to disprove by providing the evidence.

Deny means to say something isn’t true.

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Refute means to disprove by providing the evidence.

Deny means to say something isn’t true.

Which is correct? On learning of the fraud, the company director refuted/denied a


claim that his own wife was involved by pointing out that he had
never been married.

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Refute means to disprove by providing the evidence.

Deny means to say something isn’t true.

Which is correct? On learning of the fraud, the company director refuted/denied a


claim that his own wife was involved by pointing out that he had
never been married.

As the director has apparently given conclusive proof, refuted is


likely to be correct.

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Beg the question means to assume that the point you’re trying
to prove is actually true. In traditional standard English, it didn’t
use to mean to raise or ask a question, though many people
now use it for this purpose. This is an example of how standard
English may be changing.

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Beg the question means to assume that the point you’re trying
to prove is actually true. In traditional standard English, it didn’t
use to mean to raise or ask a question, though many people
now use it for this purpose. This is an example of how standard
English may be changing.

Did the heckler The preacher argued that since beautiful things could be
get it right in created only by God, then the universe, as a beautiful thing,
this example? must have been divinely created. ‘ That’s begging the question,’
cried a heckler.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Beg the question means to assume that the point you’re trying
to prove is actually true. In traditional standard English, it didn’t
use to mean to raise or ask a question, though many people
now use it for this purpose. This is an example of how standard
English may be changing.

Did the heckler The preacher argued that since beautiful things could be
get it right in created only by God, then the universe, as a beautiful thing,
this example? must have been divinely created. ‘ That’s begging the question,’
cried a heckler.

Yes, the heckler was right – if traditional standard English is the


norm – because the preacher was using in his proof an
assumption he was trying to prove.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Beg the question means to assume that the point you’re trying
to prove is actually true. In traditional standard English, it didn’t
use to mean to raise or ask a question, though many people
now use it for this purpose. This is an example of how standard
English may be changing.

Did the heckler The preacher argued that since beautiful things could be
get it right in created only by God, then the universe, as a beautiful thing,
this example? must have been divinely created. ‘ That’s begging the question,’
cried a heckler.

Yes, the heckler was right – if traditional standard English is the


norm – because the preacher was using in his proof an
assumption he was trying to prove.

Is this correct? The government’s crackdown on illegal drugs begs many


unanswered questions.

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WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

Beg the question means to assume that the point you’re trying
to prove is actually true. In traditional standard English, it didn’t
use to mean to raise or ask a question, though many people
now use it for this purpose. This is an example of how standard
English may be changing.

Did the heckler The preacher argued that since beautiful things could be
get it right in created only by God, then the universe, as a beautiful thing,
this example? must have been divinely created. ‘ That’s begging the question,’
cried a heckler.
Yes, the heckler was right – if traditional standard English is the
norm – because the preacher was using in his proof an
assumption he was trying to prove.

Is this correct? The government’s crackdown on illegal drugs begs many


unanswered questions.

No – the author must mean that it raises many unanswered


questions, if traditional standard English is the norm.
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Is this correct? I also hope to keep you appraised of key decisions that effect us
as chess players.

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Is this correct? I also hope to keep you appraised of key decisions that effect us
as chess players.

No – to ‘appraise’ means to consider the qualities of something


or somebody. The author could have used a simple verb like
‘informed’, but was probably thinking of the rare verb
‘apprised’. (‘To apprise’ means ‘to inform’.)

The verb ‘effect’ should have been ‘affect’ in this sentence,


because ‘to effect’ is an unusual way of saying ‘to do’ or ‘to
bring about’ – as in ‘to effect a repair’ – whereas ‘to affect’
means to alter, change or modify something.

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14 Avoiding clichés
Clichés are expressions that suffer from overuse: fresh as a
daisy, good as gold, cool as a cucumber, cold as ice, home
sweet home, sweet as a nut, in the wrong place at the wrong
time. Sports-speak is full of them: at the end of the day, at this
particular moment in time, game of two halves, to be fair, to be
honest, the first goal will be crucial, she missed when it looked
easier to score, etc.

You’ll also have heard broadcasters regularly using ‘rolling


hills’, ‘only time will tell’, ‘the devil is in the detail’, ‘tip of the
iceberg’, and ‘breathtaking views’. All are clichés.

Clichés are harmless except to linguistically sensitive people


whose blood pressure they raise, but it’s best to use as few as
possible. Otherwise you’ll sound like a dull writer or speaker
who cannot think for yourself. Try to cultivate your own voice,
using your own words. Don’t use hackneyed phrases whose
originality has been eroded by overuse.
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Here are a few more examples:

fundamentally flawed
grinding poverty
the jury’s still out (unless a real jury really is still out)
haven for wildlife
level playing field (unless you’re a surveyor)
leave no stone unturned
in this day and age
hive of activity
shadow of its former self
we take all complaints very seriously
lessons have been learnt

You’ll find more on clichés in The Oxford Guide to Plain English.

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15 Ignoring myths about writing


Genuine rules of grammar can help us all write clearly but
many people have myths foisted on them as well, sometimes at
school but often in the workplace. If your employer insists you
obey the dictates of these myths or others like them, you don’t
have much choice in the matter. If written down in a company
style guide, though, you can lobby to get the guide changed. Use
evidence from such books as The New Fowler’s Modern English
Usage (ed. Robert Burchfield, OUP) and The Oxford Guide to
Plain English (Martin Cutts, OUP).

Here are four of the most common, and absurd, myths:

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15 Ignoring myths about writing


Genuine rules of grammar can help us all write clearly but
many people have myths foisted on them as well, sometimes at
school but often in the workplace. If your employer insists you
obey the dictates of these myths or others like them, you don’t
have much choice in the matter. If written down in a company
style guide, though, you can lobby to get the guide changed. Use
evidence from such books as The New Fowler’s Modern English
Usage (ed. Robert Burchfield, OUP) and The Oxford Guide to
Plain English (Martin Cutts, OUP).

Here are four of the most common, and absurd, myths:

Myth 1 You must not split your infinitives

If you put a word between ‘to’ and the verb word, as in a phrase
like ‘ Is it ever acceptable to physically punish a child?’, this
splits the infinitive. But as it puts the stress exactly where you
want it,it’s good English.

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Myth 2 You must not begin a sentence with ‘But’ or ‘However’

By putting But or However at the start of a sentence, you are


showing the reader that what you are about to say is contrary to
or a variation of what you have just said. Great authors have
been starting sentences with these words for hundreds of
years. If Jane Austen could do it (and she did, regularly), so can
you. And the same applies to any other word in English,
provided that you’ve written a sentence that makes complete
sense on its own. In other words, you can start a sentence with
any word you like.

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Myth 2 You must not begin a sentence with ‘But’ or ‘However’

By putting But or However at the start of a sentence, you are


showing the reader that what you are about to say is contrary to
or a variation of what you have just said. Great authors have
been starting sentences with these words for hundreds of
years. If Jane Austen could do it (and she did, regularly), so can
you. And the same applies to any other word in English,
provided that you’ve written a sentence that makes complete
sense on its own. In other words, you can start a sentence with
any word you like.

Myth 3 You must not end sentences with prepositions (words like at,
up, down, of, out, by, in, from)

These words often naturally occur at the end of sentences and,


if your sentence reads rhythmically, there’s no harm in it. So a
sentence like, ‘He was the kind of bully no-one could stand up
to’ is perfectly good English. You may also begin sentences with
prepositions. Some companies have a policy that forbids their
staff to do so, which is bizarre.
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Myth 4 You must not use ‘I’ and ‘we’ in your reports

Words like ‘I’ are valuable in reports because they show who is
taking responsibility for the actions. Of course, you can always
use the name of a team or department instead, but this may
become monotonous. The main point is that, for clarity, most of
your sentences should have identifiable doers in them. Often
the best doers will be ‘I’ or ‘we’. Other personal pronouns are
also helpful in letters and emails – you should generally
address your reader(s) as ‘you’.

You’ll find more on this in chapter 10, and in The Oxford Guide to
Plain English.

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16 Checking for errors and


absurdities
Authors need to check their stuff carefully before it goes out,
whether it’s a quick email or a formal letter or report. An
occasional mistake may get through even after you’ve checked,
but if there are several mistakes they will detract from the
professional finish you want. Moreover, readers may discount
what you’re saying because the mistakes may devalue your
work.

Here are a few real-life examples from business authors in the


UK – can you spot the errors and absurdities? I haven’t offered
corrected versions, so you’re on your own!

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16 Checking for errors and


absurdities
Authors need to check their stuff carefully before it goes out,
whether it’s a quick email or a formal letter or report. An
occasional mistake may get through even after you’ve checked,
but if there are several mistakes they will detract from the
professional finish you want. Moreover, readers may discount
what you’re saying because the mistakes may devalue your
work.

Here are a few real-life examples from business authors in the


UK – can you spot the errors and absurdities? I haven’t offered
corrected versions, so you’re on your own!

Example 1 In follow up to our conversation he is a copy of our leaflets. The


:-( leaflet is aim at persons with low literacy levels.

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Example 2
:-( WHEN BREAKING UP A CAST-IRON BATH, YOU SHOULD WEAR
PROPER EAR DEFENDERS AND NOTHING ELSE.

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Example 2
:-( WHEN BREAKING UP A CAST-IRON BATH, YOU SHOULD WEAR
PROPER EAR DEFENDERS AND NOTHING ELSE.

Example 3 were anxious to experdite this matter and would be grateful to


:-( information requested and costings as soon as possible
otherwise we will have to source other placements in addition K
is currently placed at roderick house were it is agreed his needs
are not being met however the delay in providing the info and
costing has necessitated K remaining her we would expect you
to review the current fee structure at this placement since the
delay in moving K i.e reducing them.

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Example 2
:-( WHEN BREAKING UP A CAST-IRON BATH, YOU SHOULD WEAR
PROPER EAR DEFENDERS AND NOTHING ELSE.

Example 3 were anxious to experdite this matter and would be grateful to


:-( information requested and costings as soon as possible
otherwise we will have to source other placements in addition K
is currently placed at roderick house were it is agreed his needs
are not being met however the delay in providing the info and
costing has necessitated K remaining her we would expect you
to review the current fee structure at this placement since the
delay in moving K i.e reducing them.

Example 4
:-( The item of mail has been tampard with, the envelope was
opened and then resealed, it was noticed to have been
tampared with by the Postoffice in Slovakia, so the postman was
instructed have the reciperient open the item in his presents
and other witnesses. The money was missing, the box on the
envelope stating that £250.00 was enclosed had been crossed
out. The postage included up to £250 insurance.
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Good proofreading tactics include the following:

Read the document slowly for sense and punctuation. You’re


not skim-reading for information.

Read it slowly again, for spelling.

Use the spellchecker on your PC. It will pick up some of the


false key-strokes, at least.

Check headings, footnotes, paragraph numbering and


cross-references separately.

If time allows, print it out and check it on paper. Run your


finger, or a pen, beneath the line of type you’re checking.

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17 Further reading
Burchfield R (ed) The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage OUP, 1996.
Cutts M The Oxford Guide to Plain English OUP, 2020.
Garner B Garner’s Modern English Usage OUP, 2016.
Kimble J Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please Carolina Academic Press, 2023.
Lewis N Word Power Made Easy Bloomsbury, 1990.
Manser MH (ed) Good Word Guide Bloomsbury, 2011.
Seely J Everyday Grammar OUP, 2001.
Thornton R Adult Learners’ Writing Guide Chambers, 2006.
This easy-to-use self-study book informs and educates by using exercises, tests and practical
real-world examples.

Useful websites Plain Language Commission – http://www.clearest.co.uk


Gives you access to many free articles and books on plain language and related topics.
The British Council – https://www.britishcouncil.org
and
Cambridge English – https://www.cambridgeenglish.org
Both offer a wide range of resources (many free) for learners at all levels.
Clarity International – https://www.clarity-international.org
Group working for plain language among lawyers. Publishes the Clarity Journal.
International Plain Language Federation – https://www.iplfederation.org
Network of organizations working for plain language worldwide.
PLAIN – https://plainlanguagenetwork.org
Membership organization for professionals in the plain-language field.
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:-)
PLAIN
LANGUAGE Plain Language Commission
COMMISSION The Castle, 29 Stoneheads, Whaley Bridge,
High Peak SK23 7BB, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.clearest.co.uk
Plain Language Commission is independent of the UK Government.
WRITING PLAIN ENGLISH: BE CLEAR, BE BRIEF, BE HUMAN

;-)
PLAIN
LANGUAGE Plain Language Commission
COMMISSION The Castle, 29 Stoneheads, Whaley Bridge,
High Peak SK23 7BB, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.clearest.co.uk
Plain Language Commission is independent of the UK Government.

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