Crash course in plain English

Use the quick links below to navigate to the appropriate section of the page.

Each section provides guidance and a short test on a major issue of plain English. We encourage you to write your answers to each test on a piece of paper and check your answers with ours online. 

• clichés
• using too many words
• words that mean the same thing
• jargon
• long sentences
• passive sentences
• writing negatively
• bad punctuation
• poor layout
• section summary

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Clichés

A cliché is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty. Avoid clichés when writing plain English. For people who don’t speak English as a first language, they can be confusing and nonsensical. For those who do speak English, clichés often seem meaningless and irritating.

Examples include:

• ‘At the end of the day’
• ‘Think outside the box’
• ‘Put two and two together’
• ‘We don't want to reinvent the wheel’
• ‘To be honest with you’
• ‘When all’s said and done’

Take our cliché test.

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Using too many words

One of the biggest obstacles to writing plain English is using several words when one will do. Here are some common examples with suggested alternatives:

Too many words	Shorter version
On the part of	By
On account of the fact that	Because
At the present time	Now
Such as the following	For example
The show came to an end	The show ended
In the majority of instances	Mostly

Try the test on 'using too many words'

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Words that mean the same thing

One particularly bad habit in this area is combining words that mean the same thing. Here are some commonly-used phrases that repeat themselves by including redundant words:

Repetitive phrase	Plain English alternative
Regular monthly meetings	Monthly meetings
Eliminate altogether	Eliminate
For the purpose of	For
Green recycling	Recycling
Many wide-ranging ways	Many ways
Revert back	Revert

Take the test on 'words that mean the same thing'

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Jargon

Jargon is technical language that many readers can find difficult to understand. Specialist terms or 'buzzwords' may be appropriate if you are writing for a specialist audience, but they are inappropriate for a general audience.

Local government communications commonly use abbreviations or acronyms that the writer assumes the reader will understand. These are forms of jargon. Terms like LSP, LAA, CDRP, Defra and SMART need proper explanation before they are used. 

Here are some more examples of local government jargon:

• results-orientated
• cost-effective
• the operating agreement
• grassroots programmes
• local strategic partnership
• stock transfer

Buzzword generator

In the 1970s Honeywell International produced a buzzword generator. It used a matrix of three columns of words to demonstrate how easy it is to write sentences filled with jargon.

Pick a word from each column and string them together to create sentences packed with management-speak:

Qualifier 1	Qualifier 2	Noun
integrated	management	alliance
total	organisational	flexibility
down-sized	measurable	outcomes
parallel	reciprocal	resource
functional	digital	pathways
responsible	rational	concept
optimal	transitional	time-phase
synchronised	strategic	partnership
compatible	third-generation	options
balanced	quality	contingency

Take our jargon and buzzword test.

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Long sentences

Long sentences are the most common problem when writing plain English in local government. Simply by using shorter sentences, writing becomes easier to understand and more direct. If sentences are too long there’s a danger of losing the intended meaning – and losing your audience.

Extending sentences by using the word ‘also’, including long lists of buzzwords, and using needless sub-clauses all create long-winded sentences. Sentences should be kept short and simple and should not contain more than one idea. Aim for a maximum of 20 words for each sentence (15 if writing for the web).

The length of a sentence affects the pace of the writing. So a series of six-word sentences will come across as very fast and too jumpy. But writing that has extremely long sentences will have the opposite effect. It will seem slow and bureaucratic.

The best writing varies the pace a little – but does not go from one extreme to the other.

Have a look at this article below. The pace comes from the sentence length:

Councils are getting better with money. All single-tier and county councils in England have met or exceeded the Audit Commission's minimum expectations for financial management.

Three quarters have beaten the commission's requirements, new figures show. The results show a marked improvement on last year.

The chief executive of the Audit Commission said that local councils had improved considerably over recent years. He added that the figures were a sign that this positive trend is set to continue.

But the Commission warned that, if local government finances get tighter and councils face more challenging efficiency targets, “there is still work to be done”.

The chair of the Local Government Improvement Board said the report showed that councils were "getting their houses in order”.

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Sometimes it might be appropriate to use bullet points to break up sentences. For example:

“Writing in plain English can have a real effect on how people view local government and can be achieved by following a few simple rules such as avoiding jargon and clichés, writing in the active voice, using accurate punctuation and grammar and also keeping sentences short.”

This sentence could be written more effectively like this:

“Writing in plain English can have a real effect on how people view local government. It can be achieved by:

• avoiding jargon and clichés
• writing in the active voice
• using accurate punctuation and grammar
• keeping sentences short

The Plain English campaign awarded its Golden Bull Award for the year's 'best' examples of gobbledygook to a council who had issued a public notice containing one sentence 630 words long!

Take our long sentences test.

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Passive sentences

A sentence is written in the passive voice when the subject of the sentence has an action done to it by someone or something else. This contrasts to sentences in the active voice – when the subject of the sentence performs the action. Using too many passive sentences can make your writing bureaucratic, impersonal and uninteresting. Here are some examples of passive sentences with their active sentence alternatives:

Passive: Your enquiry has been dealt with.
Active: We have dealt with your enquiry.

Passive: It will be investigated by the manager.
Active: The manager will investigate it.

Passive: Activities have been organised by us. 
Active: We have organised activities.

Passive: The document was printed by Mr Jones.
Active: Mr Jones printed the document.

Passive: I was sent a letter by him. 
Active: He sent me a letter.

Passive: Difficulty was experienced in getting people to take part in the survey. 
Active: We found it difficult to get people to take part in the survey.

Passive: Stephen has been seen by the doctor. 
Active: The doctor saw Stephen.

Active: The key was borrowed by the caretaker. 
Passive: The caretaker borrowed the key.

Passive sentences are not always inappropriate but they should be used with care. If you want to be detached, distant or not responsible for the actions you’re taking, you may want to consider using the passive. However, in the majority of cases, the active voice is best. It is concise, direct and helps to make your writing more lively and informative. 

Take our active / passive test.

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Writing negatively

Being positive is far more effective than being negative. It is better to write about what ‘is’ rather than what ‘isn’t’. Of course, there are times when you need to emphasise the negative. But you should always be aware of the effect you want to create. Sometimes people lapse into negative language when it would be better to be positive. 

Here are some examples of positive and negative versions of sentences:

Negative: Not all the opinions were negative. 
Positive: Some opinions were positive.

Negative: Just under half of the population didn’t know the answer. 
Positive: More than half the population knew the answer.

Negative: I didn’t have to stand on the train home. 
Positive: I could sit down on the train home.

Negative: My colleague wasn’t late for the meeting. 
Positive: My colleague arrived on time for the meeting.

Negative: A few people expressed concern at the proposal. 
Positive: Most people were happy with the proposal.

Negative: Two thirds of the birds were unable to be rescued. 
Positive: A third of the birds could be rescued.

Negative: Nothing was broken when the stationery order arrived.
Positive: The stationery order arrived safely.

Negative: It wasn’t raining at the event.
Positive: The weather was fine for the event.

Take the test on writing negatively.

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Bad punctuation

In speech, a listener is helped by:

• pauses
• the rise and fall of the voice
• changes in emphasis

In writing, punctuation performs some of these functions. Here are some examples of common elements of punctuation and how they should be used:

Punctuation	Most commonly used...	Example
Comma        ,	when there would be a short, natural pause if you were speaking.	'You may not think this is a good idea, but it has worked well in other authorities.'
	when an extra, non-essential phrase has been put into a sentence.	'The people can, if necessary, speak to their local MP.'
	to divide a string of adjectives.	'The meeting was useful, interesting, and proved more valuable than I originally thought.'
Semicolons        ;	instead of full stops when you have two short, closely related sentences.	'We have considered the appeal for several days; more consideration is necessary.'
	to divide a list (but not on the web), especially when the list items are phrases.	The mistakes were: too many people; poor planning; lack of enthusiasm.
Capital letters	at the start of sentences.
	for the first letter of a title or subtitle.	'Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy'
	for proper nouns	Great Britain Jessica Monday February Dorset County Council Communities and Local Government

Note: Local government uses lots of proper nouns to label things like reports, teams, partnerships, policies and initiatives. But it can be very hard to decide whether the labels for these are proper nouns or not. For example, is 'Local Strategic Partnership' a proper noun? Or is it a name that applies more generally to a type of governing arrangement? Maybe the names of individual local strategic partnerships are proper nouns, for example 'Lambeth First'?

There is no one correct answer and different organisation's style guides will handle this issue differently. However, when you write don’t use capital letters just because you think something is important. Think very carefully about whether you are using the specific name given to it, or the general name given to the type of thing that it is.

Take the test on bad punctuation.

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Poor layout

As well as clear writing, the layout of your page can affect how the reader receives the content. Here are some key areas to consider and an explanation of why they are important.

Bold 
If you wish to emphasise something use bold. But do so sparingly – you don't want to look like you are shouting at your reader. Bold is also useful to distinguish headings from normal text.

Line length
Line length is important for speed and accuracy of reading. If your lines are very long, people get lost reading them all the way across. They often go to the wrong line when moving down the page and quickly tire of reading. But short
lines can
make your writing
very jerky to
read.

Use of space
Limit your ideas to one per paragraph. If a series of points is being made, separate them out so that each piece of information can be seen and understood in isolation.

Headings 
Use headings to divide up information to make it more accessible and easier on the eye.

Be aware that sub-headings can be used at different levels of a document. A top-level sub-heading may define the main sections of the document. A second-level sub-heading may be used for different points within each section.

Make sure that all headings at any one level are styled the same way. Also make sure that higher-level sub-headings are bolder and more emphatic than lower-level sub-headings.

Text alignment 
Keep the text alignment consistent throughout the document. In general left-alignment is easier for the reader. Try not to split words over more than one line, or sentences and paragraphs over more than one page. This can be confusing for the reader.

Bullet points 
Bullet points can be used to break up text and make lists more clear. Bullet points should always used for lists when writing for the web.

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Section Summary: dos and don’ts

• Don't use clichés 
• Don't use unnecessary repetition 
• Do use lists to break up complex information
• Don't use jargon 
• Do use short sentences
• Do use the active voice
• Do use accurate punctuation
• Do consider how you lay out your writing.