A succinct and simple writing style can make communication much more effective. Here are some tips for writing in Plain English.
Read it aloud
Tip: read
through what you have written, preferably aloud. If it is difficult to read
aloud, it will be difficult for users to understand.
|
Jargon and acronyms
Try to expand acronyms and explain unfamiliar
jargon the first time you use them.
Explaining procedures
If you are explaining a procedure, try to set it
out in small steps in the same order as the person will need to carry out the
procedure.
Plain English
Passive
voice example
|
Plain
English
|
"Books may be borrowed from the
library"
|
"You can borrow books from the library"
|
"It is recommended that..."
|
"We recommend that..."
|
it is preferred that a booked appointment is made
|
we would prefer you to make an appointment
|
Excessive
formality
|
Plain
English
|
subsequent approval of which will be a
pre-requisite to the raising of any internal order mechanism
|
You will need approval before we can raise an
internal order
|
Unfamiliar
term
|
Plain
English
|
irreversible encryption
|
irreversible encryption (data that has been
scrambled for security purposes and cannot be unscrambled)
|
Common errors
Beware of common
errors in English such as affect/effect (see also "Common Mistakes and Tricky
Choices") - these errors will make it harder for users to
understand what you are trying to say.
Incorrect
|
Correct
|
Better
|
Execmail
will give you access immediately, the new shared mailbox folders will appear
at the bottom of the 'tree' of your present list of folders.
|
Execmail
will give you access immediately; the new shared mailbox folders will appear
at the bottom of the 'tree' of your present list of folders."
OR Execmail will give you access immediately and the new shared mailbox folders will appear at the bottom of the 'tree' of your present list of folders. |
Execmail
will give you access immediately. The new shared mailbox folders will appear
at the bottom of the "tree" of your present list of folders.
|
Remember to separate dependent sub-clauses with a
comma - e.g. "In order to have an email address, you must have a user name
and account" or "You should, of course, be aware that..."
Nouns and verbs
Nouns and verbs
Incorrect |
Correct
|
Login to
our system
Setup your password
Feedback your comments
|
Log in to
our system / Obtain a login
Set up your password / Go to setup page
Feed back your comments / Send feedback
|
Numbers
- For numbers 1 to 10, use words, not numerals. (See style guide, p. 21-22)
- Use words for "first", "second" etc up to "tenth"; after that, use 11th, 21st, 100th
- But, if numbers above and below appear close together, then standardise them. e.g. "A group of 10-12 students" OR "A group of ten to twelve students."
- For numbers 11 onwards use numerals – 11-100.
- For numbers over 1,000 include a comma – 5,000 not 5000.
- Always start a sentence with words - "One thousand people" not "1,000 people…"
- For numbers with a decimal point, use numerals, e.g. 9.25, 12.5%
Resources
- Guide to writing in Plain English
- Example texts
- Strunk's The Elements of Style
- Top ten guidelines for web writing
Brookes resources
- Plain English for the Web course — Available from CMS Training and Support
- Based on the latest usability research findings, the Oxford Brookes Writing for the Web guide is a reference for anyone publishing content on our site. With guidance on Web-specific composition and usability issues.
- For full guidance on punctuation, grammar and consistency, please see the Oxford Brookes editorial style guide which spans both Web and print.
- Bite size version of the Oxford Brookes style guide
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