Plain Language Principles

For more information on Plain Language Principles, please consult the Federal Plain Language Guidelines.

THINK

• Think about your audience.
• Identify and write for your audience.
•  Address separate audiences separately.

ORGANIZE

• Organize to meet your audience’s needs.
• Address one person, not a group.
• Use lots of useful headings.

WORDS

• Use active voice.
• Use the simplest form of a verb.
• Use must to indicate requirements.
• Use contractions when appropriate.
• Don’t turn verbs into nouns.
• Use pronouns to speak directly to readers.
• Use short simple words.
• Omit unnecessary words.
• Avoid legal, foreign or technical jargon.

SENTENCES

• Write short sentences.
• Keep subject, verb, and object close together.
• Avoid double negatives and exceptions to exceptions.
• Place words carefully.

PARAGRAPHS

• Have a topic sentence.
• Use transition words.
• Write short paragraphs.
• Cover only one topic in each paragraph.

OTHER AIDS

• Use examples.
• Use lists.
• Use tables to make complex material easier to understand.
• Consider using illustrations.
• Use emphasis to highlight important concepts.
• Minimize cross-references.
• Design your document for easy reading.

Don’t Be Wordy!

Avoid redundancies

• Enclosed herewith
• End result
• Future plans
• Important essentials
• New initiatives
• Personally reviewed
• Serious crisis
• Untimely death
• Great majority
• Better clarify

Additionally avoid

• Herein
• Hereinafter
• At the present time
• Needless to say
• As you know
• As I am sure you know
• As mentioned above
• As you are aware
• In this regard
• With respect to
• The fact that
• Prior to
• Subsequent to
• Either/both
• It is important to note

Wordy vs. Clear