When I finished my English degree at Columbia a few years ago my "informal" writing studies began. I quickly discovered a lot of what I learned about writing and language was wrong. Maybe not wrong in an academic setting, but wrong if I hoped to address a mass public and sell my work; wrong if I hoped to help others learn complex concepts. The right style: write in plain language.
There are many different definitions of plain language. What they all have in common is the fundamental idea that we present information in a way that makes it as easy as possible for people to understand, that we emphasize the importance of audience, clarity, and comprehension.
Plain English means creating a document that is...
- visually inviting,
- logically organized, and
- understandable on the first reading.
How do you create a plain English document?
- Know your audience
- Know what you need to say
- Organize your material logically
- Avoid repetition
Use these tools to write clearly:
- Active voice with strong verbs
- Short sentences
- Personal pronouns
- Concrete, familiar words
- No surplus words
- No legal jargon
- Tabular presentation of complex information, and
- Use a design and layout that increase comprehension.
[Source: http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/quickreference/glance.cfm]
In my classrooms and during my seminars & workshops I strive for clarity by using plain, approachable language. I break down complex concepts into spoon size bites. Along the way, I encourage and answer a lot of questions. In my nonfiction, I follow these same rules. I speak to my audience as if I'm speaking to a single reader.
I don't think plain language is appropriate for all avenues, I resist it at times. I love the art of language; I love complicated sentences that take advantage of semicolons, emdashes, and ellipsis. I don't believe in spoon feeding every idea and concept. Everything written shouldn't be so easy that a reader never works to explore symbolism or parallel structures to find deeper meaning. But, these complicated language structures are more appropriate for fiction and poetry.
Bryan Garner, in Legal Writing in Plain English, sums it up: "plain English is typically quite interesting to read. It's robust and direct—the opposite of gaudy, pretentious language. You achieve plain English when you use the simplest, most straightforward way of expressing an idea. You can still choose interesting words. But you'll avoid fancy ones that have everyday replacements meaning precisely the same thing."
Plain Language Resources
http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/about.htm
http://www.clarity-international.net/index.htm
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