Handout 10: Plain Language Writing

CONTEXT

• Know your readers - key your presentation to their needs, interests, and knowledge level.
  
• Address the readers as your peers. Your readers are your adult peers but not necessarily your professional peers, so use your everyday adult talking voice, not your "professional" voice.
  
• Use a "hook" to pull in your audience. Give readers a reason to be interested and stay interested.
  

LANGUAGE AND USAGE

• Talk to the audience. Address the reader as "you." Avoid the third person (he, she, or they).
  

  EXAMPLE: Instead of "Parents do a lot to help their children learn" write; "As a parent, you do a lot to help your children learn." This makes the material more personal and direct.

• Use the active voice, not the passive voice.

  EXAMPLE: Instead of "Parents are reminded to attend the Friday meeting" write, "Parents, please remember to attend the Friday meeting."

• Be concrete. Pick words that create pictures in the mind.

  EXAMPLE: Instead of "An infant's vocalizations eventually become spoken lan guage" write, "The babbling sounds a baby makes will someday turn into words and sentences."

• Avoid jargon, bureaucratese, and specialized vocabulary.
  
  
• Define words in context using relevant examples or metaphors.
  
  
• Keep your sentences fairly short (no more than 20 words). Limit each sentence to one important idea.
  
  
• Wherever possible, use the primary language of your audience.

ORGANIZATION

• Present information in a logical 1, 2, 3 order.
  
• Break information into digestible "chunks." Use paragraphs, subheads, and bullets to break up in formation.
  

  EXAMPLE: During the Head Start day, your child will:

  • Take part in teacher-led learning activities
  • Enjoy free play
  • Have a snack and a warm meal

• Limit the amount of new information per presentation (per handout, chapter, or discussion).
  
• Give a phone number or the name of a contact person. Make this information prominent. This lets people know where to direct their questions if they don't understand all the information.
  
• Define words in context or in a glossary if you must use unfamiliar or hard-to-read words. If you use a glossary, put it up front, so readers know it's there, and call it "Words You Need to Know."

DESIGN

• Use a type size that is easy on the eyes (12 or 14 points). The type on this handout is 12 point.
  
• Use wide margins and white space. This gives the reader "breathing room" to see the words.
  
• Avoid clutter. Too much on a page will overwhelm the reader.
  
• Use illustrations and pictures where possible. Artwork can add interest or clarify the message. Make sure any art you use is appropriate to the culture and experience of your audience.
  
• Provide clean copies. Poorly printed materials make it hard for the readers and give the idea that you don't care if they read it.
  

SIMPLIER WORDS AND PHRASES

Instead of this: accomplish accurate adjourn adversely affect ameliorate a minimum of once approximately ascertain be in the position to collaborate with commence compel component conduct consult critical currently derive benefits from designate disseminate enable establish evaluate examine facilitate factor feasible function henceforth implement individualize initiate in reference to

Use this: do correct, right end, close harm, hurt improve, fix at least one time about find out, learn can work together with begin, start force section, part run, hold ask, check with, talk to, meet with important now gain choose, name send out, give out, pass out, hand out allow set up, prove, show check, rate, test check, look at help reason, cause can be done, workable act, work, role OR party, event from now on put into place tailor to each person start about

Instead of this: input in the near future in view of the fact it is requested that justify limitations locality magnitude majority maximize modify necessitate numerous observe on a monthly basis operate optimum participate perceive permit pertaining to possess premise primary prior approval prioritize regulation rescind responsive to needs scenario solicit terminate viable with reference to

Use this: opinion soon because please prove, explain limits place, town size most, greatest build on, allow to grow change force, cause many, a lot see monthly run, work best, greatest, most take part, come see let about, of, on have, own belief main agree ahead of time rank rule take back meet needs story ask for end, fire workable about

On the back, continue this list with words and phrases you use in your work.

Module 3 | Handout 9 | Handout 11