Virtually all analytical or persuasive writing should have a summary on page one. The best way to do this is by using common words, or plain english. Trenchant advice covers all types of legal materials, from analytical and persuasive writing to legal drafting, and the books principles are reinforced by sets of basic, intermediate, and. Scientific writing is often dry, wordy, and difficult to understand. Plain english business writing online live workshop. Pdf writing science in plain english download ebook for free. See how plain english can transform overly complex text with our. This paper analyses the history of the plain english movement, the changes in the legal language in great britain introduced in 1999 with the implementation of the new rules of civil procedure. Here is a quick overview of the rules for writing numbers. The full text of the essential handbook for business writing 192 pages is designed to offer a lesson on every page. The plain language action and information network plain is a community of. The plain writing act of 2010 act is intended to make it easy for the public to understand government documents. But now that so many texts in and around the eu institutions are drafted in english by native and.
Jan 29, 2015 using plain english techniques will help you. We developed these guidelines to help you and your agency write clearly, so your users can. This handbook focuses on aspects of writing that are especially important to plain language. Grammar, punctuation, and the mechanics of english are not the issues here. Each tip comes with exercises based on excerpts from articles published in. In this course, writing instructor judy steinerwilliams explains the characteristics of plain english and the importance of learning to write clearly, and introduces some online tools you can use to analyze. Written from the experience and perspective of a longtime teacher of english, the text is devised to make learning the skills of. It uses short, clear sentences and everyday words without unnecessary jargon. Learn the golden rules of good business writing understand plain english principles to improve readability. Greene shows in writing science in plain english,writers from all scientific disciplines can learn to produce clear. Leaving legalese behind presented by debbie haskins. Plain language is clear, concise, organized, and appropriate for the intended audience. It aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention in chapters ii and iii on a few essentials, the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated. Plain english business writing australian writers centre.
The guide finishes with a summary and a list of words to avoid. Using one paragraph to discuss two or three points is too confusing for most readers. Pdf, 54kb writing cvs curriculum vitae pdf, 73kb grammar guides. The securities and exchange commissions a plain english handbook. The plain writing act of 2010 was signed on october, 2010. If you wish to use the free guides internally on your company intranet, you can do this for. The department of veterans affairs va is committed to writing new documents in plain language by october 2011, using the federal plain language guidelines and following the office of management and budgets final. This means we should discuss oneand only oneidea, thought or concept per paragraph. Plain english government content needs to communicate in a way that most people understand. Russian in plain english enables complete beginners to acquire the skill of reading words written in cyrillic independently, with no english transcription or imitated pronunciation, within a short period of time.
Plain english manual office of parliamentary counsel. May, 2020 the plain language action and information network plain is a community of federal employees dedicated to the idea that citizens deserve clear communications from government. Of course, this does not mean you should break these socalled rules all the time. Accessible and witty, legal writing in plain english draws on reallife writing samples that garner has gathered through decades of teaching experience.
The guides are provided in adobe acrobat pdf format. A rule of thumb for preparing plain english reports is to use the rule of 15. It aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention in chapters ii and iii on a few essentials, the rules of usage and principles of. For example, plain english is being used in the uniform civil procedural rules 1999 the australian rules which is akin to our courts rules. Writing in plain english means using basic, commonly used words. Writing in plain english means using simpler and more direct language. Its not about simplifying your work or heavyhanded editing.
The sec, like other federal agencies, must write documents in. How does plain language differ from ordinary good writing. Each tip comes with exercises based on excerpts from articles published in leading medical journals. To use plain english, you may need to edit your writing several times over, or even ask someone else to read it for you. Plain english writing requires us to obey unity in our sentences and paragraphs. This valuable workshop is one of our suite of practical business courses offered to individuals and workplaces. Pdf introducing plain language principles to business. She outlines 11 rules to make your writing clear and plain, provides exercises to refine your skills, and offers. Greene shows in writing science in plain english,writers from all scientific disciplines can learn to produce clear, concise prose. Developing good writing habits by following rules that have been developed by. Plain english campaign is an independent group fighting for plain english in public communication. Use principles for plain english in writing the front and back covers, summary and risk factor sections of prospectuses.
Writing science in plain english is about structure and organization of language and is an excellent treatment of that topic. Address separate audiences separately an important part of writing for your audience is addressing separate audiences separately. Its not cat sat on the mat or janet and john writing. The plain writing act of 2010 requires agencies to use plain language in various publicfacing documents. For an example of a rule that does not address separate groups separately, see 5 cfr 20. These are the official guidelines for the plain writing act of 2010. Businessese, academese, legalesethese painful eses appear all too often in memos, letters, reports. This guide will help you to produce plain english resources for your patients, clients and carers. When drafting a document for filing with the sec, you must make sure it meets all legal requirements. Trenchant advice covers all types of legal materials. How to create clear sec disclosure documents is available in pdf format. Instructions are brief, examples are plentiful, and learning is instant. While the act does not cover regulations, three separate executive orders emphasize the need for plain language. Plain english business writing your powerful workshop in professional communication.
Punctuation, although beyond the scope of greenes book, is another. Now edward bailey offers help in the plain english approach to business writing. Federal plain language guidelines, march 2011, rev. All the rules and conventions governing the code of the language can be. Manual of style, and countless textbooks of english. Plain language updated for 2018 office of public and.
Grammar handbook necessary, however, to use you when addressing more than one person. How to write in plain english plain english campaign. Top 10 principles for plain language national archives. It also requires agencies to designate officials to oversee plain language.
Effective writing in plain english page 7 washington state bar news good packages his rules in an engaging narrative style, with examples easy to remember. The plain language action and information network plain is the official interagency working group designated to assist in issuing plain writing guidance. English style guide 4117 20 april 2020 introduction this style guide is intended primarily for englishlanguage authors and translators, both inhouse and freelance, working for the european commission. The plain language action and information network plain is a community of federal employees dedicated to the idea that citizens deserve clear communications from government.
Use plain english in legal writing advice given by a. Documents that mix material intended for different audiences may confuse readers. The guidelines are organized into sections, but many of the topics fit within more than one section. The plain english approach to business writing by edward p. At the same time as the michigan instructions were being revised, another committee was writing plain english instructions for the sixth circuit. Garner provides lawyers, judges, paralegals, law students, and legal scholars sound advice and practical tools for improving their written work. Sec shows how you can use wellestablished techniques for writing in plain english to create clearer and more informative disclosure. Plain language also known as plain english is a way of writing or presenting information so that readers can understand it quickly and easily. First lets say what plain english isnt and destroy some of the myths about it. To view a pdf file, you need the adobe acrobat reader.
Pronoun confusion is common with certain personal pronouns. Plain english foundation library grammar and writing. With the sec s plain english rules in place, every prospectus will have its cover page, summary, and risk factors in plain english. This handbook issued by the securities and exchange comm.
Download scientific writing is often dry, wordy, and difficult to understand. The numbers of the sections may be used as references in correcting manuscript. Using plain language to draft regulations the regulatory. The use of plain english lowers costs, improves productivity, increases credibility and reduces. This book introduces the cyrillic alphabet gradually, feeding in the letters and their. Were not trying to be trendy here by breaking grammatical rules.
Writing in plain english linkedin learning, formerly. In 2010, the winners included a number of government agencies, including the office of the auditorgeneral for its overall commitment to clarity and the accident compensation commission for a brochure on handling cattle safely. The law requires that federal agencies use clear government communication that the public can understand and use. Aug 14, 2000 plain english rules require companies to use the following standards. In this course, writing instructor judy steinerwilliams explains the characteristics of plain english and the importance of learning to write clearly, and introduces some online tools you can use to analyze your own writing. With the secos plain english rules in place, every prospectus will have its cover page, summary, and risk factors in plain english. We have a series of guides which we provide free of charge on this site. In 2011, plain plain language action and information network published federal plain language guidelines. Its tips on writing clearly are specific, and easy to apply. The annual plain english awards recognize excellent plain english writing in both government and business. Sec shows how you can use wellestablished techniques for writing in plain english to create clearer and more informative disclosure documents. Of course, if you need 15 sentences to develop one idea. A good rule for communicating information is to think of a simple message that can.
The plain web site includes guidelines on plain language and tools for writing in plain language. Consider the following table, which gives examples of. Writing laws in plain english in new zealand in custodia. Use short sentences heres an example of a statute that does not use short sentences. Its the sort of book you can remember without having to think about it much. The credit must be shared with the institute of continuing legal education, which served as the primary drafter.
If you cannot read pdf files on your computer, you will need to download adobe reader. President obama also emphasized the importance of establishing. Plain english rules omit surplus avoid compound construction avoid wordwasting idioms focus on the actor, the action and the object do not use redundant phrases, sentences or paragraphs use base verbs, not nominalizations verbs turned into nouns prefer the active voice the subject does the acting. With the sec s plain english rules in place, every prospectus will have its cover page, summary, and risk. Almost anything from leaflets and letters to legal documents can be. Pdf download a plain english handbook free unquote books. President obama also emphasized the importance of establishing a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration in his january 21, 2009, memorandum on transparency and open government. Is complexity a con the false dilemma between plain language and literature article pdf english teachers association metaphor magazine 20. Its an indicator to show you the sort of language that confuses users.
Plain language updated for 2018 the plain writing act of 2010 requires federal agencies to write clear government communication that the public can understand and use. Plain english for doctors is the first book on plain english medical writing. Plain english is a style of writing that enables the reader to understand the message the first time they read it. Plain english is writing that is clear, concise, and readily understood by the target audience. Pdf writing science in plain english download full pdf.
And nowhere more so than on the web, where attention is limited and people, for the most part, dont want to hang around. The plain english movement, sometimes called the plain language movement, seeks to promote the use of plain english over legalese in business and law. Plain english writing style is now a legal duty for companies registering securities under the securities act of 1933, due to rules the securities and exchange commission sec adopted in 1998. Plain language should be easy to read, understand and use. Virtually all analytical or persuasive writing should have a summary on page. Keep your writing skills sharp with our tips, tools and quizzes. According to the plain english rules, no more than half our sentences should be in the passive voice, and, in general writing, we should use far fewer. Anyone who wants to have more impact in their role by writing with greater confidence and clarity. Orwell, best known as the author of 1984, formu lated a much quoted, compact set of rules for clear writing.
Dod plain language washington headquarters services. Pdf many people write too much, bureaucratically, and obscurely. Almost anything from leaflets and letters to legal documents can be written in plain english without being patronising or oversimplified. Pdf legal writing in plain english download ebook for free. Many legalwriting professionals recommend putting the conclusion up front. Student lawyer whats different about sword is not the ground that the author plows, but how deeply he. Drawing on two earlier and popular books, the plain english approach to business writing and a practical guide for business speaking, this new volume has been significantly updated. Plain english helps people make decisions and builds trust. The guide then looks at the main ways to make writing clearer. Eliminating legalese with plainenglish rules atlanta.
Step by step writing guide for developing plain english. Using plain english will save time in writing, make writing far easier, and improve. Wydicks plain english for lawyersnow in its fifth editionhas been a favorite of law students, legal writing teachers, lawyers, and judges for over 25 years. The plain writing act of 2010 requires federal agencies to write clear government communication that the public can understand and use.
328 215 477 874 575 990 1190 1395 419 640 960 659 456 455 603 1502 189 1245 2 131 228 1214 354 1015 648 167 733 341 658 1091 164 652 1215 1027 1232 930 929 1428 1279