Plain Language Writing

Overview
"Plain language" writing (also referred to as "plain writing" or "plain English") is "reader-oriented" communication designed to be easily understood and retained by the reader the first time they read it. Put plainly, it is writing presented in ways that help readers get the information they need as easily as possible. Advocates around the world have been working to make plain-language writing standard in government, law, health, and business as a way to bring essential information to all citizens. They are doing this by identifying language and design principles that promote usability for all citizens.

Plain Writing Act of 2010
The movement toward adopting plain language as policy gathered momentum in the US Government in the 1990s. In 2010, plain language became federal law when President Barack Obama signed the Plain Writing Act of 2010. The Plain Writing Act requires federal agencies to "use clear government communication that the public can understand and use". It also requires demonstrated awareness of plain language, training opportunities for workers, and a rewrite of public documents.

Consider your audience
A key point of plain language writing is to" write for your audience". Always consider the reader's needs and abilities, e.g., whether you are writing for the general public, a group of colleagues, or a group of specialists, and how they will use the document. Organize, write, and design your document in a way that will create the greatest ease of comprehension, use, and retention.

Organize and Design
Clear organization aids usability. Organize your document in a way that will orient the reader and easily find needed information.


 * Provide informative headings, topic sentences, and frequent summaries to keep the reader oriented.
 * Use graphics in proximity to related written information for visual cues, which aid comprehension and retention of data.
 * Incorporate white space to separate sections and prevent dense text blocks.
 * Use bullet points wherever appropriate.

The Center for Plain Language performs an annual review of documents published by governmental agencies and reports on how well each is complying with the Plain Language Act of 2010. The following web document was chosen as the "most improved" from the previous year.



Figure 1: Center for Plain Language "most improved" document 2019

The revised page contains shorter sentences and paragraphs, incorporates bullet points and white space, and some of the secondary information on other pages accessed by buttons or drop down menus. Minimizing the size of the illustration improved readability by reducing crowding.

Verbs
Use active verbs over nouns when possible, to improve conciseness and clarity. Instead of: The committee came to an agreement to the effect that a study should be carried out by the consultants into the feasibility of the provision of national funding. Use: The committee agreed that the consultants should study the feasibility of providing national funding.

Passive Voice
Use the active voice instead of passive voice in most cases. Instead of: Votes were counted by election officials. Use: Election officials counted the votes.

Word Choice
Use simple, clear, and concise words and phrases.

Jargon
Jargon is "Jargon is unnecessarily complicated, technical language". Use everyday words in place of jargon whenever possible.

Acronyms

 * Overuse of acronyms can be distracting to readers.
 * Spell out names when acronyms are not commonly known.
 * Acronyms may be used when the term they are abbreviating is used many times in a document, but spell out all words at first mention.
 * Generally recognized acronyms, such as FBI, CPR, and USA, however, do not need to be defined.

Sentences and Paragraphs

 * Keep sentences short and succinct. Long sentences can be difficult to comprehend. Consider breaking up long sentences for readers into shorter sentences.
 * Sentences should have between 15 and 20 words on average.
 * Keep paragraphs brief.
 * Paragraphs should have one main topic sentence each.
 * Use white space between sections.

When to use plain language writing
Technical communicator, Russell Willerton developed the acronym "BUROC" to help communicators "identify opportunities for plain language"; circumstances in which citizens will benefit most from clear, straightforward writing. The following situations can be stressful, involve ethics implications, and are situations that may especially benefit from clear communication.
 * Bureaucratic- Situations involving bureaucracy in large organizations' policies and procedures. "The bureaucracy’s public façade often keeps outsiders distant and limits their access to information." Examples include buying insurance and making claims, claiming social security benefits, and paying taxes.
 * Unfamiliar- Unfamiliar situations involving complex or new vocabulary, and that people face rarely or infrequently. Examples include an ill patient enrolling in a clinical trial and having to wade through medical jargon or a new homeowner applying for a first mortgage.
 * Rights-Oriented- Situations related to individuals' civil, patient, consumer, or human rights–rights as citizens, as patients, as consumers, as humans. Examples are registering to vote, reading and understanding voter pamphlets, and the protection of one's medical privacy.
 * Critical- Serious and often unexpected situations that can have significant consequences to people. "The stress of these situations can affect a person’s judgment, cognition, and performance." Signing forms at a hospital for urgent medical care is an example.

Arguments against plain language
Critics Argue:

Writing in a plain language style "dumbs down" information. Counter:

The goal of plain language writing is not to write every document at a low level, but to write with the user in mind, "writing clearly and effectively" at the level of comprehension you assume your reader to have.

Plain language writing is too broad and cannot be specific.

Counter:

Revising to plain language helps reveal any ambiguities and contradictions, allowing necessary information to be clearly presented. Plain language cannot present information as effectively as "legalese" or other official languages.

Counter: Because content written in plain language is likelier to be read and understood, readers are more likely to comply with plain language documents, leading to fewer questions and misunderstandings, and more satisfied users.