Plain English Guidelines: Use words your readers are likely to understand

Seek out unusual words or phrases and replace them with plainer alternatives. For example, compare the officialese in the first statement with the clarity of the second.

1. In the event of your being evicted from your dwelling as a result of wilfully failing to pay your rent, the council may take the view that you have rendered yourself intentionally homeless and as such it would not be obliged to offer you alternative housing.
2. If you are evicted from your home because you deliberately fail to pay your rent, the council may decide that you have made yourself intentionally homeless. If this happens, the council does not need to offer you alternative permanent housing.

If you overuse the words in the left-hand column of the table, your writing could be perceived as pompous, officious, and long-winded.

Official Terms	Plainer Alternatives
accordingly	so
concerning	about
due to the fact that	as, because
for the purpose of	to
interim (noun)	meantime
nonetheless	even so, however, yet
polemical	controversial
supplementary	extra, more
with regard to	about, concerning

 

Keep Sentences Short Use Easy to Understand Words Use Fewer Words Use Active Voice Use Crisp, Lively Verbs Use Vertical Lists Put your Point Positively Reduce Cross-referencing Avoid Sex Specific Usage Letter Writing Use Accurate punctuation Avoid Writing Myths Plan Before you Write Organize your material Presentation Writing Clear Instructions Use a Clear Layout