Plain English

Everyone should have access to clear and concise information. Using Plain English is about writing clearly in the right tone of voice with the reader in mind. It means avoiding the use of long overly complicated language, such as jargon, unexplained acronyms and long words.

The Plain English Campaign offer a free 'How to write in Plain English' guide which covers the basic principles such as:

• Keep your sentences short
• Prefer active verbs
• Use 'you' and 'we'
• Use words that are appropriate for the reader
• Don't be afraid to give instructions
• Avoid nominalisations
• Use lists where appropriate

Why do it?

Complex language can be very difficult for some people, especially where English is not their first language or for those with learning difficulties or reduced cognitive abilities. Also, for anyone using a translator, it often translates much better when the original content is in clearly worded English.

For more information and various free guides on Plain English go to - Free guides (plainenglish.co.uk)

You can also explore the sportscotland copy style guide, Speaking the same language on SharePoint (internal staff only)

SCULPT by Helen Wilson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on work at Worcestershire County Council.