The principles of plain English


Plain English writing:

• is clear and simple
  
• is appropriate to your audience (considering who they are and what
  relationship you want to have with them)
  
• is direct and personal
  
• favours informal language, when appropriate
  
• draws on common, everyday language
  
• is accessible to a wide audience
  
• explains technical words in simple language
  
• attempts to interest readers and hold their attention
  
• relies heavily on simple sentence structures
  
• generally avoids passive voice
  
• is respectful of the reader.
  

Business to one side . . .

We get a kick out of the language. How about sharing with us some of the awful English you've come across. Bureaucracies and street signs are a great source. Talk to us about plain English, send us your questions and stories. We'll build up a collection of them and post them on this site regularly.