FAQs

Plain English

What is plain English?

Plain English is clear English. Many people think plain means simple, boring or childish. Plain English means clear English. Think of plain English editing as cutting out the complexity and redundancy in your writing to leave a clear, streamlined and flowing style your audience can read effortlessly. It’s the writing style of the best professional writers and communicators.

Plain English is clear, straightforward expression, using only as many words as are necessary. It is language that avoids obscurity, inflated vocabulary and convoluted sentence construction. It is not baby talk, nor is it a simplified version of the English language. Writers of plain English let their audience concentrate on the message instead of being distracted by complicated language. They make sure that their audience understands the message easily.
Professor Robert Eagleson

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Will using plain English make all writing sound the same?

Using plain English does not mean everyone’s writing must sound the same. Writers express ideas differently, but all writing, especially business and government writing, must still be clear. Writing in plain English means keeping to commonsense principles to produce a clear document.

Variety comes from writers keeping to clear expression, but choosing different content, vocabulary, examples and analogies and so on.

Good editing simply removes the bad style habits so your individual writing style can shine through. There’s plenty of room for individual style, rhetoric and imaginative writing. So let StyleWriter help you get rid of your poor writing habits and let you express yourself in your own words.

Where can I find out more about the savings of plain English?

Try looking up the US Government’s Plain Language Action Network at www.plainlanguage.gov where you’ll find Professor Joe Kimble’s article: Writing for Dollars.

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