Plain English guidelines

Advantages of writing in Plain English

• It’s faster to write.
• It’s faster to read.
• You get your message across more often, more easily and in a friendlier way.

Plain English guidelines

• Make sure your communication gets its meaning across clearly and concisely to your intended audience.
  
  
• Keep your sentences short. A good length for printed communications is 15–20 words, but 10 words per sentence is better online.
  
  
• Keep to the essentials but make sure you’re still writing clearly.
  
  
• Avoid abbreviations such as 'eg' and 'ie'. Instead use 'for example' or 'such as', and 'in other words' or 'that is'.
  
  
• Avoid long, complicated words when shorter, simpler words will do.
  
  
• Try reading your document out loud. Any pompous or overformal words will stand out.
  
  
• Avoid use of unusual Latin phrases like 'inter alia', 'ad hoc', 'ceteris paribus' and 'quid pro quo'. 
  
  
• Don’t use jargon unless the audience would expect it.
  
  
• Use active rather than passive sentences.
  
  
• Give direct instructions rather than padding out your sentences with extra words.
  
  
• Wherever possible, use 'you' and 'we', not 'the delegate' and 'the Institute'.

Here are some examples of long-winded phrases and shorter versions that use commands.

• You should just quickly check your membership invoice.
• Quickly check your membership invoice. (Plain English)
   
  
  
• Speakers should be punchy.
• Be punchy. (Plain English)
  
  

Active sentences

Use active rather than passive sentences:

• We can’t send the books.
  Not
• The books can’t be sent by us.
  
  
• Twenty people attended the Managing for Beginners course.
  Not
• The Managing for Beginners course was attended by 20 people.

But passives can be used in certain circumstances. You can use passive language when you want to spread responsibility rather than blame someone:

• A mistake was made.
  Not
• John made a mistake.

You can also use passive language to make something sound less hostile:

• This bill has not been paid.
  Not
• You have not paid this bill.

With an active sentence, the agent, or 'doer', comes in front of the verb:

With a passive sentence, the agent, if there is one, comes after the verb and is introduced by the word 'by':

By making the sentence passive, we have to introduce the words ‘were’ and ‘by’, and the sentence becomes more clumsy.

Here are some examples of how to turn a passive sentence into an active sentence:

• This matter will be considered by the branch members shortly. (passive)
  The branch members will consider this matter shortly. (active)
  
  
• The book was written by a CIPD course tutor. (passive)
  A CIPD course tutor wrote the book. (active)
  
  
• The training course had to be cancelled by the CIPD. (passive)
  The CIPD had to cancel the training course. (active)

Use ‘you’ and ‘we’

Try to call the reader ‘you’, even if the reader is only one of many people you are talking to. If this feels wrong at first, remember that you wouldn’t use words like ‘the delegate’ and ‘the member’ if you were speaking to somebody sitting across a desk from you.

• You must send us the membership fee.
  Not 
• Applicants must send us the membership fee.
  
  
• We will tell you before we book you onto the course.
  Not
• We always tell customers before we book them onto the course.
  
  
• You can get advice from Employment Law at Work on our website.
  Not
• Advice is available from Employment Law at Work on the CIPD website.

Similarly, use the word ‘we’ instead of always using ‘the CIPD’. However, sometimes it’s more appropriate to say ‘the CIPD’, especially at the beginning of a communication, so the reader knows who ‘we’ are.

Use 'he' and 'she'

When using gender pronouns, use either 'he' or 'she' or the plural ‘they’, not:

• ‘he or she’
• ‘he/she’
• ‘he s/he’.

The latter are clumsy and can cause difficulties in sentence construction later on.

Avoid hidden verbs (nominalisations)

A hidden verb, or nominalisation, is a type of abstract noun. In other words, it is the name of something that isn't a physical object but a process, technique or emotion.

Like passive verbs, too many of them make writing very dull and heavy-going:

• We discussed the matter.
  Not 
• We had a discussion about the matter.
  
  
• The department has implemented flexible working hours.
  Not 
• The implementation of flexible working hours has been done by the department.

Use positive language

Always try to emphasise the positive side of things.

• If you don't send your payment, we won't be able to renew your membership. (negative)
  Please send your payment so that we can renew your membership. (positive)

Words to avoid

Try to use the simpler alternatives we suggest in brackets when appropriate:

• additional (extra)
• advise (tell)
• amongst (among)
• cannot (can't)
• commence (start, begin)
• complete (fill in)
• comply with (keep to)
• consequently (so)
• eg (for example, such as)
• ensure (make sure)
• entitled (called)
• forward (send)
• however (but)
• ie (in other words, that is)
• in accordance with (under, keeping to)
• in excess of (more than)
• in respect of (for)
• in the event of (if)
• on receipt of (when we/you get)
• on request (if you ask)
• particulars (details)
• per annum (a year)
• persons (people)
• prior to (before)
• purchase (buy)
• regarding/with regard to (about)
• shall (will)
• should (would)
• should you wish (if you wish)
• terminate (end)
• titled (called)
• upon (on)
• whilst (while).

• Download a PDF of alternative words from the Plain English Campaign website