Writing Tips Guides Resources

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Plain English (sometimes referred to as plain language) is a generic term for communication styles that emphasize clarity, conciseness and the avoidance of technical language.

Here are some plain English writing tips to help you write more clearly and concisely:

Identify Your Audience

Think about why the reader wants to read your writing. Also identify people who will be interested in your writing, even if they are not directly affected. Write to everyone who is interested. And keep in mind your average readers’ level of understanding and comprehension.

Write in Active Voice

Voice is the form a verb takes to indicate whether its subject acts or is acted upon. When the subject of a verb does something (acts), the verb is in the active voice. When the subject of a verb receives the action (is acted upon), the verb is in the passive voice. Because the active voice emphasizes the doer of an action, it is usually briefer, clearer, and more emphatic than the passive voice. Whenever possible, use active voice in your writings.

Keep It Short

You will communicate more clearly if you keep sentences short. Aim for an average sentence length of 20 words, with no one sentence running over 40 words. Cover only one subject in each paragraph, and keep paragraphs under 10 or 12 lines.

Use Personal Pronouns

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Firewall Policies and VPN Configurations

The security provided by firewalls and VPNs is only as strong as the protocol rules and policies that administrators create. This book covers the leading firewall products, describing in plain English ... [Find out more ...]

Microsoft Works 2000 For Dummies

Covers all five Works programs plus Internet Explorer 5Find out how Works can help keep your household running smoothlyYour step-by-step guide to getting more work out of Microsoft Works If you've got ... [Find out more ...]

Legal Writing in Plain English: A Text With Exercises Admirably clear, concise, down-to-earth, and powerful-unfortunately, these adjectives rarely describe legal writing, whether in the form of briefs, opinions, contracts, or statutes. In Legal Writing in Plain English, Bryan A. Garner provides lawyers, judges, paralegals, law students, and legal scholars sound advice and practical tools for improving their written work. The book encourages legal writers to challenge conventions and offers valuable insights into the writing process: how to ... [Find out more ...]

Plain English writing is a flexible and efficient writing style designed to be brief, clear and free of technical terminology. This writing style is commonly used in official government communication, including laws.

Sir Ernest Arthur Gowers was credited for bringing the plain English to life. Gowers was a distinguished British civil servant who was asked by the British Treasury to write a guide to show government officials how to avoid pretentious and excessively elaborate writing. He completed a writing guide and published it as “The Complete Plain Words” in 1954. Gowers’ writing guide has remained in print since its original publication.

The push to use plain English writing in the United States began in the 1970s. Congress passed The Paperwork Reduction Act in 1976 to condense and simplify the language used in many federal government documents. By 2010, the Plain Writing Act made it a requirement for all Federal agencies to write documents in plain English.

Plain English writing is designed to engage the reader on a basic level of understanding. It emphasizes being simple and direct in communication. Documents using this writing style are clear, easily readable and effortless to follow. Their message does not get lost among a maze of confusing terminology and wordiness.

Sharing ideas is much easier to do if writing is designed to be ... [Find out more ...]

Programmiersprache Perl

Kapitel: Perl, Larry Wall, Parrot, Twiki, Just Another Perl Hacker, Spamassassin, Catalyst Web Framework, Cpan, Damian Conway, Cyclone3, Frozen Bubble, Pugs, Obfuscated Perl Contest, Bugzilla, Xsql, Plain Old ... [Find out more ...]

Essentials of the Dodd-Frank Act

"It is incumbent on all business owners and managers, and indeed all consumers, to understand the Dodd-Frank Act . . . . Who better to provide insights on Dodd-Frank than Sanjay Anand, who was among the first ... [Find out more ...]

Kikkerland Leuchtturm Soft Cover Plain Pocket Book, 3.5 x 6-Inches (LB23) The notebook with a flexible cover. Light and soft to the touch. Leuchtturm helps you get organized with numbered pages and a blank table of contents in each book and a set of stickers for the cover that allow for clear labeling and archiving. High quality 80 gsm paper ensures that fountain pens and roller balls can be used without bleeding through the page. Thread-bound binding allows notebook to lay flat. Includes 8 perforated, detachable sheets and expandable pocket inside back cover. ... [Find out more ...]

Good writers write in plain English to bring their writing to life. Plain English writing speaks directly to the audience and helps them to better grasp the meaning of the written text. Active voice, everyday words and short sentences are the distinguishing features of plain English.

One characteristic of plain English writing is the use of active voice. Sentences using an active voice are built on strong verbs. This tightens sentences and gives it a natural flow. Using an active voice helps readers to understand sentences quicker because this is how a person thinks and breaks down information. Sentences written in a passive voice require more mental steps to understand. Passive voice is not bad in all instances, but it should be used sparingly.

Personal pronouns are another feature that strengthens writing and clarifies the meaning of sentences. These words are an essential part of plain English writing because they speak directly to the audience and grab their attention. Using personal pronouns keeps sentences shorter and helps avoid using confusing or obscure language.

Writing in plain English involves elimination of excess words. Words are excessive when they can be replaced by fewer words and the sentence still maintains the same meaning. Wordiness is a distraction. Clear and concise sentences make it easier to grasp the concepts or the ... [Find out more ...]

Research Papers for Dummies

Conduct grade-A research in the library or on the Internet Your complete toolbox to plan, structure, and write a quality paper Writing research papers doesn''t have to be intimidating. Whether you''re a student, a ... [Find out more ...]

Programmiersprache Perl

Kapitel: Perl, Larry Wall, Parrot, Twiki, Just Another Perl Hacker, Spamassassin, Catalyst Web Framework, Cpan, Damian Conway, Cyclone3, Frozen Bubble, Pugs, Obfuscated Perl Contest, Bugzilla, Xsql, Plain Old ... [Find out more ...]