Plain English

A succinct and simple writing style can make communication much more effective. Here are some tips for writing in Plain English.

Read it aloud Tip: read through what you have written, preferably aloud. If it is difficult to read aloud, it will be difficult for users to understand.

Jargon and acronyms

Try to expand acronyms and explain unfamiliar jargon the first time you use them.

Explaining procedures

If you are explaining a procedure, try to set it out in small steps in the same order as the person will need to carry out the procedure.

Plain English

Avoid passive voice, excessive formality and using unfamiliar terms without any explanation.

Passive voice example	Plain English
"Books may be borrowed from the library"	"You can borrow books from the library"
"It is recommended that..."	"We recommend that..."
it is preferred that a booked appointment is made	we would prefer you to make an appointment
Excessive formality	Plain English
subsequent approval of which will be a pre-requisite to the raising of any internal order mechanism	You will need approval before we can raise an internal order
Unfamiliar term	Plain English
irreversible encryption	irreversible encryption (data that has been scrambled for security purposes and cannot be unscrambled)

Common errors

Beware of common errors in English such as affect/effect (see also "Common Mistakes and Tricky Choices") - these errors will make it harder for users to understand what you are trying to say.

Avoid long sentences and run-on sentences. These are usually grammatically incorrect.

Incorrect	Correct	Better
Execmail will give you access immediately, the new shared mailbox folders will appear at the bottom of the 'tree' of your present list of folders.	Execmail will give you access immediately; the new shared mailbox folders will appear at the bottom of the 'tree' of your present list of folders." OR Execmail will give you access immediately and the new shared mailbox folders will appear at the bottom of the 'tree' of your present list of folders.	Execmail will give you access immediately. The new shared mailbox folders will appear at the bottom of the "tree" of your present list of folders.

Remember to separate dependent sub-clauses with a comma - e.g. "In order to have an email address, you must have a user name and account" or "You should, of course, be aware that..."

Nouns and verbs

Incorrect	Correct
Login to our system  Setup your password  Feedback your comments	Log in to our system /  Obtain a login  Set up your password  /  Go to setup page  Feed back your comments  / Send feedback

Numbers

• For numbers 1 to 10, use words, not numerals. (See style guide, p. 21-22)
• Use words for "first", "second" etc up to "tenth"; after that, use 11th, 21st, 100th
• But, if numbers above and below appear close together, then standardise them. e.g. "A group of 10-12 students" OR "A group of ten to twelve students."
• For numbers 11 onwards use numerals – 11-100.
• For numbers over 1,000 include a comma – 5,000  not 5000.
• Always start a sentence with words - "One thousand people" not "1,000 people…"
• For numbers with a decimal point, use numerals, e.g. 9.25, 12.5%

Resources

• Guide to writing in Plain English
• Example texts
• Strunk's The Elements of Style
• Top ten guidelines for web writing

Brookes resources

• Plain English for the Web course — Available from CMS Training and Support
• Based on the latest usability research findings, the Oxford Brookes Writing for the Web guide is a reference for anyone publishing content on our site. With guidance on Web-specific composition and usability issues.
• For full guidance on punctuation, grammar and consistency, please see the Oxford Brookes editorial style guide which spans both Web and print.
• Bite size version of the Oxford Brookes style guide