This is a summary of the Federal Plain Language Guidelines (May 2011). Objective of this article is to provide a quick overview of the topics discussed in the Guidelines handbook. The handbook is available for download for free at plainlanguage.gov in PDF and Word formats.

Audience

Writing in plain language means writing for your audience using language that your audience understands and is comfortable with. 

Figure out who your audience is, what they currently know, and what they need to know. Then figure out how you would guide them from their current knowledge to the new knowledge. Figure out what you would say to get the best outcome for your audience and agency.

Address different audiences separately. Do not mix materials meant for different audiences.

Document organization

Begin the document by stating its purpose and end-result. Remove fillers and unnecessary content. Put the most important information at the beginning. Include background information toward the end.

Anticipate the questions the reader would ask. Organize your document in a way that the reader will quickly find answers to those questions. For complex documents, create a comprehensive table of contents to guide the reader through the document.

Types of document organization

• Chronological organization: this is best for process-related information and tasks that happen in a certain sequence. 
• General to specific organization: put general information at the beginning followed by specialized information and exceptions to the information. 
• Combination: both structures can be used together for some documents.

Limit levels to three or fewer. Readers can easily lose track of where they are in a document with four or more levels. Divide your document into more pieces at top levels so that you can limit subdivisions below the major level to two. 

Even if your document affects a group of people, address your document to the one person who is reading it. Singular nouns and verbs prevent confusion about whether a requirement applies to individual users or to groups. By addressing a single person, you can also avoid awkwardness by using “you” instead of third-person pronouns or other nouns.

Use headings generously

They help readers understand the document structure and accomplish top-level tasks. 

There are three types of headings:

1. Question headings

Headings in the form of a question. 

For example, “Why do we use headings?” 

Use these headings if you know what questions your audience would ask.

2. Statement headings

Headings that use a noun and a verb. 

For example, “Headings Help Guide a Reader.” 

These headings are the next best choice because they are specific.

3. Topic headings

Headings that are a word or a short phrase. 

For example, “Headings.” 

Avoid these headings because they are vague. 

Develop the headings first before writing the document. Structure them to your audience’s concerns. This can reveal information that can be grouped under bigger headings.

Headings should be shorter than the content that follows them.

Break down your content into short sections. It allows you to capture the entire content of each section in its heading. It also makes the document comprehensible and more visually appealing. 

Document writing

Verbs

Use active voice 

Let the reader know who does what and who is responsible for what. Use passive voice rarely. For example, when the law is the actor.

Use the simplest form of a verb

Use present tense wherever possible. It makes documents more immediate, more direct, more forceful, and less complicated.

Avoid hidden verbs

A hidden verb is a verb converted into a noun that needs an extra verb to make sense. 

For example:

To trace the missing payment, we need to carry out a review of the Agency’s accounts so we can gain an understanding of the reason the error occurred.

Turn them into a verb. Use the strongest, most direct form of the verb possible:

To trace the missing payment, we need to review the Agency’s accounts so we understand the reason the error occurred.

Use “must” to indicate requirements

Do not use “shall” – it is officious and obsolete. It is also imprecise because it can indicate either an obligation or  a prediction. Instead, use the following: 

• “Must” for an obligation
• “Must not” for a prohibition
• “May” for a discretionary action
• “Should” for a recommendation

Use contractions when appropriate

Contractions are common in spoken English. They make the document more readable. However, use them only where it sounds natural. 

Nouns and pronouns

Don’t turn verbs into nouns

Avoid noun strings – groups of nouns sandwiched together. 

For example,

Draft laboratory animal rights protection regulations

Instead, write:

Draft regulations to protect the rights of laboratory animals

Two ways of removing noun strings:

1. Eliminate non-essential descriptive words
2. Use prepositions and articles to clarify relationships among the words

Use pronouns to speak directly to readers

Use “you” to address readers. It helps readers understand their responsibility and also makes the document shorter and readable.

Clearly define “you” using one of the following methods:

• State in the beginning of the document who the user is.
• Define “you” in the Definitions section.
• Where you address different users in different parts of the document, define “you” in each context.

Use “I” when phrasing questions, assuming that the reader is the one asking questions.

Use “we” in answers to represent your organization. Define “we” in your document if that will help the reader.

Use pronouns that clearly refer to a specific noun. If a pronoun could refer to more than one person or object in a sentence, repeat the name of the person or object or rewrite the sentence.

Minimize abbreviations

Find a simplified name or nickname for the entity you want to abbreviate. It may be a bit longer but helps readers remember what you’re talking about. Define nicknames, if there are many in the document. 

Do not define an abbreviation that everyone knows. Do not define anything that is obvious to readers.

Define an abbreviation the first time you use it. 

Limit the number of abbreviations in a document to three. 

If an abbreviation makes it harder for readers to understand the document, don’t use it.

Use short, simple words

Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched.

Prefer the concrete word to the abstraction.

Prefer the single word to the circumlocution.

Prefer the short word to the long.

Prefer the Saxon word to the Romance word.

Omit unnecessary words

Omit information that the audience doesn’t need to know.

Shorten phrases containing prepositions.

Omit redundant words and excess modifiers.

Avoid doublets and triplets. For example, instead of “cease and desist,” use “stop.”

Dealing with definitions

Use definitions rarely. If something needs defining, rewrite it to eliminate the need. 

If you must use definitions, follow the guidelines below:

• Give common words their common meanings and don’t define them.
• When possible, define a word where you use it.
• Avoid long sections of definitions at the beginning or end of your document. 
• If you must have a definition section, put it at the end.
• Never include regulatory or other substantive material in definitions.
• Don’t define words you don’t use.

Use the same term consistently for a specific thought or object

Do not use synonyms. They decrease clarity of the document.

Avoid legal, foreign, and technical jargon

Jargon is an unnecessarily complicated technical language that is used to impress, rather than to inform. 

Avoiding jargon means making sure your language is as clear as possible. Substitute everyday language for jargon wherever possible. If you must use technical terms, make sure to define them. 

Avoid archaic jargon such as “hereafter,” “heretofore,” and “therewith.”

Don’t use slashes

Do not use “and/or.” Decide what you mean and write accordingly. 

Use a hyphen to join equal or like terms.

PART II