Hannah Kirk
Writing Assistance Inc.;
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Keep it simple
to communicate
with clarity
TO WRITE FOR ALL AUDIENCES audiences is difficult. It would be nice if there was a way to write documents and e-mails for clients that were easy to understand and reduced confusion. This is possible!
Technical documentation teams use a form of English called Simple English when writing user manuals. Simple English is a way of writing for all audiences that is uncomplicated and easy-to-understand.
When it comes to writing about complex technical topics for the lay audience, technical writers must write in as clear and concise a way as possible. The lay audience is defined in many organizations as people that have an eighth-grade education and little or no technical experience.
If this is the typical audience, writing instructional documents heavy with jargon and technical language will not help them. Many users are above this level of understanding, yet this type of writing does not over-simplify. Instead, it gives the important information in a straightforward manner that eliminates confusion and communicates the message in the most concise method possible.
Simple English is not just for instructional manuals, but has many applications throughout the business world. A manager who writes letters or a support staff member who must communicate messages clearly and effectively can benefit from using this style of writing.
Businesses frequently communicate in various ways with people who do not speak English at all. For written communications, Simple English lends itself very well to translation.
In technical writing, many instruction manuals need to be translated to languages other than English. Using this simple form of English can make that translation much easier.
The principles of Simple English are straightforward; it is the English that children speak.
Simple English uses short phrases, avoids metaphors, large-syllable words, and words that have multiple meanings. If a 3- or 4-year-old can understand a sentence without asking questions about the syntax or what a word or metaphor means, the sentence is probably in Simple English.
Concepts, simply
No. 1. Write as concisely as possible. When writing a sentence, re-read it and think about how it can be written more concisely. For example, here is a sentence that can be written in a more succinct way:
“When you plan ahead you are able to think more clearly when you are busy.”
Upon first glance, this sentence seems simple and easy to understand. True, it is written clearly. Most of the words are common and no words have double meanings. But this sentence can be written even more concisely:
“You can think more clearly when you are busy if you plan ahead.”
Three words were cut out and the syntax was restructured for a clearer understanding. Yet, this sentence can be cut down even more:
“You can think clearly when you plan ahead.”
The part about being busy was left out. Was this essential to the sentence? It depends on the context. If the sentence cannot be understood without adding that you must be busy in order to think clearly by planning ahead, then it should be left in.
If not, this sentence has just been reduced from 15 words to eight. How short would e-mails be if their writers took the time to do this every time?
No. 2. Use active tense. Students are praised for their use of passive wording in high schools and universities. Journalists and academics typically write in passive voice (for example, this article is written in passive voice). However, this is not always the most clear for understandability.
Even though many people will understand passive voice, new English speakers and translators appreciate the use of active voice. For example, instead of writing, “The sign was created for your information” write “The company created the sign for your information.”
A good rule of thumb for writing in passive voice is putting a clear doer of the action in front of each verb. Eliminate the use of the words “is”, “be” and “are” and you are on your way.
No. 3. When writing a verb, include the subject of that verb. This goes beyond the rule for writing in active voice. This is to eliminate confusion in using pronouns. This helps new English speakers and translators determine the clear subject for each verb.
For example, “Every time I drive my car to the store, it breaks down!” In this sentence, it could refer to the car or to the store, but there is no way to know for sure just by reading this sentence. This sentence can eliminate the extra pronoun and the confusion the pronoun can cause by saying what it refers to: “Every time I drive my car to the store, my car breaks down!”
Using these principles will help you write clearly for all audiences – young, old, educated, uneducated, advanced English speakers and new English speakers alike. You will even help the ability to translate for non-English speakers.
Your readers will thank you for making their lives easier!
