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Plain Talk is
communication your audience can understand
the first time they read or hear it.
It's the difference
between "look
before you leap" and "exercise
your visual faculties prior to executing
a jump."
Plain English makes it easier for people to follow rules, fill
out forms correctly, and understand medical advice.
Clear language also saves
money. The Federal Communications Commission
once needed five people to answer questions
about its rules for citizen band radios.
Putting the regulations into plain English
freed all five staffers to take on other
duties.
According to PlainLanguage.gov,
"No one technique defines plain
language. Rather, plain language
is defined by results—it
is easy to read, understand,
and use."
How can you
make your writing easy for readers to
understand? Use
short sentences and simple words. Prefer
active verbs to passive ones. Speak to
the reader as "you." Check out various
guidelines to
plain language to learn other techniques.
Then test your
writing on readers to be sure your message is clear.
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