 Photo by Andrew Pons on Unsplash Related articles: Part 1: What is plain English? Part 3: How to write in plain English We are used to seeing plain English in government publications and information. Think of all the information we receive daily now around the Covid-19 pandemic. It is clear and easy to follow. Many countries have laws that require plain English to be used in government publications. In June 1998, a memorandum was issued in the US that required government departments and agencies to use plain language in all government documents. The UK and Australia have similar laws. We're a little behind in New Zealand, but the Plain Language Bill was introduced to Parliament in September 2021. On the New Zealand Legislation website, the explanatory note says that the bill “promotes the use of plain English in official documents and websites. Comprehensible information from government organisations is a basic democratic right. Plain English must become the standard for all official public and private communication in New Zealand.” However, government departments are not the only organisations that should use plain English. Plain English can be used in communication with a company’s staff and clients, or with the general public. There are benefits of using plain English to the reader (your clients and potential clients), and to your business or organisation. The benefits of plain English By using plain English writing in your business communications, your reader will be able to focus on the message rather than have to pick through the style. This benefits the reader, and if the reader is able to understand the message more easily, this then flows on to benefits for your business. The benefits of using plain English:
Besides the practical benefits listed above, using plain English to ensure that your reader understands your writing is a sign of respect. Your reader is more likely to feel important to you if they can easily read your information. If your reader is engaged and can easily understand your writing, they are more likely to engage with your business. In short, plain English is good customer service, good for your business, and makes life easier for the public. What next? If you are writing a document or book in plain English and this all sounds too overwhelming, I can help. I am a copy-editor and proofreader based in New Zealand. My business, Clearlingo Editing and Proofreading, caters to all writers of non-fiction books, documents and cook books. I can discuss with you where your writing is at and what you need to do next. For more information on how I can help you make your writing shine, please contact me. I would love to hear from you. Comments are closed.
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