- How would you explain to someone what “Plain English writing” is? (3 Marks)
“Plain English Writing” is an approach in which is intentional to help ensure that messages are easily understood by a business’s target audience. It involves creating messages that are clear, well-organized, and concise, which helps make the information within the message clear and readable for all readers. Plain English writing is basically what the title of the aspect says, its writing messages in plain English that is easily readable for the audience and isn’t confusing, it uses clear and understandable words that are easily recognized and helps the readers understand what you’re trying to say. Ultimately, the objective of plain English writing is to communicate in a way that is understandable to everyone, regardless of their level of education or background. Instead of confusing your readers with heavy words or long unnecessary phrases, plain English writing focuses on getting the point across clearly and quickly. It’s like having a discussion with someone and wanting them to understand all that you’re saying without them being confused.
An example:
Complex: “Being in accordance with school policy and regulations, you must submit you class application to meet the provided deadline, so that professors are able to quickly process the applications and return them”
Plain English: “please try and submit your assignments on time as it’s what the school policy says, this way professors can mark them quickly and hand them back”