- We spoke about plain English writing in class. Please answer the following in detail:
a. How would you explain to someone what “plain English writing” is? (3 marks)
Put simply, plain English writing is the method of writing with reader (target audience) in mind so that it is clear, concise, correct, and most importantly, easily read. The reader should be able to easily find what they need, understand it, and use it to fulfill their purpose. This is an important principle in creating content because everything revolves around the consumer, so content MUST be written in a way that is tailored to the way that they consume it. Plain language uses common words, uses pronouns to speak directly, contains short sentences, and is positive wherever possible while taking into account what the reader needs to know about the topic. It takes into account who the reader is, what they know, and what they need.
Plain English writing has three main objectives:
- Readers can find what they need
- They can understand it
- They can use it to fulfill their purpose
It is important to remember that writing in plain language should never be a way to “dumb something down,” avoid the use of technical words, or be imprecise. It is simply the best form of writing that shows you respect the reader and value their time.
For example, consider this line written for participants signing up for an exercise class:
“After the class, you may experience extreme fatigue or even moments of dizziness. In attempt to avoid this, be sure to arrive to the facility fully hydrated.”
It is much clearer like this:
“Feeling tired or lightheaded is normal. You can help prevent this by drinking water before coming to class.”
b. What makes plain English writing different? (4 marks)
Plain English is different because it’s main priority is to be read easily by taking the audience into account, organizing information logically, writing for action, keeping the text concise, and being designed specifically for reading. It is written with the sole purpose of people being able to understand it. If people do not understand your content, they will not continue to read it, which means it is useless to them.
Example: In an episode of Schitt’s Creek, Moira and her son David are attempting to cook dinner for their family. Neither of them is familiar with the basics of cooking because they were rich before falling on hard times, so they never had to cook for themselves. When the instructions require them to “fold in” the cheese and they have no idea how to do it because the recipe card is not written in plain language. They had to later watch a tutorial on YouTube explaining the technique of folding in. The term “fold” may be considered jargon to readers who are unfamiliar with cooking, therefore, it should be followed by an explanation or simple diagram to follow
Plain language: Combine the cheese and the dough by lifting them together until they become one mixture. Make sure you do not over-stir it!
This is why plain language uses common words while staying concise in order to deliver information to the reader in a way that makes it easy to understand, so they can fulfill their purpose. 82% of readers appreciate this over alternative forms of language for instructions because it saves them time. This is because plain language takes into account what the reader knows, in addition to what they need to know. It also takes into account that nearly half (42%) of Canadian adults experience literacy challenges, so plain language avoids using jargon.
Content is the by-product of all work and research conducted in order to meet an objective. The consumer must always be at the forefront of this content creation, and we cannot assume anything about our audience, or we will not meet our objective. Plain language exists to ensure that this content is tailored to the needs and abilities of the reader so that they actually consume the content.
c. What is plain language writing for the web and in detail, in your own words, why is it important? (4 marks)
Plain language writing for the web produces content that keeps the intended audience on your page/site by ensuring that it engages them and fulfills their purpose. This allows a company to offer readers a usable website that helps them accomplish their intended goals. Writing in plain language for the web allows you to effectively communicate with the reader through your content and guide them through steps, processes, etc. that vary depending on the web page. Each goal will require different content that follows plain writing principles.
Content will need to be written with fewer words, no wordy phrases or jargon, shorter sentences, and no word walls. You must also ensure that pages do not become too long due to the amount of content because the lower they have to scroll/read, the less that lower content will be read/consumed. Plain language writing for the web also applies to visual elements such as headings, fonts, format, and images. This must also be taken into consideration when writing for the intended audience.
This is important because plain language writing:
- Saves time and money
- Everyone appreciates clarity
- People won’t dread reading your writing
- You empower your readers
Plain language writing for the web should:[1]
- Be concise
- Break documents into separate topics
- Use shorter paragraphs than on paper
- Use lists and bullets to organize info
- Use even more lists than print
- Include more headings containing less info under each
- Use enough white space for pages to be easily scanned
- Use words and phrases that the user would use when searching the web
Writing with the reader in mind ensures that the language is appropriate for the medium and it is consistent with the way consumers behave online. Personally, when I am trying to navigate a website with a specific purpose in mind, I expect to immediately be able to understand the content that I am reading, or I will become frustrated and leave the site to continue searching. Specifically, when I am conducting research to include additional information in my assignments, if the material is difficult to understand or I do not recognize anything we discussed in class, I continue searching. Writing in plain language delivers content to the consumer in a way that does not overwhelm them and keeps them on your site longer as they fulfill their purpose.
[1] https://www.plainlanguage.gov/resources/checklists/web-checklist/
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