Plain Language FAQ's
This site helps you by:
- Finding complex phrases and suggesting simple ones
- Locating passive voice
- Rooting out hidden verbs (also called abstract nouns, nominalizations)
- Searching for redundant phrases and suggesting what to eliminate
- Finding clichés, bias-language so you can eliminate them
These rules alone won't solve all writing problems. For example, this site doesn't check grammar or spelling. This service checks your writing against a large checklist of common style issues. Think of it as a big database of pet peeves.
The good people at plainlanguage.gov say it best:
Plain language (also called Plain English) is communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it. Language that is plain to one set of readers may not be plain to others. Written material is in plain language if your audience can:
- Find what they need;
- Understand what they find; and
- Use what they find to meet their needs.
There are many writing techniques that can help you achieve this goal. Among the most common are:
- Logical organization with the reader in mind
- "You" and other pronouns
- Active voice
- Short sentences
- Common, everyday words
- Easy-to-read design features
No one technique defines plain language. Rather, plain language is defined by resultsit is easy to read, understand, and use.
Site FAQ's
There are a few tools that look for wordy and commonly misused phrases. Here are the ones that I know of:
Windows- Style Writer (MS Office Plugin, $150)
If you know of one, please suggest it.
UNIX / Linux- GNU Style and Diction (command line, free)
The writing report page rule colors show the change the rule requires. The colors meanings are:
- Remove a word or phrase
- Substitute a word or phrase
- Revise Sentence