Oxford Guide to Plain EnglishPlain English is an essential tool for effective communication. Information transmitted in letters, documents, reports, contracts, and forms is clearer and more understandable when presented in straightforward terms. The Oxford Guide to Plain English provides authoritative guidance on how to write plain English using easy-to-follow guidelines which cover straightforward language, sentence length, active and passive verbs, punctuation, grammar, planning, and good organization. This handy guide will be invaluable to writers of all levels. It provides essential guidelines that will allow readers to develop their writing style, grammar, and punctuation. The book also offers help in understanding official jargon and legalese giving the plain English alternatives. This guide gives hundreds of real examples and shows 'before and after' versions of texts of different kinds which will help readers to look critically at their own writing. It is organized in 25 short chapters, which each cover a different aspect of writing. Clearly laid out and easy to use, the Oxford Guide to Plain English is the best guide to writing clear and helpful documents. |
Contents
1 Writing shorter sentences or chopping up snakes | 1 |
2 Preferring plain words | 9 |
3 Writing tight | 41 |
4 Favouring the active voice | 50 |
5 Using vigorous verbs and untying noun strings | 59 |
6 Using vertical lists | 66 |
7 Converting negative to positive | 73 |
8 Crossreferences cross readers | 77 |
16 Using readercentred structure | 135 |
17 Using alternatives to words words words | 146 |
18 Management of colleagues writing | 152 |
19 Good practice with email | 161 |
20 Writing better instructions | 166 |
21 Clarity for the Web | 176 |
22 Lucid legal language | 187 |
23 Writing lowliteracy plain English | 197 |
9 Using good punctuation | 79 |
10 Pitching your writing at the right level | 98 |
11 Six writing myths explored and exploded | 105 |
12 Clearly nonsexist | 113 |
13 Conquering grammarphobia | 119 |
14 Sound starts and excellent endings | 123 |
15 Planning effectively | 128 |
24 Basics of clear layout | 208 |
its time to Proof read | 226 |
commonest words | 232 |
| 237 | |
| 242 | |
Common terms and phrases
active active voice alternative apostrophe Ashley Giles average sentence length avoid become benefit booklet brackets British British English Carhenge cent chapter clarity clear column comma Cost Centre council define definition difficult doer example field figures final find fine finish firm first fit five focus group full stop Gift Aid give grammar green bins Guideline headings hiring fee hyphen infinitives jakob Nielsen lawyers layout leaflet legal documents legible letter listed items look low-literacy means noun office officer official paragraph passive person phrase plain English Plain English Campaign plain language plain words points preferred proofreading punctuation readability tests readers reading age rewrite rules scientific semicolons specific split style tend there’s things understand users usually verb vertical list writing x-height