Changes for page Simple sentences
Last modified by Lizzie Bruce on 2020/01/11 23:51
From version 2.12
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/07 11:52
on 2019/03/07 11:52
Change comment:
There is no comment for this version
To version 2.7
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/07 11:14
on 2019/03/07 11:14
Change comment:
There is no comment for this version
Summary
-
Page properties (1 modified, 0 added, 0 removed)
Details
- Page properties
-
- Content
-
... ... @@ -1,33 +1,43 @@ 1 1 (% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 2 - Thishelps:2 +Plain English 3 3 4 -* **people in a hurry** – simply written content is easier to scan and absorb instantly 5 -* **cognitive impairments** – easy to understand words and sentences need less cognition 6 -* **visual impairments** – short and simple sentences convey meaning in a smaller field of focus 7 -* **motor impairments** – it's less tiring when you can understand what you read quickly 4 +Make content clear and understandable, to open the web up for users with different literacy levels and access challenges. 8 8 6 +WCAG states that "using the clearest and simplest language appropriate is highly desirable." 9 9 8 +The United Nations recommends plain language for communications. 9 + 10 10 11 -== Guidelines ==11 +=== 1. Choose easy and short words not formal, long ones. === 12 12 13 - [[PlainEnglish>>PlainEnglish||anchor="pe"]]13 +Use ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’, ‘help’ instead of ‘assist’, and ‘about’ instead of ‘approximately’. 14 14 15 -[[Sentence length>>Sentence length||anchor="ssl"]] 15 +Write for the reading comprehension of a 9 year old. This helps you reach the most users and makes your content easy to scan. 16 + 16 16 17 - Sentencestructure18 +=== 2. Jargon and buzzwords are unlikely to be clear language. === 18 18 19 - Specialist terms20 +Often, these words are too general and vague and can lead to misinterpretation or empty, meaningless text. Avoid them. Instead, think about what the term actually means and describe that. Be open and specific. 20 20 21 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 22 -Words to avoid 23 23 23 +Example: 24 +"Let's touch base in 10 and do some blue sky thinking." This uses jargon. 25 +"Let's meet in 10 minutes to think of some ideas." Conveys same meaning using clear language. 24 24 25 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 26 -Our guidelines come out of conversations held on Slack about clear language usability evidence. Clear language helps in all areas. It opens it up to the widest possible audience. 27 27 28 +=== 3. Write conversationally. === 28 28 29 - == {{id name="pe"/}}PlainEnglish==30 +Picture your audience and write as if you were talking directly to them, with the authority of someone who can help and inform. 30 30 32 + 33 +=== 4. Test your content with users === 34 + 35 +What is 'plain' for one person may not be for someone else. 36 + 37 + 38 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 39 +Plain English 40 + 31 31 Make content clear and understandable, to open the web up for users with different literacy levels and access challenges. 32 32 33 33 WCAG states that "using the clearest and simplest language appropriate is highly desirable." ... ... @@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ 62 62 What is 'plain' for one person may not be for someone else. 63 63 64 64 65 -== Usability evidence for plain English==75 +== Usability evidence == 66 66 67 67 [[Guideline 3.1 Readable: Make text content readable and understandable.>>url:https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/meaning-supplements.html]], Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, 2008. 68 68 ... ... @@ -80,27 +80,32 @@ 80 80 81 81 [[Plain language entry>>url:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language]], Wikipedia, last updated 2018 82 82 93 +== Usability evidence == 83 83 84 - == {{id name="ssl"/}}Shortgth==95 +[[Guideline 3.1 Readable: Make text content readable and understandable.>>url:https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/meaning-supplements.html]], Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, 2008. 85 85 97 +[['Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities'>>url:http://templatelab.com/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/]], page 4 Article 2, Definitions, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2018. 86 86 99 +[['Plain Language Is for Everyone, Even Experts'>>url:https://www.nngroup.com/articles/plain-language-experts/]], H. Loranger, Nielsen Norman Group, 2017 87 87 88 - ==Simplesentenceucture==101 +[['The Public Speaks: An Empirical Study of Legal Communication'>>url:https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1843415]], C. R. Trudeau in 14 Scribes J. Leg. Writing 121 2012 89 89 103 +[['Strengthening plain language'>>url:http://www.iplfederation.org/]], International Plain Language Federation. Undated. 90 90 91 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 92 -Here's some sector specific guidance: 105 +[[Plain Language Commission style guide>>url:https://www.clearest.co.uk/plain-language-commission-style-guide]], Plain Language Commission, 2011 93 93 94 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 95 -Legal 107 +[['The principles of readability'>>url:http://www.impact-information.com/impactinfo/readability02.pdf]], Impact Information, William H. DuBay, 2004 96 96 97 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 98 -Medical 109 +[[Plain language entry>>url:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language]], Wikipedia, last updated 2018 99 99 100 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 101 -Financial 111 +== Short sentence length == 102 102 103 103 114 + 115 +== Simple sentence structure == 116 + 117 + 118 + 104 104 {{children/}} 105 105 106 106