Changes for page Simple sentences

Summary

• Page properties (2 modified, 0 added, 0 removed)

Details

Page properties

Title

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1		-Clear language
	1	+Language use

Content

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1		-(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
2		-This helps:
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	2	+(((
	3	+Writing about people: being inclusive
	4	+)))
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 visual field
7		-* **motor impairments** – it's less tiring when you can understand what you read quickly
	6	+(% class="box" %)
	7	+(((
	8	+Audience labels: I, you, we, they
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	11	+(% class="box" %)
	12	+(((
	13	+Plain English, simple sentences
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	17	+(((
	18	+Specialist terms
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10	10
11		-== Guidelines ==
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	22	+(((
	23	+Law, medicine and money
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12	12
13		-[[Plain English>>Plain English||anchor="pe"]]
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	27	+(((
	28	+Words to avoid
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14	14
15		-[[Simple sentences >> ||anchor="ssl"]]
	31	+[[Simple sentences>>||anchor="ssl"]]
16	16
17		-[[Specialist terms>>Specialist terms||anchor="st"]]
	33	+[[Specialist terms>>||anchor="st"]]
18	18
19		-(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
20		-Words to avoid
	35	+[[Law, medicine, money>>doc:.Medical.WebHome]]
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22	22	(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
23		-Medicine, money and law
	38	+[[Words to avoid>>doc:.Words to avoid.WebHome]]
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25	25
	41	+----
	42	+
	43	+== ==
	44	+
26	26	== {{id name="pe"/}}Plain English ==
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28	28	Make content clear and understandable, to open the web up for users with different literacy levels and access challenges.
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59	59	What is 'plain' for one person may not be for someone else.
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61	61
62		-== Usability evidence for plain English ==
	81	+== Usability evidence: plain English ==
63	63
64	64	[[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.
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78	78	[[Plain language entry>>url:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language]], Wikipedia, last updated 2018
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81		-== {{id name="ssl"/}}Simple sentences ==
	100	+----
82	82
	102	+== ==
83	83
	104	+== {{id name="ssl"/}}Simple sentences ==
	105	+
84	84	=== 1. Make your average sentence 15 words long. ===
85	85
86		-The maximum sentence length we would recommend for easy comprehension is 25 words.
	108	+The maximum sentence length for a good level of comprehension is 25 words. Split long sentences up into 2 or 3, or use bullet points.
87	87
88		-You can split longer sentences up into 2 or 3 or restructure the content with bullet points to make meaning clearer for users.
	110	+Oxford Guide to plain English, GOV.UK and linguists agree 15 word sentences are fine but above 40 words is hard to understand.
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90	90
91		-== 2. Avoid complex sentence structures. ==
	113	+=== 2. Avoid complex sentence structures. ===
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93	93	They are less easy to comprehend quickly. Understanding them requires more cognitive effort than simple sentences.
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103	103	>"The fox, which was red, over the gate jumped." – harder to understand
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105	105
106		-== Usability evidence for simple sentences ==
	128	+== Usability evidence: simple sentences ==
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108		-"People with some learning disabilities read letter for letter – they do not bounce around like other users. They also cannot fully understand a sentence if it’s too long. People with moderate learning disabilities can understand sentences of 5 to 8 words without difficulty. By using common words we can help all users understand sentences of around 25 words." GOV.UK
	130	+Oxford Guide to plain English
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110		-The Oxford Guide to Plain English recommends 15–20 words per sentence. It also says: "…if you regularly exceed 40 words, you’ll certainly weary and deter your readers."
	132	+Jyoti Sanyal 'Indlish'
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112		-Jyoti Sanyal, author of 'Indlish' said: "Based on several studies, press associations in the USA have laid down a readability table. Their survey shows readers find sentences of 8 words or less very easy to read; 11 words, easy; 14 words fairly easy; 17 words standard; 21 words fairly difficult; 25 words difficult and 29 words or more, very difficult."
	134	+Author Ann Wylie
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114		-Author Ann Wylie said: "When the average sentence length in a piece was fewer than 8 words long, readers understood 100% of the story. At 14 words, they could comprehend more than 90% of the information. But move up to 43-word sentences and comprehension dropped below 10 percent."
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116	116	[[Writing for GOV.UK>>url:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk]], UK Government website
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118	118	[['Sentence length: why 25 words is our limit'>>url:https://insidegovuk.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/04/sentence-length-why-25-words-is-our-limit/]], Inside GOV.UK, UK Government blog, 2014
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154	154	[[The Crystal Mark standard>>url:http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/services/crystal-mark/7-the-crystal-mark-standard.html]] Plain English Campaign, undated
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157		-== {{id name="st"/}}Specialist terms: explain them ==
	177	+----
158	158
	179	+== ==
	180	+
	181	+== {{id name="st"/}}Specialist terms ==
	182	+
159	159	(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
160	160	Make specialist content comprehensible by non-experts.
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162	162
163		-=== 1. Remember that anybody can access your content. ===
	187	+=== 1. Explain specialist terms: anybody can access your content. ===
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165	165	Assuming who your audience is, and that they'll understand the technical terms you use, are common misconceptions.
166	166
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182	182
183	183	>Example:
184	184	>
185		->"It is a Palladian style stone building, and contains a number of splendid paintings and much fine wood-carving." – original sentence.
	209	+>"It is a Palladian style stone building, and contains a number of splendid paintings and much fine wood-carving." – original sentence (source [[yourdictionary.com>>url:http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/palladian]]).
186	186	>
187	187	>"It is a [[Palladian style>>url:http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/s/style-guide-palladianism/]] stone building, and contains a number of splendid paintings and much fine wood-carving." – with link to a definition.
	212	+>
188	188	> "It is a Palladian style stone building and contains a number of splendid paintings and much fine wood-carving. Palladian style architecture features include columns, symmetry and decorative arches." – with explanatory definition.
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191		-== Usability evidence for explaining specialist terms ==
	216	+== Usability evidence: specialist terms ==
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193	193	[['Writing Digital Copy for Domain Experts'>>url:https://www.nngroup.com/articles/writing-domain-experts/]], Nielson Norman Group, 2017
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203	203	[['Technical Writing Need Not Be Abstruse—Use Plain Language for Maximum Impact'>>url:https://digital.gov/2015/10/23/technical-writing-need-not-be-abstruse-use-plain-language-for-maximum-impact/#]], Colleen Blessing, 2015
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205	205	[['The Facets of the General Public as Audience'>>url:https://www.dropbox.com/s/2u2cybl7c57u0tr/AudienceIssues.pdf?dl=0]] Cheryl Stephens and Mariah Stufflebeam, 2017
	231	+
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207		-(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
208		-We generated the [[before sentence about an architecture term>>url:http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/palladian]] from yourdictionary.com and applied our recommendations.
	233	+----
209	209
210		-
211	211	(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
212		-Here's some sector specific guidance for medicine, money and law.
213		-
214		-{{children/}}
215		-
	236	+Here's some sector specific guidance for [[medicine, money and law>>doc:.Medical.WebHome]].
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	238	+
	239	+And here's our list of jargon [[words to avoid>>doc:.Words to avoid.WebHome]]!