Changes for page Simple sentences
Last modified by Lizzie Bruce on 2020/01/11 23:51
From version 
2.20 
2.20
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/07 13:30
on 2019/03/07 13:30
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To version 2.12
2.12
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/07 11:52
on 2019/03/07 11:52
Change comment:
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... ... @@ -3,29 +3,29 @@ 3 3 4 4 * **people in a hurry** – simply written content is easier to scan and absorb instantly 5 5 * **cognitive impairments** – easy to understand words and sentences need less cognition 6 -* **visual impairments** – short and simple sentences convey meaning in a smaller visualfield6 +* **visual impairments** – short and simple sentences convey meaning in a smaller field of focus 7 7 * **motor impairments** – it's less tiring when you can understand what you read quickly 8 8 9 9 10 + 10 10 == Guidelines == 11 11 12 12 [[Plain English>>Plain English||anchor="pe"]] 13 13 14 -[[S implesentences>>||anchor="ssl"]]15 +[[Sentence length>>Sentence length||anchor="ssl"]] 15 15 16 - [[Specialistterms>>||anchor="st"]]17 +Sentence structure 17 17 18 - [[Medicine, moneyandlaw>>doc:.Medical.WebHome]]19 +Specialist terms 19 19 20 20 (% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 21 - [[Words to avoid>>doc:.Words to avoid.WebHome]]22 +Words to avoid 22 22 23 23 24 ----- 25 - 26 26 (% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 27 - ====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. 28 28 28 + 29 29 == {{id name="pe"/}}Plain English == 30 30 31 31 Make content clear and understandable, to open the web up for users with different literacy levels and access challenges. ... ... @@ -81,149 +81,27 @@ 81 81 [[Plain language entry>>url:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language]], Wikipedia, last updated 2018 82 82 83 83 84 - ----84 +== {{id name="ssl"/}}Short sentence length == 85 85 86 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 87 -== == 88 88 89 -== {{id name="ssl"/}}Simple sentences == 90 90 88 +== Simple sentence structure == 91 91 92 -=== 1. Make your average sentence 15 words long. === 93 93 94 -The maximum sentence length we would recommend for easy comprehension is 25 words. 91 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 92 +Here's some sector specific guidance: 95 95 96 -You can split longer sentences up into 2 or 3 or restructure the content with bullet points to make meaning clearer for users. 94 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 95 +Legal 97 97 98 - 99 -=== 2. Avoid complex sentence structures. === 100 - 101 -They are less easy to comprehend quickly. Understanding them requires more cognitive effort than simple sentences. 102 - 103 - 104 -Complexity depends on: 105 - 106 -* number of clauses in a sentence, the more clauses the more complex it is 107 -* distribution of associated words across the sentence – how easily can the brain 'parse a phrase': recognise, connect and comprehend words that together convey meaning 108 - 109 - 110 ->Example:"The red fox jumped over the gate." – easier to understand 111 ->"The fox, which was red, over the gate jumped." – harder to understand 112 - 113 - 114 -== Usability evidence for simple sentences == 115 - 116 -"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 117 - 118 -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." 119 - 120 -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." 121 - 122 -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." 123 - 124 -[[Writing for GOV.UK>>url:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk]], UK Government website 125 - 126 -[['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 127 - 128 -[['Content design'>>url:https://contentdesign.london/book/]], Sarah Richards, 2017 129 - 130 -[['The role of word difficulty and sentence length in text comprehension'>>url:https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a114935.pdf]], T. M. Duffy and P. K. U'Ren, 1982 131 - 132 -[['The Influence of Semantics and Syntax on What Readers Remember'>>url:https://www.hcde.washington.edu/files/people/docs/Isakson_Spyridakis_Sem_Syn.pdf]], C. S. Isakson and J. H. Spyridakis, 1999 133 - 134 -[['How the brain attunes to sentence processing: Relating behavior, structure, and function'>>url:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4819595/]], A. Fengler, L. Meyer, A. D. Friederici, National Center for Biotechnology Information 135 - 136 -[['Functional Analysis of Clause Complex in the Language of News Websites Texts: A Comparative Study of Two Articles'>>url:http://www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-0616/ijsrp-p5445.pdf]], F. M. S. Eid, International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 6, Issue 6, June 2016 137 - 138 -[[Reading Level>>url:https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/meaning-supplements.html]], Understanding SC 3.1.5, WCAG, 2008 139 - 140 -[['Readability Assessment of Internet-Based Consumer Health Information'>>url:http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/53/10/1310/tab-pdf]], T. M. Walsh and T. A. Volsko in Respiratory Care October 2008, 53 (10) 1310-1315 141 - 142 -[['The research basis of plain language techniques: Implications for establishing standards'>>url:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karen_Schriver/publication/285927928_The_research_basis_of_plain_language_techniques_Implications_for_establishing_standards/links/5664c50208ae192bbf90aa85/The-research-basis-of-plain-language-techniques-Implications-for-establishing-standards.pdf]], Karen Schriver, PhD, Dr. A. L. Cheek, M. Mercer, Center for Plain Language, November 20, 2008, Mexico City 143 - 144 -[['Readability Levels of Health-Based Websites: From Content to Comprehension'>>url:https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ851863.pdf]], M. Schutten, A. McFarland, PhD, International Electronic Journal of Health Education, 2009, 12:99-107 145 - 146 -[['Writing smaller'>>url:http://clarity-international.net/journals/63.pdf]], Clarity Journal no. 63, 2010 147 - 148 -[[Plain Language Commission style guide>>url:https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/aaf9e928/files/uploaded/PLCstyleguide25July2012.pdf]], 2012 149 - 150 -[['Shorter Lines Facilitate Reading in Those Who Struggle'>>url:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071161]], Matthew H. Schneps , Jenny M. Thomson, Gerhard Sonnert, Marc Pomplun, Chen Chen, Amanda Heffner-Wong, 2013 151 - 152 -[['Towards a better measure of readability: Explanation of empirical performance results'>>url:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00437956.1989.11435805]], Leslie A. Olsen & Rod Johnson, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015 153 - 154 -[['What is plain language?'>>url:https://plainlanguagenetwork.org/plain-language/what-is-plain-language/]], Plain Language Association International, 2015 155 - 156 -[[Text complexity, ATOS, and Lexile® Measures>>url:https://www.renaissance.com/products/practice/accelerated-reader-360/atos-and-text-complexity/]], Renaissance Learning, 2016 157 - 158 -[['Understanding Plain English summaries. A comparison of two approaches to improve the quality of Plain English summaries in research reports.'>>url:https://researchinvolvement.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40900-017-0064-0]] 2017 159 - 160 -[['How to use Yoast SEO: The readability analysis?'>>url:https://yoast.com/yoast-seo-readability-analysis/]] Edwin Toonen, Yoast, 2018 161 - 162 -[[The Crystal Mark standard>>url:http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/services/crystal-mark/7-the-crystal-mark-standard.html]] Plain English Campaign, undated 163 - 164 - 165 ----- 166 - 167 167 (% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 168 - == ==98 +Medical 169 169 170 -== {{id name="st"/}}Specialist terms == 171 - 172 172 (% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 173 - Make specialist contentcomprehensibleby non-experts.101 +Financial 174 174 175 175 176 - === 1. Explain specialist terms: anybody can access yourcontent. ===104 +{{children/}} 177 177 178 -Assuming who your audience is, and that they'll understand the technical terms you use, are common misconceptions. 179 179 180 - 181 -=== 2. Create content that all users can understand, whatever their expertise or background. === 182 - 183 -When you present a concept explain its parts and processes in detail. 184 - 185 -If you need to include a technical term consider explaining it. Make sure the surrounding language in plain language. 186 - 187 - 188 -=== 3. Help users understand specialist terms. === 189 - 190 -You could: 191 - 192 -* link to an existing definition – this could be an external site 193 -* add a explanatory definition after using the term 194 194 195 - 196 ->Example: 197 -> 198 ->"It is a Palladian style stone building, and contains a number of splendid paintings and much fine wood-carving." – original sentence. 199 -> 200 ->"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. 201 -> "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. 202 - 203 - 204 -== Usability evidence for explaining specialist terms == 205 - 206 -[['Writing Digital Copy for Domain Experts'>>url:https://www.nngroup.com/articles/writing-domain-experts/]], Nielson Norman Group, 2017 207 - 208 -[['Writing Digital Copy for Specialists vs. General Audiences'>>url:https://www.nngroup.com/videos/writing-digital-copy-specialists/?lm=how-users-read-on-the-web&pt=article]], Nielson Norman Group, undated 209 - 210 -[['Plain Language For Everyone, Even Experts'>>url:https://www.nngroup.com/videos/plain-language-for-experts/?lm=how-users-read-on-the-web&pt=article]] Nielson Norman Group, undated 211 - 212 -[['TechWhirl Fast 5: Understanding Plain Language and Simplified Technical English'>>url:https://techwhirl.com/techwhirl-fast-5-understanding-plain-language-simplified-technical-english/]], Connie Giordano, TechWhirl, 2017 213 - 214 -[['Advantages and disadvantages with Simplified Technical English'>>url:https://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:16816/FULLTEXT01]], Msc thesis paper, Karin Disborg, 2007 215 - 216 -[['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 217 - 218 -[['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 219 - 220 - 221 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 222 -We generated the [[original sentence about a specialist architecture term>>url:http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/palladian]] from yourdictionary.com. 223 - 224 - 225 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 226 -Here's some sector specific guidance for [[medicine, money and law>>doc:.Medical.WebHome]]. 227 - 228 - 229 -And here's our list of jargon [[words to avoid>>doc:.Words to avoid.WebHome]]!