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Changes for page Simple sentences

Last modified by Lizzie Bruce on 2020/01/11 23:51
From version Icon 2.21 Icon
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/07 14:15
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To version Icon 2.18 Icon
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/07 13:22
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11 11  
12 12  [[Plain English>>Plain English||anchor="pe"]]
13 13  
14 -[[Simple sentences>>||anchor="ssl"]]
14 +[[Simple sentences >> ||anchor="ssl"]]
15 15  
16 -[[Specialist terms>>||anchor="st"]]
16 +[[Specialist terms>>Specialist terms||anchor="st"]]
17 17  
18 18  [[Medicine, money and law>>doc:.Medical.WebHome]]
19 19  
... ... @@ -20,12 +20,8 @@
20 20  (% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
21 21  [[Words to avoid>>doc:.Words to avoid.WebHome]]
22 22  
23 -
24 24  ----
25 25  
26 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
27 -== ==
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.
... ... @@ -80,22 +80,19 @@
80 80  
81 81  [[Plain language entry>>url:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language]], Wikipedia, last updated 2018
82 82  
83 -
84 84  ----
85 85  
86 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
87 -== ==
88 -
89 89  == {{id name="ssl"/}}Simple sentences ==
90 90  
83 +
91 91  === 1. Make your average sentence 15 words long. ===
92 92  
93 -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.
86 +The maximum sentence length we would recommend for easy comprehension is 25 words.
94 94  
95 -Oxford Guide to plain English, GOV.UK and linguists agree 15 word sentences are fine but above 40 words is hard to understand.
88 +You can split longer sentences up into 2 or 3 or restructure the content with bullet points to make meaning clearer for users.
96 96  
97 97  
98 -=== 2. Avoid complex sentence structures. ===
91 +== 2. Avoid complex sentence structures. ==
99 99  
100 100  They are less easy to comprehend quickly. Understanding them requires more cognitive effort than simple sentences.
101 101  
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112 112  
113 113  == Usability evidence for simple sentences ==
114 114  
115 -Oxford Guide to plain English
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
116 116  
117 -Jyoti Sanyal 'Indlish'
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."
118 118  
119 -Author Ann Wylie
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."
120 120  
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."
115 +
121 121  [[Writing for GOV.UK>>url:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk]], UK Government website
122 122  
123 123  [['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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158 158  
159 159  [[The Crystal Mark standard>>url:http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/services/crystal-mark/7-the-crystal-mark-standard.html]] Plain English Campaign, undated
160 160  
161 -
162 162  ----
163 163  
164 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
165 -== ==
158 +== {{id name="st"/}}Specialist terms: explain them ==
166 166  
167 -== {{id name="st"/}}Specialist terms ==
168 -
169 169  (% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
170 170  Make specialist content comprehensible by non-experts.
171 171  
172 172  
173 -=== 1. Explain specialist terms: anybody can access your content. ===
164 +=== 1. Remember that anybody can access your content. ===
174 174  
175 175  Assuming who your audience is, and that they'll understand the technical terms you use, are common misconceptions.
176 176  
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214 214  
215 215  [['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
216 216  
217 -
218 218  (% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
219 -We generated the [[original sentence about a specialist architecture term>>url:http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/palladian]] from yourdictionary.com.
209 +We generated the [[before sentence about an architecture term>>url:http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/palladian]] from yourdictionary.com and applied our recommendations.
220 220  
221 221  
222 222  (% class="wikigeneratedid" %)