Changes for page Simple sentences
Last modified by Lizzie Bruce on 2020/01/11 23:51
From version 2.25
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/08 16:59
on 2019/03/08 16:59
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To version 2.15
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/07 12:52
on 2019/03/07 12:52
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... ... @@ -2,33 +2,24 @@ 2 2 This helps: 3 3 4 4 * **people in a hurry** – simply written content is easier to scan and absorb instantly 5 -* **people who are stressed** – if you're anxious you find it harder to comprehend things 6 -* **people who are multi-tasking** – if you're holding a baby or a running business your attention's divided 7 -* **cognitive impairments** – easy to understand words and sentences carry less cognitive load 5 +* **cognitive impairments** – easy to understand words and sentences need less cognition 8 8 * **visual impairments** – short and simple sentences convey meaning in a smaller visual field 9 9 * **motor impairments** – it's less tiring when you can understand what you read quickly 10 - 11 11 12 -== == 13 13 10 + 14 14 == Guidelines == 15 15 16 16 [[Plain English>>Plain English||anchor="pe"]] 17 17 18 -[[Simple sentences>>||anchor="ssl"]] 15 +[[Simple sentences >> ||anchor="ssl"]] 19 19 20 - [[Specialist terms>>||anchor="st"]]17 +Specialist terms 21 21 22 -[[Law, medicine, money>>doc:.Medical.WebHome]] 23 - 24 24 (% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 25 - [[Words to avoid>>doc:.Words to avoid.WebHome]]20 +Words to avoid 26 26 27 27 28 ----- 29 - 30 -== == 31 - 32 32 == {{id name="pe"/}}Plain English == 33 33 34 34 Make content clear and understandable, to open the web up for users with different literacy levels and access challenges. ... ... @@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ 65 65 What is 'plain' for one person may not be for someone else. 66 66 67 67 68 -== Usability evidence :plain English ==59 +== Usability evidence for plain English == 69 69 70 70 [[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. 71 71 ... ... @@ -84,20 +84,17 @@ 84 84 [[Plain language entry>>url:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language]], Wikipedia, last updated 2018 85 85 86 86 87 ----- 88 - 89 -== == 90 - 91 91 == {{id name="ssl"/}}Simple sentences == 92 92 80 + 93 93 === 1. Make your average sentence 15 words long. === 94 94 95 -The maximum sentence length foragoodlevelof comprehension is 25 words.Split long sentences up into 2 or 3, or use bullet points.83 +The maximum sentence length we would recommend for easy comprehension is 25 words. 96 96 97 - Oxford Guideto plainEnglish, GOV.UK andlinguistsagree 15 wordsentencesarefine butabove40words ishard to understand.85 +You can split longer sentences up into 2 or 3 or restructure the content with bullet points to make meaning clearer for users. 98 98 99 99 100 -== =2. Avoid complex sentence structures. ===88 +== 2. Avoid complex sentence structures. == 101 101 102 102 They are less easy to comprehend quickly. Understanding them requires more cognitive effort than simple sentences. 103 103 ... ... @@ -106,20 +106,24 @@ 106 106 107 107 * number of clauses in a sentence, the more clauses the more complex it is 108 108 * distribution of associated words across the sentence – how easily can the brain 'parse a phrase': recognise, connect and comprehend words that together convey meaning 109 - 110 110 111 ->Example:"The red fox jumped over the gate." – easier to understand 112 ->"The fox, which was red, over the gate jumped." – harder to understand 113 113 99 +Example: 114 114 115 -== Usability evidence: simple sentences == 101 +"The red fox jumped over the gate." – easier to understand 102 +"The fox, which was red, over the gate jumped." – harder to understand 116 116 117 -Oxford Guide to plain English 118 118 119 - JyotiSanyal'Indlish'105 +== Usability evidence for simple sentences == 120 120 121 - AuthorAnnWylie107 +"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 122 122 109 +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." 110 + 111 +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." 112 + 113 +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." 114 + 123 123 [[Writing for GOV.UK>>url:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk]], UK Government website 124 124 125 125 [['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 ... ... @@ -161,66 +161,20 @@ 161 161 [[The Crystal Mark standard>>url:http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/services/crystal-mark/7-the-crystal-mark-standard.html]] Plain English Campaign, undated 162 162 163 163 164 ----- 156 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 157 +Here's some sector specific guidance: 165 165 166 -== == 159 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 160 +Legal 167 167 168 -== {{id name="st"/}}Specialist terms == 162 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 163 +Medical 169 169 170 170 (% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 171 - Make specialist contentcomprehensibleby non-experts.166 +Financial 172 172 173 173 174 - === 1. Explain specialist terms: anybody can access yourcontent. ===169 +{{children/}} 175 175 176 -Assuming who your audience is, and that they'll understand the technical terms you use, are common misconceptions. 177 177 178 - 179 -=== 2. Create content that all users can understand, whatever their expertise or background. === 180 - 181 -When you present a concept explain its parts and processes in detail. 182 - 183 -If you need to include a technical term consider explaining it. Make sure the surrounding language in plain language. 184 - 185 - 186 -=== 3. Help users understand specialist terms. === 187 - 188 -You could: 189 - 190 -* link to an existing definition – this could be an external site 191 -* add a explanatory definition after using the term 192 192 193 - 194 ->Example: 195 -> 196 ->"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]]). 197 -> 198 ->"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. 199 -> 200 -> "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. 201 - 202 - 203 -== Usability evidence: specialist terms == 204 - 205 -[['Writing Digital Copy for Domain Experts'>>url:https://www.nngroup.com/articles/writing-domain-experts/]], Nielson Norman Group, 2017 206 - 207 -[['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 208 - 209 -[['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 210 - 211 -[['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 212 - 213 -[['Advantages and disadvantages with Simplified Technical English'>>url:https://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:16816/FULLTEXT01]], Msc thesis paper, Karin Disborg, 2007 214 - 215 -[['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 216 - 217 -[['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 218 - 219 - 220 ----- 221 - 222 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %) 223 -Here's some sector specific guidance for [[medicine, money and law>>doc:.Medical.WebHome]]. 224 - 225 - 226 -And here's our list of jargon [[words to avoid>>doc:.Words to avoid.WebHome]]!