Changes for page Simple sentences
Last modified by Lizzie Bruce on 2020/01/11 23:51
From version 2.33
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/08 22:02
on 2019/03/08 22:02
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To version 2.4
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/07 11:06
on 2019/03/07 11:06
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Summary
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Page properties (3 modified, 0 added, 0 removed)
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... ... @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@ 1 - Simplesentences1 +Clear language - Parent
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... ... @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@ 1 - PlainEnglish.WebHome1 +Main.WebHome - Content
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... ... @@ -1,101 +1,47 @@ 1 -(% class="box" %) 2 -((( 3 -Following this helps: 1 +== Plain English == 4 4 5 -* **people in a hurry** – simply written content is easier to scan and absorb instantly 6 -* **people who are stressed** – if you're anxious you find it harder to comprehend things 7 -* **people who are multi-tasking** – if you're holding a baby or a running business your attention's divided 8 -* **cognitive impairments** – easy to understand words and sentences carry less cognitive load 9 -* **visual impairments** – short and simple sentences convey meaning in a smaller visual field 10 -* **motor impairments** – it's less tiring when you can understand what you read quickly 11 -))) 3 +Make content clear and understandable, to open the web up for users with different literacy levels and access challenges. 12 12 13 -== 14 -Guidelines == 5 +WCAG states that "using the clearest and simplest language appropriate is highly desirable." 15 15 16 -* [[Simple sentences>>url:https://readabilityguidelines.myxwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Plain%20English/Plain%20English%2C%20simple%20sentences/#ssl]] 7 +The United Nations recommends plain language for communications. 8 + 17 17 18 - ----10 +=== 1. Choose easy and short words not formal, long ones. === 19 19 20 -== 21 -Simple sentences == 12 +Use ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’, ‘help’ instead of ‘assist’, and ‘about’ instead of ‘approximately’. 22 22 23 -=== 1. Make your average sentence 15 words long. === 24 - 25 -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. 26 - 27 -Oxford Guide to plain English, GOV.UK and linguists agree 15 word sentences are fine but above 40 words is hard to understand. 28 - 29 - 30 -=== 2. Avoid complex sentence structures. === 31 - 32 -They are less easy to comprehend quickly. Understanding them requires more cognitive effort than simple sentences. 14 +Write for the reading comprehension of a 9 year old. This helps you reach the most users and makes your content easy to scan. 33 33 34 34 35 - Complexitydependson:17 +=== 2. Jargon and buzzwords are unlikely to be clear language. === 36 36 37 -* number of clauses in a sentence, the more clauses the more complex it is 38 -* distribution of associated words across the sentence – how easily can the brain 'parse a phrase': recognise, connect and comprehend words that together convey meaning 39 - 19 +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. 40 40 41 ->Example:"The red fox jumped over the gate." – easier to understand 42 ->"The fox, which was red, over the gate jumped." – harder to understand 43 43 22 +Example: 23 +"Let's touch base in 10 and do some blue sky thinking." This uses jargon. 24 +"Let's meet in 10 minutes to think of some ideas." Conveys same meaning using clear language. 44 44 45 -== Usability evidence: simple sentences == 46 46 47 - OxfordGuidetoplainEnglish27 +=== 3. Write conversationally. === 48 48 49 - JyotiSanyal'Indlish'29 +Picture your audience and write as if you were talking directly to them, with the authority of someone who can help and inform. 50 50 51 -Author Ann Wylie 52 52 53 - [[Writingfor GOV.UK>>url:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk]],UK Government website32 +=== 4. Test your content with users === 54 54 55 - [['Sentencelength: why 25 wordsisour limit'>>url:https://insidegovuk.blog.gov.uk/2014/08/04/sentence-length-why-25-words-is-our-limit/]],InsideGOV.UK, UK Governmentblog, 201434 +What is 'plain' for one person may not be for someone else. 56 56 57 - [['Contentdesign'>>url:https://contentdesign.london/book/]], SarahRichards, 201736 +== Short sentence length == 58 58 59 -[['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 60 60 61 -[['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 62 62 63 - [['Howthe brain attunestosentenceprocessing: 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 Information40 +== Simple sentence structure == 64 64 65 -[['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 66 66 67 -[[Reading Level>>url:https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/meaning-supplements.html]], Understanding SC 3.1.5, WCAG, 2008 68 68 69 - [['Readability Assessment of Internet-BasedConsumerHealth 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) 1310-131544 +{{children/}} 70 70 71 -[['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 72 72 73 -[['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 74 - 75 -[['Writing smaller'>>url:http://clarity-international.net/journals/63.pdf]], Clarity Journal no. 63, 2010 76 - 77 -[[Plain Language Commission style guide>>url:https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/aaf9e928/files/uploaded/PLCstyleguide25July2012.pdf]], 2012 78 - 79 -[['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 80 - 81 -[['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 82 - 83 -[['What is plain language?'>>url:https://plainlanguagenetwork.org/plain-language/what-is-plain-language/]], Plain Language Association International, 2015 84 - 85 -[[Text complexity, ATOS, and Lexile® Measures>>url:https://www.renaissance.com/products/practice/accelerated-reader-360/atos-and-text-complexity/]], Renaissance Learning, 2016 86 - 87 -[['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 88 - 89 -[['How to use Yoast SEO: The readability analysis?'>>url:https://yoast.com/yoast-seo-readability-analysis/]] Edwin Toonen, Yoast, 2018 90 - 91 -[[The Crystal Mark standard>>url:http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/services/crystal-mark/7-the-crystal-mark-standard.html]] Plain English Campaign, undated 92 - 93 - 94 ----- 95 - 96 -See also: 97 - 98 -* Plain English 99 -* [[Specialist terms>>url:https://readabilityguidelines.myxwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Plain%20English/Plain%20English%2C%20simple%20sentences/#st]] 100 -* [[Law, medicine, money>>url:https://readabilityguidelines.myxwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Plain%20English/Medical/]] 101 -* [[Words to avoid>>url:https://readabilityguidelines.myxwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Plain%20English/Words%20to%20avoid/]] 47 +