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Title
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1 -Simple sentences
1 +Clear language
Parent
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1 -Plain English.WebHome
1 +Main.WebHome
Content
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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 distracted it's hard to comprehend convoluted structures
8 -* **cognitive impairments** – shorter, non-complex sentences carry less cognitive load
9 -* **visual impairments** – short, simple sentences convey meaning in a smaller visual field
10 -* **motor impairments** – it's less tiring when you can absorb 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 -Short, simple sentences are better on the web than long, protracted prose with complex syntax. WCAG says: "using the clearest and simplest language appropriate is highly desirable." The United Nations recommends plain language for communications.
17 -
18 -
19 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" id="H1.MakeyouraveragesentenceA015wordslong." %)
20 -[[1. Make your average sentence 15 words long.>>doc:||anchor="#1"]]
21 -
22 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" id="H2.A0Avoidcomplexsentencestructures." %)
23 -[[2. Avoid complex sentence structures.>>doc:||anchor="#2"]]
24 -
25 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
26 -[[Usability evidence>>doc:||anchor="#UESS"]]
7 +The United Nations recommends plain language for communications.
27 27  
28 28  
29 -----
10 +=== 1. Choose easy and short words not formal, long ones. ===
30 30  
31 -== ==
12 +Use ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’, ‘help’ instead of ‘assist’, and ‘about’ instead of ‘approximately’.
32 32  
33 -=== {{id name="#1"/}}1. Make your average sentence 15 words long. ===
34 -
35 -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.
36 -
37 -Oxford Guide to plain English, GOV.UK and linguists agree:
38 -
39 -* 15 word sentences are more likely to be comprehensible
40 -* 25 words is a good maximum sentence length limit
41 -* above 40 words sentences are hard to comprehend easily
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.
42 42  
43 43  
44 -Example:
17 +=== 2. Jargon and buzzwords are unlikely to be clear language. ===
45 45  
46 -(% class="mark" %)This sentence is about 15 words long and is easy to understand.
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.
47 47  
48 -=== {{id name="#2"/}}2. Avoid complex sentence structures. ===
49 49  
50 -They are less easy to comprehend quickly. Understanding them requires more cognitive effort than simple sentences.
51 -
52 -
53 -Complexity depends on:
54 -
55 -* number of clauses in a sentence, the more clauses the more complex it is
56 -* distribution of associated words across the sentence – how easily can the brain 'parse a phrase': recognise, connect and comprehend words that together convey meaning
57 -
58 -
59 59  Example:
60 -\\(% class="mark" %)"The red fox jumped over the gate." – easier to understand 
61 -"The fox, which was red, over the gate jumped." – harder to understand
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.
62 62  
63 63  
64 -----
27 +=== 3. Write conversationally. ===
65 65  
66 -== {{id name="#UESS"/}}Usability evidence: simple sentences ==
29 +Picture your audience and write as if you were talking directly to them, with the authority of someone who can help and inform.
67 67  
68 -Oxford Guide to plain English
69 69  
70 -Jyoti Sanyal 'Indlish'
32 +=== 4. Test your content with users ===
71 71  
72 -Author Ann Wylie
34 +What is 'plain' for one person may not be for someone else.
73 73  
74 -[[Writing for GOV.UK>>url:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk]], UK Government website
75 75  
76 -[['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
37 +== Usability evidence ==
77 77  
78 -[['Content design'>>url:https://contentdesign.london/book/]], Sarah Richards, 2017
39 +[[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.
79 79  
80 -[['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
41 +[['Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities'>>url:http://templatelab.com/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/]], page 4 Article 2, Definitions, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2018.
81 81  
82 -[['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
43 +[['Plain Language Is for Everyone, Even Experts'>>url:https://www.nngroup.com/articles/plain-language-experts/]], H. Loranger, Nielsen Norman Group, 2017
83 83  
84 -[['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
45 +[['The Public Speaks: An Empirical Study of Legal Communication'>>url:https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1843415]], C. R. Trudeau in 14 Scribes J. Leg. Writing 121 2012
85 85  
86 -[['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
47 +[['Strengthening plain language'>>url:http://www.iplfederation.org/]], International Plain Language Federation. Undated.
87 87  
88 -[[Reading Level>>url:https://www.w3.org/TR/UNDERSTANDING-WCAG20/meaning-supplements.html]], Understanding SC 3.1.5, WCAG, 2008
49 +[[Plain Language Commission style guide>>url:https://www.clearest.co.uk/plain-language-commission-style-guide]], Plain Language Commission, 2011
89 89  
90 -[['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
51 +[['The principles of readability'>>url:http://www.impact-information.com/impactinfo/readability02.pdf]], Impact Information, William H. DuBay, 2004
91 91  
92 -[['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
53 +[[Plain language entry>>url:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language]], Wikipedia, last updated 2018
93 93  
94 -[['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
55 +== Short sentence length ==
95 95  
96 -[['Writing smaller'>>url:http://clarity-international.net/journals/63.pdf]], Clarity Journal no. 63, 2010
97 97  
98 -[[Plain Language Commission style guide>>url:https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/aaf9e928/files/uploaded/PLCstyleguide25July2012.pdf]], 2012
99 99  
100 -[['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
59 +== Simple sentence structure ==
101 101  
102 -[['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
103 103  
104 -[['What is plain language?'>>url:https://plainlanguagenetwork.org/plain-language/what-is-plain-language/]], Plain Language Association International, 2015
105 105  
106 -[[Text complexity, ATOS, and Lexile® Measures>>url:https://www.renaissance.com/products/practice/accelerated-reader-360/atos-and-text-complexity/]], Renaissance Learning, 2016
63 +{{children/}}
107 107  
108 -[['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
109 109  
110 -[['How to use Yoast SEO: The readability analysis?'>>url:https://yoast.com/yoast-seo-readability-analysis/]] Edwin Toonen, Yoast, 2018
111 -
112 -[[The Crystal Mark standard>>url:http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/services/crystal-mark/7-the-crystal-mark-standard.html]] Plain English Campaign, undated
113 -
114 -
115 -----
116 -
117 -(% class="box" %)
118 -(((
119 -See also:
120 -
121 -* [[Plain English>>doc:Plain English.Plain English, simple sentences.WebHome]]
122 -* [[Specialist terms>>doc:Plain English.Specialist terms.WebHome]]
123 -* [[Law, medicine, money>>doc:Plain English.Medical.WebHome]]
124 -* [[Words to avoid>>doc:Plain English.Words to avoid.WebHome]]
125 -)))
66 +