Skip to Content

Changes for page Simple sentences

Last modified by Lizzie Bruce on 2020/01/11 23:51
From version Icon 5.5 Icon
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/05/21 09:25
Change comment: Added comment
To version Icon 2.29 Icon
edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/08 20:49
Change comment: There is no comment for this version

Summary

Details

Icon Page properties
Title
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
1 -Simple sentences
1 +Language use
Parent
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,1 @@
1 -Plain English.WebHome
1 +Main.WebHome
Content
... ... @@ -1,53 +1,117 @@
1 1  (% class="box" %)
2 2  (((
3 -Following this helps:
3 +Writing about people: being inclusive
4 +)))
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** – clear, concise content is shorted so requires less navigation
6 +(% class="box" %)
7 +(((
8 +Audience labels: I, you, we, they
11 11  )))
12 12  
13 -==
14 -Guidelines ==
11 +(% class="box" %)
12 +(((
13 +== [[Plain English, specialist terms >>doc:.Plain English, simple sentences.WebHome]] ==
14 +)))
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."
16 +(% class="box" %)
17 +(((
18 +Simple sentences
19 +)))
17 17  
21 +(% class="box" %)
22 +(((
23 +Law, medicine and money
24 +)))
18 18  
19 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" id="H1.MakeyouraveragesentenceA015wordslong." %)
20 -[[1. Make your average sentence 15 words long.>>doc:||anchor="#1"]]
26 +(% class="box" %)
27 +(((
28 +Words to avoid
29 +)))
21 21  
22 -(% class="wikigeneratedid" id="H2.A0Avoidcomplexsentencestructures." %)
23 -[[2. Avoid complex sentence structures.>>doc:||anchor="#2"]]
31 +[[Simple sentences>>||anchor="ssl"]]
24 24  
33 +[[Specialist terms>>||anchor="st"]]
34 +
35 +[[Law, medicine, money>>doc:.Medical.WebHome]]
36 +
25 25  (% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
26 -[[Usability evidence>>doc:||anchor="#UESS"]]
27 -
38 +[[Words to avoid>>doc:.Words to avoid.WebHome]]
28 28  
40 +
29 29  ----
30 30  
31 31  == ==
32 32  
33 -=== {{id name="#1"/}}1. Make your average sentence 15 words long. ===
45 +== {{id name="pe"/}}Plain English ==
34 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.
47 +Make content clear and understandable, to open the web up for users with different literacy levels and access challenges.
36 36  
37 -Oxford Guide to plain English, GOV.UK and linguists agree:
49 +WCAG states that "using the clearest and simplest language appropriate is highly desirable."
38 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
51 +The United Nations recommends plain language for communications.
42 42  
43 43  
44 -Example:
54 +=== 1. Choose easy and short words not formal, long ones. ===
45 45  
46 -(% class="mark" %)This sentence is about 15 words long and is easy to understand. (%%)
56 +Use ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’, ‘help’ instead of ‘assist’, and ‘about’ instead of ‘approximately’.
57 +
58 +Write for the reading comprehension of a 9 year old. This helps you reach the most users and makes your content easy to scan.
47 47  
48 48  
49 -=== {{id name="#2"/}}2. Avoid complex sentence structures. ===
61 +=== 2. Jargon and buzzwords are unlikely to be clear language. ===
50 50  
63 +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.
64 +
65 +
66 +Example:
67 +"Let's touch base in 10 and do some blue sky thinking." This uses jargon.
68 +"Let's meet in 10 minutes to think of some ideas." Conveys same meaning using clear language.
69 +
70 +
71 +=== 3. Write conversationally. ===
72 +
73 +Picture your audience and write as if you were talking directly to them, with the authority of someone who can help and inform.
74 +
75 +
76 +=== 4. Test your content with users ===
77 +
78 +What is 'plain' for one person may not be for someone else.
79 +
80 +
81 +== Usability evidence: plain English ==
82 +
83 +[[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.
84 +
85 +[['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.
86 +
87 +[['Plain Language Is for Everyone, Even Experts'>>url:https://www.nngroup.com/articles/plain-language-experts/]], H. Loranger, Nielsen Norman Group, 2017
88 +
89 +[['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
90 +
91 +[['Strengthening plain language'>>url:http://www.iplfederation.org/]], International Plain Language Federation. Undated.
92 +
93 +[[Plain Language Commission style guide>>url:https://www.clearest.co.uk/plain-language-commission-style-guide]], Plain Language Commission, 2011
94 +
95 +[['The principles of readability'>>url:http://www.impact-information.com/impactinfo/readability02.pdf]], Impact Information, William H. DuBay, 2004
96 +
97 +[[Plain language entry>>url:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_language]], Wikipedia, last updated 2018
98 +
99 +
100 +----
101 +
102 +== ==
103 +
104 +== {{id name="ssl"/}}Simple sentences ==
105 +
106 +=== 1. Make your average sentence 15 words long. ===
107 +
108 +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.
109 +
110 +Oxford Guide to plain English, GOV.UK and linguists agree 15 word sentences are fine but above 40 words is hard to understand.
111 +
112 +
113 +=== 2. Avoid complex sentence structures. ===
114 +
51 51  They are less easy to comprehend quickly. Understanding them requires more cognitive effort than simple sentences.
52 52  
53 53  
... ... @@ -57,17 +57,18 @@
57 57  * distribution of associated words across the sentence – how easily can the brain 'parse a phrase': recognise, connect and comprehend words that together convey meaning
58 58  
59 59  
60 -Example:
61 -\\(% class="mark" %)"The red fox jumped over the gate." – easier to understand 
62 -"The fox, which was red, over the gate jumped." – harder to understand
124 +>Example:"The red fox jumped over the gate." – easier to understand 
125 +>"The fox, which was red, over the gate jumped." – harder to understand
63 63  
64 64  
65 -----
128 +== Usability evidence: simple sentences ==
66 66  
67 -== {{id name="#UESS"/}}Usability evidence: simple sentences ==
130 +Oxford Guide to plain English
68 68  
69 -[[Oxford Guide to plain English>>https://global.oup.com/academic/product/oxford-guide-to-plain-english-9780199669172?cc=gb&lang=en&]] , Oxford University Press, 2013
132 +Jyoti Sanyal 'Indlish'
70 70  
134 +Author Ann Wylie
135 +
71 71  [[Writing for GOV.UK>>url:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk]], UK Government website
72 72  
73 73  [['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
... ... @@ -74,12 +74,8 @@
74 74  
75 75  [['Content design'>>url:https://contentdesign.london/book/]], Sarah Richards, 2017
76 76  
77 -[['Short sentences boost readability. Nearly 140 years of research proves it'>>https://www.wyliecomm.com/2018/08/short-sentences-boost-readability/]] A. Wylie, a collection of studies since 1880s, 2018
142 +[['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
78 78  
79 -[['Indlish: The book for every English-speaking Indian'>>http://www.vivagroupindia.com/frmBookDetail.aspx?BookId=5020&Status=C]], J. Sanyal, 2006. Book.
80 -
81 -[['The role of word difficulty and sentence length in text comprehension'>>https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED215330]], T. M. Duffy and P. K. U'Ren, 1982
82 -
83 83  [['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
84 84  
85 85  [['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
... ... @@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
90 90  
91 91  [['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
92 92  
93 -[['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]], K. Schriver, PhD, Dr. A. L. Cheek, M. Mercer, Center for Plain Language, November 20, 2008, Mexico City
154 +[['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
94 94  
95 95  [['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
96 96  
... ... @@ -98,29 +98,81 @@
98 98  
99 99  [[Plain Language Commission style guide>>url:https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/aaf9e928/files/uploaded/PLCstyleguide25July2012.pdf]], 2012
100 100  
101 -[['Shorter Lines Facilitate Reading in Those Who Struggle'>>url:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071161]], M. H. Schneps , J. M. Thomson, G. Sonnert, M. Pomplun, C. Chen, A. Heffner-Wong, 2013
162 +[['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
102 102  
103 -[['Towards a better measure of readability: Explanation of empirical performance results'>>url:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00437956.1989.11435805]], L. A. Olsen, R. Johnson, Taylor and Francis Group, 2015
164 +[['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
104 104  
105 105  [['What is plain language?'>>url:https://plainlanguagenetwork.org/plain-language/what-is-plain-language/]], Plain Language Association International, 2015
106 106  
107 107  [[Text complexity, ATOS, and Lexile® Measures>>url:https://www.renaissance.com/products/practice/accelerated-reader-360/atos-and-text-complexity/]], Renaissance Learning, 2016
108 108  
109 -[['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]] E. Kirkpatrick, W. Gaisford, E. Williams, E. Brindley, D. Tembo, D. Wright, 2017
170 +[['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
110 110  
111 -[['How to use Yoast SEO: The readability analysis?'>>url:https://yoast.com/yoast-seo-readability-analysis/]] E. Toonen, Yoast, 2018
172 +[['How to use Yoast SEO: The readability analysis?'>>url:https://yoast.com/yoast-seo-readability-analysis/]] Edwin Toonen, Yoast, 2018
112 112  
113 -[[The Crystal Mark standard>>url:http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/services/crystal-mark/7-the-crystal-mark-standard.html]] Plain English Campaign. Undated.
174 +[[The Crystal Mark standard>>url:http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/services/crystal-mark/7-the-crystal-mark-standard.html]] Plain English Campaign, undated
114 114  
115 115  
116 116  ----
117 117  
118 -(% class="box" %)
119 -(((
120 -See also:
179 +== ==
121 121  
122 -* [[Plain English>>doc:Plain English.Plain English, simple sentences.WebHome]]
123 -* [[Specialist terms>>doc:Plain English.Specialist terms.WebHome]]
124 -* [[Law, medicine, money>>doc:Plain English.Medical.WebHome]]
125 -* [[Words to avoid>>doc:Plain English.Words to avoid.WebHome]]
126 -)))
181 +== {{id name="st"/}}Specialist terms ==
182 +
183 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
184 +Make specialist content comprehensible by non-experts.
185 +
186 +
187 +=== 1. Explain specialist terms: anybody can access your content. ===
188 +
189 +Assuming who your audience is, and that they'll understand the technical terms you use, are common misconceptions.
190 +
191 +
192 +=== 2. Create content that all users can understand, whatever their expertise or background. ===
193 +
194 +When you present a concept explain its parts and processes in detail.
195 +
196 +If you need to include a technical term consider explaining it. Make sure the surrounding language in plain language.
197 +
198 +
199 +=== 3. Help users understand specialist terms. ===
200 +
201 +You could:
202 +
203 +* link to an existing definition – this could be an external site
204 +* add a explanatory definition after using the term
205 +
206 +
207 +>Example:
208 +>
209 +>"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]]).
210 +>
211 +>"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.
212 +>
213 +> "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.
214 +
215 +
216 +== Usability evidence: specialist terms ==
217 +
218 +[['Writing Digital Copy for Domain Experts'>>url:https://www.nngroup.com/articles/writing-domain-experts/]], Nielson Norman Group, 2017
219 +
220 +[['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
221 +
222 +[['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
223 +
224 +[['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
225 +
226 +[['Advantages and disadvantages with Simplified Technical English'>>url:https://liu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:16816/FULLTEXT01]], Msc thesis paper, Karin Disborg, 2007
227 +
228 +[['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
229 +
230 +[['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
231 +
232 +
233 +----
234 +
235 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
236 +Here's some sector specific guidance for [[medicine, money and law>>doc:.Medical.WebHome]].
237 +
238 +
239 +And here's our list of jargon [[words to avoid>>doc:.Words to avoid.WebHome]]!
Icon XWiki.XWikiComments[0]
Author
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@
1 -Chris in Oslo
Comment
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@
1 -It's my experience that when you say to people "X should be on average Y long", they hear "X should be at least Y long". They get hung up on the number and think they have to reach it. I could absolutely imagine that people who are not experienced (usually exactly the ones who want clear and explicit guidance) will see this and make sentences *longer* because theirs is only 10 words. TL;DR: I don't think is bad advice, but I do think people are bad at averaging and bad at understanding that X limit does not mean "write X much" :)
Date
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@
1 -2019-05-03 15:47:13.0
Icon XWiki.XWikiComments[1]
Author
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@
1 -Chris in Oslo again
Comment
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@
1 -I'm trying to think about how I would write guidelines in a way that would mitigate what I wrote above. My experience has been that people remember the number much better than the precise thing you were trying to convey with the number (which is why we have truthy-but-wrong memes like "you only use 10% of your brain.) I guess I'm missing something above that says "Make sentences as short as possible by introducing one idea at a time" or similar?
Date
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@
1 -2019-05-03 15:53:50.0
Icon XWiki.XWikiComments[2]
Author
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@
1 -xwiki:XWiki.LizzieBruce
Comment
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@
1 -Ah, good point Chris. Will revisit this guidance wording! Thanks for the suggested alternative.
Date
... ... @@ -1,1 +1,0 @@
1 -2019-05-21 10:25:03.202