Plain English - How

General Principles

Edit your writing.

It is hard to write clearly. You have to work at it. You must be self-critical. Editing takes more time writing. Three times more. So write two thirds fewer sentences. But make them good ones.

Keep it positive

• Prefer positives to negatives.
• Avoid double negatives.
• Recoil in horror from triple negatives.

Enumerations

• Break into subparagraphs:
• Branch right, not left:

Style

• Use strong verbs, instead of modified weaker ones. Prefer "bellowed" to "Shouted loudly".
• Avoid wimpy writing: Avoid "almost", "seems to".