it’s time for plain english 9

Plain English - Business and Academia

Sharon Keenan M.Ed.

It’s Time for Plain English!

1. What is Plain English?

2. Why do we need Plain English?

3. Identifying Plain English Documents

4. Let’s Practice!



4. Let’s Practice!




1. Quickly and easily understood!

2. Easy to take action!

What is Plain English?


Why is Plain English important?

3. Education

1. USA literacy levels

2. MCAS - MA

4. Business - Direct Language is Key


What does Plain English look like?

2. Appropriate level for audience

3. Well Organized

1. Readable


Are our documents readable?

“A grade level (based on the USA education system) is

equivalent to the number of years of education a

person has had. Scores over 22 should generally be

taken to mean graduate level text.“

How easy is it for the reader to understand your

writing?

https://readability-score.com/

https://readability-score.com/


• How readable is this

magazine?


How readable is

this website page?


Document Formatting Increases Readability

3. Use of white space

4. Eye catching headlines

2. Bullets/ numbers for reference

1. Informative Subject lines


Document Formatting

Could this document

be formatted

differently?

https://www.bettercom.com/


Document Formatting

What do you like

about this

formatting?

https://www.bettercom.com/


Business $

CreateCheck

Readability

Check Format

Academics

A+

Plain English Documents