Writing for your business in plain English

Business English best practice

Active voice Short sentences

Bullets and numbers

Simple words

Verbs not nouns

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What is the problem?

It takes time to read. Time is money. If your message doesnt arrive, you lose.

Everybody wants quick access to information

What is the solution?

Know your audience.

Use plain English. Structure your information for easy reading.

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Knowing your audience (overview)

Understand their:
Context Viewpoints Skills

Use tools:
Personas Scenarios

Plain English (overview)

Everyday words
Short sentences Active voice and writing personally Same words each time
No synonyms Same word pattern

Clear meaning
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Structure (overview)
Chunkingthe 72 rule
People only cope with about 7 things at a time. People learn by grouping things into chunks.

Tables

Headings
Bullets and numbers

Knowing your audience

Knowing your audiencecontext

In what context will they read the information?
Motivation? Pressure or distractions? Other information available? Access to experts for help?

Knowing your audienceviewpoints

What is the viewpoint of your audience?
Confident? Caring about detail Willing to use initiative? Potentially hostile?

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Knowing your audienceskills

What do they know already?
What detail do you need? Is it OK to use jargon?

What is their reading age?

Do you have to use REALLY simple language?

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Knowing your audiencetools

Personas
Create imaginary people who are your typical audience members. Make them real create a past, present and future for them.

Scenarios
Create imaginary situations for your personas and make them real.
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Knowing the audienceexamples

Directions around your suburb
With residents you can say Go to the hospital.

Industry jargonuse it when needed.

neoplasm (to doctors) tumour (to other people)

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Knowing the audienceexamples

Absolute location
Melways Map 30, A7 Third shop along Mitchell St from the High St corner (partly relative)

Relative location
Take the third turn left and then the second turn right.

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Plain English language

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Same words each time

Always use the same word for somethingDont change names for variety. Use the same word patternDont change for the sake of it. Dont worry about being boring.
Transfer information, dont entertain. Use pictures and colour to reduce boredom.
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Everyday words
Traditional despite the fact that determine detrimental difficulties diminish disburse discharge disclose disconnect discontinue Plain English alternative though, although decide, work out, set, end harmful, damaging problems lessen, reduce pay, pay out carry out tell, show cut off, unplug stop, end
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More verbs, fewer nouns

Avoid making verbs into nouns.
Dont say Make application. Say Apply.

Watch out for noun strings.

tank restraint safety lock emergency release lever Being brief is good, but you can go too far!

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Foreign words

Quiz Point

What

do these mean?

i.e., e.g., etc., vs, et al, viz, via ergo, ad hoc, per annum, carte blanche, panache, raison detre, zeitgeist, chutzpeh

Some people dont know foreign words. Use English!

Do keep enjoying them outside your business writing!
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Old fashioned words

These (and many others) have no place in business English!
hereto hereinafter hereby aforesaid bequeath asunder

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Short sentences
Break sentences up. Aim for 12 clauses per sentence.
This uses simple language, but it is too long! An orange is a round reddish-yellow fruit, which comes from a medium-sized tree harvested in the winter, and contains Vitamin C, essential for the vitality of human blood.

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Short sentences
Break sentences up. Aim for 12 clauses per sentence.
This is better! An orange is a round reddish-yellow fruit. It comes from a medium-sized tree harvested in the winter. Oranges contain Vitamin C, essential for the vitality of human blood.

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Short paragraphs
Have one idea per paragraph.

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Write personallywe and you

Address the reader directly.
Use we and you. This helps you to be clear about who does what.

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Write personallywe and you

Impersonal:
Refunds may be given to customers who consider Personal:
that they have not received satisfactory service.

If you are not satisfied with our service, we may refund your money.
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Write personallyuse commands

When writing instructions, use commands (imperative). Statement (not imperative): Passengers are not permitted to open the doors. Doors may only be opened by crew members.

Command: Do not open the doors. Ask a crew member to open them for you.
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Use active voice

Quiz Point
Translate into active voice: The engine is started by the driver.

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Use active voice

Quiz Point Answer

This is in active voice: The driver starts the engine.

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Use active voice

Who is the agent?
The person doing the action. We usually want to know who the agent is.

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Use active voice

Passive voice:
Object goes first. Subject (agent) last or missing. Reader has to mentally turn it around. Sometimes not clear who does what. The form must be signed. The notice was posted by the manager
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Use active voice

Active voice:
Subject (agent) firstnever missing Object last Quicker to read Clear who does what Applicants must sign the form. The manager posted the notice.
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Reifyingwhen you reify, you:

Say that something inanimate is an agent.
The report forces us to consider three options Checking helps you avoid mistakes The picture shows how to wrap the parcel

Do not correctly identify the agent. (Agent is not real!) Do not communicate the sequence <Agent> <Action> <Object>.
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Reifyingpossible cures
Refer to the author of the document.
The authors of the report force us to consider three options. If you check, you may make fewer mistakes. See the picture to find out how to wrap the parcel.

Describe action and consequence.

Describe action to get information.

Use an appropriate verb for the agent, such as is or contains.

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Reifying is an advanced topic

Do not worry too much about reification. Even this presentation has it. If you worry too much you may:
Waste time and effort End up with more verbose results

Just watch out for missing agents. People need to know who is responsible.
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Is your meaning clear?

Simple language can be ambiguous
Check your work. Get someone else to read it.
Hotel Signs
Norway

Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

Budapest

Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.

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When to use plain English:

When you want to give:
Information Instructions Warnings Business communication

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When to use creative English:

Creative writing
Poetry Fiction

Personal letters Essays Journalism

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Structure for easy reading

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Chunking and 72
Only have 7 items at a time. If you have more than 7, create groups. Give groups names (subheadings). If you have more than 7 groups, group the groups and give them names. This is the natural way that everyone learns.
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Chunking and 72 example

Party pies Pizza Potato chips Cup cakes Lamingtons Birthday cake Sauce Ice Cordial Drink jugs Cups Serviettes Plates Candles Sparklers Matches
Balloons Streamers Game prizes Tablecloths Twister game Donkey poster Blu-tack Donkey tails Treasure hunt prizes Send invitations Warm pies Mix cordial Set out food Set up donkey game Set up treasure hunt

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Chunking and 72 example

Food
Party pies Pizza Potato chips Cup cakes Lamingtons Birthday cake Sauce Ice Cordial
Drink jugs Cups Serviettes Plates Candles Sparklers Matches

Equipment (other)
Balloons Streamers Game prizes Tablecloths

Games

Equipment (food)

Twister game Donkey poster Blu-tack Donkey tails Treasure hunt prizes

Tasks

Send invitations Warm pies Mix cordial Set out food Set up donkey game Set up treasure hunt
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Chunking and 72

In what way is information the opposite of food?

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Chunking and 72

In what way is information the opposite of food? To digest food, we break it down into components.
To digest information, we build it up into chunks.
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Tables
If you have more than two pairs of items, use a table.
The Blue team has 5 members, the Red team has 7 members and the Green team has 4 members.

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Tables
If you have more than two pairs of items, use a table.
The Blue team has 5 members, the Red team has 7 members and the Green team has 4 members.

Team Blue Red Green

Members 5 7 4
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Headings
Put headings and subheadings in your text:
Readers can quickly see what it is about. Readers may only need to read some parts. The headings chunk the information for easy digestion.

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Headings
Make a hierarchy:
Normally uses level 1, 2 and 3. Shows the structure of your document. Makes it easy to generate a table of contents.

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Lists
If you list 3 or more items, show them on separate lines.

If there are 9 or more items, split the list into two levels (chunking).
Know when to use bullets and numbers.

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Bullets and numbers

Numbers:
Use when there is order or rank:
Steps Ranking

Bullets:
Use for other lists.

Neither:
OK for single line lists.
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Bullets and numbersexample

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Heat the pan. Fry onions. Brown the meat. Add the curry paste. Fry for two minutes. Add stock or water. Simmer for 20 minutes.
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Bullets and numbersexample

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Heat the pan. Fry onions. Brown the meat. Add the curry paste. Fry for two minutes. Add stock or water. Simmer for 20 minutes.
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Bullets and numbersexample

Favourite pastimes: Going to the movies, but only to see shows that cheer people up Watching football on TV Walking in the bush Having coffee with friends

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Bullets and numbersexample

Favourite pastimes: Going to the movies, but only to see shows that cheer people up Watching football on TV Walking in the bush Having coffee with friends

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Bullets and numbersexample

Shopping list: bread lettuce pasta milk bananas

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Parallel form in lists

Have the same word patterns for all list itemsdont mix:
Words Phrases Questions Commands

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Parallel form in lists

Dont do it this way! Favourite pastimes: Going to the movies, but only shows that cheer people up Do you like watching football as much as I do? I go walking in the bush every week. Coffee with friends

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Parallel form in lists

Favourite pastimes: Going to the movies, but only to see shows that cheer people up Watching football on TV Walking in the bush Having coffee with friends

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Punctuation and grammar revision

!;.,:?
Misplaced! Dangling! Squinting! Agreement!
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Commas 1
Use when the phrase is not essential:
Tim, who smokes, may get cancer.

Not when the phrase is essential for the sentence:

People who smoke may get cancer.

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Commas
Separating items in a list, but Not separating subject and verb:
The large, grey object fell from the ceiling.
Here

Not here

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Which and that

Which clauses add information and have a comma. Go to the main menu, which shows all options.

That clauses help to identify or distinguish.

List all orders that have status Approved.
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Misuse of modifiers > ambiguity

Dont do it this way!

Changes we are considering will affect all new members. (misplaced)

People who jog often have knee injuries. (squinting)

Walking around the town, the prosperity was easy to see. (dangling)
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Subject and verb agreement

One of the boys has arrived. Several have gone home.

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Subject and verb agreement

Any, none, some, most depend on the context
Most of the money is in the bank. Most of the crew are aboard.

Collective nouns depend on the context

The team has arrived. (as one) The team are getting changed. (as individuals)
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Pronoun-antecedent agreement
The leader and the sponsor have played their parts. My friend and brother, Ian, lent me his car for the occasion.

Everyone has his own path in life.

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Tense
Present tense
He eats the cake.

Past tense
He ate the cake.

Future tense
He will eat the cake.

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Person
First person (I, we)
I eat the cake.

Second person (you)

You eat the cake. Eat the cake!

Third person (he, she, they, it)

She eats the cake.

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Verb form
Indicative (narrative)

The Line Manager authorises the Application for Leave.

Imperative (command)

Authorise the Application for Leave.

Authorising the Application for Leave
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Progressive (in the act of -ing)

The greengrocers apostrophe

Apostrophes have two correct uses:
PossessiveJohns book, the dogs collars. Shortening wordsI wasnt hungry.

Never use apostrophes just for

plurals. These are correct:
Three cappuccinos, please. The bank has two new ATMs.
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The greengrocers apostrophe

Bob the Angry Flowers Quick Guide to the Apostrophe http://angryflower.com/aposter.html

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Writing instructions General best practice

Tips for better instructions For use anywhere!

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Tense
Present tense
Use most of the time.

Past tense
Only use to show something in the past.

Future tense
Only use to emphasise a time delay. Otherwise use present tense.
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Shall, Will
Shall
Do not use. It sounds pompous and legalistic. Just say Do it.

Will (future tense)

Only use to emphasize a time delay. Otherwise use present tense.

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Must, Please
Must
Use sparingly for very important things or people will ignore it. If you put it in for something that is optional, you could fail an audit.

Please
It is nice to be nice, but please creates word clutter.

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AND, OR in bulleted lists

Put AND or OR at the end of each item if it is not clear whether:
All items apply OR At least one item applies

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Common terms
Use consistent naming for everything. Build a list of terms:
Let everyone contribute. Store in common area. Categorise the terms (72!). Later on, add definitions to make a useful glossary.

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Slash /, (s)
Do not use slash / It is ambiguous and confusing. Does it mean or or and? --- or --- or both is better than and/or

Do not use (s) or /s to allow for a possible plural. Just make it plural anyway.
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Plain English examples

Rescuing the reader

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Plain English example

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Plain English example 2

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