How to Write in Plain English

How to write in Plain English My thanks to The US Office of Investor Education & Assistance for this extract from their Plain English Handbook. The full document is intended for people writing Annual Reports and Investor Relations communications. Chapter 6, however, is an excellent introduction to the use of Plain English in any environment. It includes such things as:

• Common problems
• Use of Active Voice with strong verbs
• The value of personal pronouns
• Getting abstractions under control
• Overcoming the negative
• Use of 'if-then' conditionals
• and lots more, including 'before' and 'after' examples