Plain English Campaign (2024)

FAQs

What is the campaign for plain English? ›

The Plain English Campaign (PEC) is a commercial editing and training firm based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1979 by Chrissie Maher, the company is concerned with plain-language advocacy, working to persuade organisations in the UK and abroad to communicate with the public in plain language.

''I ate lunch in the park. '' is an example of a sentence in plain language. The sentence uses short, common words in active voice and people can easily understand it.

So what is plain English? It is a message, written with the reader in mind and with the right tone of voice, that is clear and concise. Most experts would agree that clear writing should have an average sentence length of 15 to 20 words.

Plain language is clear, concise, organized, and appropriate for the intended audience. Write for your reader, not yourself. Use pronouns when you can. State your major point(s) first before going into details.

The Plain English Speaking Award aims to encourage the use of clear and effective spoken English. Since its inception in 1978, the competition has provided an invaluable opportunity for NSW senior students to improve their confidence and to develop their speech-writing and public speaking skills.

Using plain language means you're transparent — you're not hiding behind jargon, ambiguity, and acronyms. Plain language helps you connect with your readers, and build a reputation for reliability and trustworthiness.

Plain language (also called plain writing or plain English) is communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it.

Fairly difficult (Medium long sentence length): 21-25 words. Difficult (Long sentence length) : 25-30 words. Very Difficult (Very long sentence length) : 30-40 words. Extremely difficult (Extremely long sentence length) : 40+ words.

Is 20 words a sentence? ›

Sentences are usually between 15–20 words.

25 words is about 1-2 sentences.

A sentence typically has 15–20 words.

Crafting Your Message with Plain Language

proofread another student's work, or your own, with a focus on the five principles of plain language: active voice, common words, positive tone, reader focus, and short (concise) words and sentences.

Plain English simplifies a message so that it can be quickly and easily understood. It is a way of conveying complex ideas in a way that most readers can understand. The audience can grasp the message the first time they read it – it is suitable for busy policy makers. It avoids obscurity.

Most literacy and communications scholars agree that plain language means: "Clear and effective communication" (Joseph Kimble) "The idiomatic and grammatical use of language that most effectively presents ideas to the reader" (Bryan Garner) "Clear, straightforward expression, using only as many words as are necessary.

Plain English Campaign has been in existence since 1979, campaigning against jargon gobbledygook. The Campaign officially began after founder, Chrissie Maher OBE, publicly shredded hundreds of official documents in Parliament Square, London.

noun. /kæmˈpeɪn/ /kæmˈpeɪn/ a series of planned activities that are intended to achieve a particular social, commercial or political aim.

Plain language means readers understand your documents more quickly. Readers call less often for explanations. They make fewer errors filling out forms. They comply more accurately and quickly with requirements.

1970s. For many of us in the government today, the current plain language movement had its start in the 1970s when the federal government encouraged regulation writers to be less bureaucratic.