Plain Language

Introduction

Plain language is communication that is clear, straightforward, and easy to understand without unnecessary complexity or jargon. Its goal is to convey information in a way that the intended audience can quickly read and comprehend. This approach considers a wide spectrum of readers, including those with various reading abilities and from different language backgrounds.

When crafting written content for your courses (especially assessments), try using the plain language writing techniques listed below. Using these techniques will increase the likelihood that your students have fully read your instructions and understand what they should do or know.

A Closer Look

Make simple sentence-level changes to enhance understanding.

Clarity at the sentence level ensures your students know what they are supposed to do or learn. Here are some techniques to enhance understanding at the sentence level:

❌ Students in this course will learn how…

✔️ You will learn how…

❌ In this course, you are going to be able to understand the basic structure of the U.S. government.

✔️ In this course, you will learn the basic structure of the U.S. government.

❌ If you analyzed the constitutional amendments relevant to voting rights, then you should have included historical context in your assignment.

✔️ If you analyze the constitutional amendments relevant to voting rights, then you should include historical context in your assignment.

❌ In this report, you must analyze the factors that impede voting in the United States. Choose three states on which to focus your assessment. Consider how both the government itself and the citizenry are affected in each state. Your paper should be clearly written and provide a thorough breakdown of the topic in no more than five pages.

✔️ In this report, you must analyze the factors that impede voting in the United States. Choose three states on which to focus your analysis. Consider how both the government itself and the citizenry are affected in each state. Your report should be clearly written and provide a thorough analysis of the topic in no more than five pages.

Format your text and headings for readability.

The type of formatting you use can significantly improve the readability of your assignments. Here are some techniques to enhance clarity using formatting:

❌ Voter ID Project Overview

You will analyze the effects of voter ID laws on electoral participation among demographic groups…

✔️ What Impact Do Voter ID Laws Have on Different Groups?

In this project, you will analyze the effects of voter ID laws on electoral participation among demographic groups…

❌ Write an ANALYTICAL essay discussing the impact of lobbying on legislative decision-making in the U.S. Congress. Your essay must be double-spaced and 3–5 pages in length. Any paper over five pages will not be accepted and will receive a zero.

✔️ Write an analytical essay discussing the impact of lobbying on legislative decision-making in the U.S. Congress. Your essay must be double-spaced and 3–5 pages in length. Any paper over five pages will not be accepted and will receive a zero.

❌ When formatting your essay, you must use 12-point Times New Roman font, set your margins to one inch on all sides, double-space the entire document, include a title page with your name, course number, and date, use headings and subheadings, insert page numbers in the top right corner of each page, and follow APA (7th edition) style to properly attribute all your sources.

✔️ Format your essay according to the following guidelines:

  • Use 12-point Times New Roman font.
  • Set your margins to one inch on all sides.
  • Double-space the entire document.
  • Include a title page with your name, course number, and date.
  • Use headings and subheadings.
  • Insert page numbers in the top right corner of each page.
  • Cite all your sources using APA style (7th edition).

 

Carefully revise writing drafted by AI.

AI writing tools can often produce text that is riddled with jargon, clichés, and unnecessary complexity, especially depending on the subject matter. It’s essential to be mindful of this tendency when using AI tools to draft your writing. Here’s an example where the AI-generated text has been rewritten using plain language techniques:

❌ You will commence an enlightening journey to decode the intricacies of political strategies, dissecting the myriad facets of government. This journey will cultivate a foundation in theoretical paradigms, focusing on how our government and its entities operate, along with the election process and Constitution—the keystones of our political landscape.

✔️ You will learn how the U.S. government works, including the roles of the President, Congress, and Supreme Court. You will also study the Constitution, learn how laws are made, and explore the election process and political parties in the United States.

Additional Resources

  • Federal Plain Language Guidelines – These guidelines were developed as part of the Plain Writing Act of 2010 to assist government agencies in writing documents for the general public.
  • Plain Language Web Writing Tips and Checklist – Download this checklist from Digital.gov to use as a guide while writing your course content.
  • AI tools – Prompt your preferred AI tool to rewrite text or summarize highly technical material in plain language. Make sure to review the output carefully.