---
name: plain-english
description: "Rewrite or write text in plain English: main point first, short sentences, common word swaps, active voice, lists and tables, second-language readers, readability as a rough guide, and meaning checks so facts, obligations and legal effect stay exact, with plain summaries beside wording that must not change. Use whenever someone wants text simplified, plain language, easier to read documents, clearer customer letters or policies, jargon removed, or writing for readers in a second language."
license: CC-BY-4.0
metadata:
  author: Afeez Adebayo
  author_url: https://afeezadebayo.com
  author_linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
  author_x: https://x.com/za_icon
  source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/productivity/workplace-writing/plain-english/
  category: productivity
  subcategory: workplace-writing
  version: "1.0.0"
  created: "2026-10-10"
  updated: "2026-10-13"
---

# Plain English

Plain language is writing the reader can understand the first time they read it. It is not dumbing down: experts read plain text faster too, and complex ideas become clearer when the words get out of the way. Governments have long promoted it; the UK Government Digital Service style guide, for example, asks writers to use short sentences and common words, and the US Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires federal agencies to write clearly for the public. [Reference, GOV.UK style guide; US Plain Writing Act 2010]

This skill rewrites or writes text in plain English: short sentences, common words, active voice, the main point first, defined or removed jargon, clear structure and a readability check, while keeping technical accuracy, legal meaning and the right tone.

## Operating principles
1. **Write for the reader you have.** Busy, distracted, possibly reading in a second language.
2. **Main point first.** In the document, each section and each paragraph.
3. **Short sentences.** Aim for an average of 15 to 20 words; split anything over 25.
4. **Common words.** "Use" not "utilise", "start" not "commence", "help" not "facilitate".
5. **Active voice.** "We will send your refund" not "Your refund will be sent".
6. **Keep meaning exact.** Simpler words must not change facts, obligations or legal effect.

## Word swaps
| Instead of | Use |
|---|---|
| commence | start |
| utilise | use |
| facilitate | help, make easier |
| in order to | to |
| prior to | before |
| in the event that | if |
| with regard to | about |
| at this point in time | now |
| a number of | some, several, or the number |
| ensure | make sure |
| approximately | about |
| endeavour | try |
| obtain | get |
| sufficient | enough |

## When to use, and when not to
Use it for policies, procedures, customer letters, emails, reports, forms, website text, notices, contracts summaries and anything read by a wide audience or people working in a second language.

Don't use it to change legal wording that must stay exact without review; instead add a plain-language summary alongside it.

## Inputs
- The text, or what needs to be said.
- The audience: who reads it, their knowledge, first language and situation.
- Terms that must be kept (legal, technical, brand).
- Tone: formal, neutral or warm.

## Workflow

### Step 1. Find the main point
What must the reader know or do? Put it first.

### Step 2. Restructure
Order by what the reader needs; add headings for scanning; one idea per paragraph.

### Step 3. Shorten sentences
Split long sentences; cut empty phrases ("It should be noted that").

### Step 4. Swap words
Replace formal or vague words with common ones; keep required terms and define them once.

### Step 5. Use active voice
Say who does what.

### Step 6. Use lists and tables
For steps, options, criteria and comparisons.

### Step 7. Check readability
Use a readability score as a rough guide (for example aiming for a reading age of about 9 to 12 for public text), but trust a real reader test more than the score.

### Step 8. Check meaning
Compare with the original: same facts, obligations, numbers and dates.

## Before and after
**Before:**
"In the event that the applicant fails to provide the requisite documentation prior to the deadline, the application will be deemed to have been withdrawn."

**After:**
"If you don't send the documents by 31 October, we will treat your application as withdrawn."

**Before:**
"It is important to ensure that all staff members are made aware of the changes that will be implemented with regard to the new procedure."

**After:**
"Please tell your team about the new procedure."

## Writing for second-language readers
- Avoid idioms ("touch base", "ballpark") and phrasal verbs where a single word exists.
- Use consistent terms; do not vary words for style.
- Spell out dates (14 October 2026) and avoid abbreviations.
- Keep sentences especially short.

## Output format
```
1. Rewritten text
2. Main changes (structure, sentence length, words replaced)
3. Terms kept and why
4. Readability before and after (rough guide)
5. Meaning check: anything to confirm with the author or legal
```

## Empty phrases to cut
| Cut | Because |
|---|---|
| It should be noted that | Just say the thing |
| Please be advised that | Adds nothing |
| As mentioned above | Readers can see it |
| In terms of | Usually removable |
| The fact that | Rewrite the sentence |
| Going forward | Delete or say "from now on" |

## Active and passive voice
Passive voice hides who acts: "Mistakes were made", "The form must be submitted". Active voice is clearer: "We made mistakes", "Submit the form by Friday". Passive voice is fine when the actor does not matter or is unknown, such as "The office was built in 1990".

## Numbers and dates
- Use numerals for numbers 10 and above, and for all measurements and money.
- Write dates in full: 14 October 2026.
- Round when exact figures do not matter: "about 40%" rather than "39.6%".
- Explain what a number means: "\u00a3142.60, your September bill".

## Testing with readers
Ask two or three people from the real audience to read the text and say, in their own words, what it asks them to do. Watch where they hesitate. Their questions show what to rewrite better than any score.

## Using an AI agent
The agent can rewrite text to a target sentence length, list jargon with plain alternatives, produce a plain summary for legal text, check readability and compare meaning line by line with the original. The author confirms that obligations and figures are unchanged.

## Headings that help
Write headings as the reader's questions or actions, such as "How to pay" or "What happens if you pay late", rather than labels like "Payment information". Readers scan headings to find their answer, so each heading should tell them what the section answers before they read it.

## Edge cases and judgement calls
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Legal or regulated wording | Keep it; add a plain summary above |
| Technical audience | Keep precise technical terms; simplify everything around them |
| Brand voice is playful | Plain and warm can coexist; keep sentences short |
| Sensitive message (bad news) | Plain does not mean blunt; keep kindness and clarity |
| Translation planned | Plain source text translates better and cheaper |
| Very short space (forms, buttons) | Use the reader's words for the action |

## Handoffs to related skills
- Editing for structure and length: `editing-tightening`
- Policies: `policies-guidelines`
- Procedures: `sops-process-docs`
- Team standards: `team-style-guide`
- Email clarity: the Email and Inbox `email-writing-clarity` skill

## Worked example
A utility company's late-payment letter used 280 words, passive voice and terms such as "arrears" and "remittance". The rewrite opened with "You owe £142.60 from your September bill. Please pay by 30 October to avoid a late fee", listed three ways to pay, explained in one sentence what happens next if payment is late, offered help for customers struggling to pay and ended with a phone number and opening hours. It used 130 words, short sentences and no unexplained terms. Calls asking what the letter meant dropped noticeably.

## Common mistakes
- Confusing plain with informal or rude.
- Changing meaning while simplifying.
- Keeping jargon because "everyone knows it".
- Relying only on readability scores.
- Long sentences split into fragments that lose logic.

## Self-check before you answer
- Is the main point first?
- Are sentences mostly under 20 words?
- Are jargon and formal words replaced or defined?
- Is the meaning unchanged and checked?

---
Created by Afeez Adebayo, Marketing, SEO & Growth Expert
Website: https://afeezadebayo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
X: https://x.com/za_icon
Source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/productivity/workplace-writing/plain-english/

Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You may copy, share and adapt this skill, including for commercial use, as long as you credit Afeez Adebayo and link to the source URL above. Keep this notice in any copy or adapted version.