Why plain English matters
In Level 1 you worked out who your reader is and the one thing they must do. This level is about the sentences that carry that message. Plain English does not mean writing for children. It means writing so a busy reader understands you on the first read.
Plain English has three habits:
- Short sentences. One main idea in each sentence.
- Active voice. Each sentence says who does what.
- Common words. Use everyday words, not jargon or formal phrases.
This matters because long sentences cost readers understanding. GOV.UK guidance points to research showing that readers understand more than 90% of a text when the average sentence is 14 words long. When the average reaches 43 words, they understand less than 10%.
The example we will fix
Here is a real-world style notice sent to staff:
It has been determined by the Facilities Team that, in order to facilitate the commencement of essential maintenance works on the heating system, which are scheduled to take place during the period between 3 and 7 November, all staff members currently utilising the second-floor meeting rooms will be required to relocate their bookings to alternative accommodation prior to 31 October.
That is one sentence of about 60 words. It is passive, formal and hard to act on. Work through the four tasks below in order.
Task 1: Break up long sentences
The GOV.UK style guide says to split sentences longer than 25 words. The Plain English Campaign recommends an average of 15 to 20 words. You can still mix short sentences with longer ones; the aim is the average, not identical lengths.
Do this:
- Count the words in any sentence that looks long. Mark any sentence over about 25 words.
- Find the separate ideas. Look for joining words such as which, and, in order to and whereas.
- Give each main idea its own sentence.
- Read the new sentences together to check that the meaning has not changed.
Our example has two ideas: the heating will be repaired, and people must move their bookings. So it becomes two sentences.
Task 2: Change passive voice to active voice
In active voice, the person or team doing the action comes first: "The Facilities Team will repair the heating." In passive voice, the thing being acted on comes first, and the doer is moved to the end or left out: "The heating will be repaired."
How to spot passive voice:
- Look for a form of to be (is, are, was, were, will be, has been) followed by a past participle (determined, required, sent).
- Ask "by whom?" If the sentence does not say who does the action, it is probably passive.
Do this:
- Find the passive phrase: "It has been determined by the Facilities Team."
- Identify who does the action: the Facilities Team.
- Put the doer first and use an active verb: "The Facilities Team will repair…"
- Where the reader is the doer, speak to them as "you": "you will be required to relocate" becomes "move your booking".
Passive voice is not forbidden. Use it when the doer is unknown or does not matter. In instructions, though, the reader needs to know who acts.
Task 3: Replace jargon and formal phrases
Formal words slow readers down and add nothing. Swap them for the words you would use when speaking.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| utilise | use |
| facilitate | help, make possible |
| commence / commencement | start |
| purchase | buy |
| assist | help |
| approximately | about |
| prior to | before |
| in order to | to |
| alternative accommodation | another room |
Do this: underline every word you would not say aloud to a colleague, then replace it with a common word.
Result:
The Facilities Team will repair the heating system from 3 to 7 November. If you have booked a second-floor meeting room for those dates, move your booking to another room by 31 October.
That is two sentences of 14 and 19 words. Who acts and what to do are both clear.
Task 4: Use UK spelling consistently
This course uses UK English. The aim is consistency: choose one convention and keep to it across the document. Common US differences:
- -ise / -ize: UK organise, prioritise; US organize, prioritize. Note that -ize is also correct in the UK ("Oxford spelling"). Many UK organisations choose -ise. Whichever you choose, do not mix them.
- -our / -or: UK colour, behaviour, labour; US color, behavior, labor.
- -re / -er: UK centre, metre; US center, meter.
- -ogue / -og: UK catalogue; US catalog.
- Noun vs verb: UK licence (noun) and license (verb); US uses license for both.
- Dates: UK 31 October 2026; US October 31, 2026.
- Punctuation names: UK full stop; US period.
Do this: set your word processor's language to English (UK) and run a spelling check. Then search the document for -ize and -or endings to catch any it misses.
Key takeaways
- Split any sentence over about 25 words, and aim for an average of 15 to 20 words.
- Keep to one main idea in each sentence.
- Use active voice so every sentence shows who does what. Ask "by whom?" to find passive voice.
- Replace formal words with everyday ones: use, not utilise; before, not prior to.
- Use UK spelling consistently and check for US forms such as -ize, -or and -er.
Checklist before you send:
- No sentence is longer than about 25 words
- Each sentence says who does the action
- No jargon or formal phrases remain
- Spelling and date format follow one convention throughout