Get to the Point!

US Government Must Use “Plain Language”

Happy Anniversary to the Plain Language Act! In October 2011 the “The Plain Writing Act of 2010” went into affect. The Act requires all Federal agencies to write clear, concise, and complete information that the general public can understand. The US is not the first nation to promote this; Britain, Portugal, South Africa, and Sweden have been doing this for years.

Bureaucratic government organizations are using techniques that technical writers (and RGI) have been promoting for a century! The law goes as far as banning certain words. Here’s an example of some of the words the must be eliminated from the government language:

practicable

promulgated

pursuant

thereunder

commencing

in accordance with

herein

precluded

heretofore

evidenced

I am particularly excited the mandate states documents use the first person and active voice when possible. For years, I have been promoting both techniques in my courses and articles. Simple word changes make the Government language more “human” by referring to themselves as “we” and the citizens as “you”. Maybe you noticed Government agencies are replacing “Is it requested...” with a simple “Please”.

Take a look at the impact of Plain Language:

Before: Before an individual can be determined eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, it must be established that the individual is not eligible for regular unemployment insurance benefits.

Revised: You can get financial help from Disaster Unemployment Assistance if your job was lost or interrupted as a direct result of a major disaster declared by the President of the Unites States.

Before: Timely preparation, including structural and non-structural mitigation measures to avoid the impacts of severe winter weather, can avert heavy personal, business and government expenditures. Experts agree that the following measures can be effective in dealing with the challenges of severe winter weather.

Revised: Severe winter weather can be extremely dangerous. Consider these safety tips to protect your property and yourself.

Although this statement, taken directly from the guidelines, is humorous, it certainly brings home the point to the federal document writers:

"Federal writers are not supposed to be creating great literature. You are communicating requirements, how to get benefits, how to stay safe and healthy, and other information to help people in their lives. While there is no problem with being expressive, most federal writing has no place for literary flair. People do not curl up in front of the fire with a nice federal regulation to have a relaxing read.”

So what does this mean for engineers? For those of you who work for or with government agencies, your writing will be expected to be shorter, more direct, and use simple words.

Engineers are at fault too. Take a look at this:

Before: This proposal is made subject to the General Conditions of Service attached hereto. If you are in agreement with this proposal, kindly sign below indicating your notice to proceed and acceptance of the terms and conditions stated herein.

Revised: This proposal corresponds to the attached General Conditions of Service. To proceed with the project, we need your signature below, which indicates your acceptance of the outlined terms and conditions.

For more information about Plain Language and the laws visit http://centerforplainlanguage.org/

© 2020, RGI Learning Lisa Moretto, President, RGI International, Inc. For 25 years she has helped engineers improve their oral and written communication skills. Visit www.rgilearning.com or call 866-744-3032 to learn about RGI's courses.