Simplify Your Language to Sound Smarter
2021-07-09
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1It has happened to all of us.
2We open an instruction book for a new machine or read a publication and find their language is more complex than it needs to be.
3The result is often difficulty in understanding.
4Business leaders say that clear communication helps to keep customers happy.
5So they advise workers to use simple language when writing or speaking to the public.
6Policymakers may write laws with complex language, but they try to speak so their messages are clear.
7In today's Everyday Grammar, we will talk about ways to simplify your language when speaking or writing in English.
8Kathy and Ross Petras are language experts who wrote the book You're Saying it Wrong.
9They said business leaders are concerned that workers often use unnecessary words and expressions in communication.
10For example, they would say "at this point in time" or "at the present time" instead of using "now" to say the same thing.
11Sometimes, workers would use extra words with the same meaning such as "end result," "combine together" and "past history."
12Let us take a look at these extra words.
13A result is at the end of something, so do we need to add "end?" Combine means to mix or bring together.
14There is no need for another "together."
15And if history is always in the past, do we need to say it is in the past again?
16You may wonder why some writers and speakers use such difficult language.
17Some want to use such language to sound more legal or official.
18Others may think longer sentences and more difficult words make them sound well-educated and intelligent.
19In the 1990s, a group of United States government employees gathered to work on a common problem:
20people could not find or understand the information they needed in government documents.
21The group created guidelines that were included in a new law, The Plain Writing Act of 2010.
22The law requires government agencies to train staff to use plain, or simple, language in their writing.
23The changes have made it easier to understand government rules and services.
24One of the guidelines is to directly speak to the reader.
25This helps avoid using difficult nouns to describe people or pronoun choices such as "he or she" or "his or her."
26 A government rule once said:
27The applicant must provide his or her mailing address and his or her identification number.
28Under the plain writing guidelines, the rule became:
29You must provide your mailing address and identification number
30Former Vice President Al Gore gave another example in a 1998 speech.
31The rule was:
32We are providing the following information about an insurance payment you indicated you have not received or which is otherwise missing.
33Under the guideline, it became:
34We received the missing check form you sent us.
35That was much easier to understand, Gore said.
36Gore added that some of the main points in the guidelines include:
37"short is better than long; active is better than passive; everyday terms are better than technical terms, and -- you can use pronouns like "we" and "you;" in fact, you should."
38Since 1959, VOA Learning English writers have used plain language to provide news and information to English learners worldwide.
39We try to change from the passive verb form to active. We also write with fewer details while keeping the same message.
40For example, when Californians were asked to voluntarily reduce their energy use from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.
41in Learning English, the sentence became:
42Officials in California asked people to save electricity for a few hours on Thursday.
43When possible, we limit ourselves to the 1500 words in the Word Book.
44When we must use a word that is not in the book, we explain the word or give you its meaning at the end of the story.
45Over the past year, we have often written about how students and teachers continue education at home.
46We used simple words to replace less common ones.
47Sentences about "remote learning" or "virtual instruction" became "teaching by computer" or "learning on the internet."
48When you are writing on the computer in English, there are several tools you can use to check for extra words and complex sentences.
49Microsoft Word and Google Docs offer grammar checking and spell checking.
50The great American writer Ernest Hemingway was known for his use of simple language.
51There is even a software program named after Hemingway that suggests simpler ways to express yourself.
52And that's Everyday Grammar!
53I'm Jill Robbins
1It has happened to all of us. 2We open an instruction book for a new machine or read a publication and find their language is more complex than it needs to be. The result is often difficulty in understanding. 3Business leaders say that clear communication helps to keep customers happy. So they advise workers to use simple language when writing or speaking to the public. 4Policymakers may write laws with complex language, but they try to speak so their messages are clear. 5In today's Everyday Grammar, we will talk about ways to simplify your language when speaking or writing in English. 6Use fewer words to say the same thing 7Kathy and Ross Petras are language experts who wrote the book You're Saying it Wrong. They said business leaders are concerned that workers often use unnecessary words and expressions in communication. 8For example, they would say "at this point in time" or "at the present time" instead of using "now" to say the same thing. 9Sometimes, workers would use extra words with the same meaning such as "end result," "combine together" and "past history." 10Let us take a look at these extra words. 11A result is at the end of something, so do we need to add "end?" Combine means to mix or bring together. There is no need for another "together." And if history is always in the past, do we need to say it is in the past again? 12Plain language law 13You may wonder why some writers and speakers use such difficult language. 14Some want to use such language to sound more legal or official. Others may think longer sentences and more difficult words make them sound well-educated and intelligent. 15In the 1990s, a group of United States government employees gathered to work on a common problem: people could not find or understand the information they needed in government documents. 16The group created guidelines that were included in a new law, The Plain Writing Act of 2010. The law requires government agencies to train staff to use plain, or simple, language in their writing. The changes have made it easier to understand government rules and services. 17Address one person, not a group 18One of the guidelines is to directly speak to the reader. This helps avoid using difficult nouns to describe people or pronoun choices such as "he or she" or "his or her." A government rule once said: 19The applicant must provide his or her mailing address and his or her identification number. 20Under the plain writing guidelines, the rule became: 21You must provide your mailing address and identification number 22Former Vice President Al Gore gave another example in a 1998 speech. The rule was: 23We are providing the following information about an insurance payment you indicated you have not received or which is otherwise missing. 24Under the guideline, it became: 25We received the missing check form you sent us. 26That was much easier to understand, Gore said. 27Gore added that some of the main points in the guidelines include: "short is better than long; active is better than passive; everyday terms are better than technical terms, and -- you can use pronouns like "we" and "you;" in fact, you should." 28VOA Learning English 29Since 1959, VOA Learning English writers have used plain language to provide news and information to English learners worldwide. We try to change from the passive verb form to active. We also write with fewer details while keeping the same message. For example, when 30Californians were asked to voluntarily reduce their energy use from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday. 31in Learning English, the sentence became: 32Officials in California asked people to save electricity for a few hours on Thursday. 33When possible, we limit ourselves to the 1500 words in the Word Book. When we must use a word that is not in the book, we explain the word or give you its meaning at the end of the story. 34Over the past year, we have often written about how students and teachers continue education at home. We used simple words to replace less common ones. Sentences about "remote learning" or "virtual instruction" became "teaching by computer" or "learning on the internet." 35Tools for keeping your language simple 36When you are writing on the computer in English, there are several tools you can use to check for extra words and complex sentences. Microsoft Word and Google Docs offer grammar checking and spell checking. 37The great American writer Ernest Hemingway was known for his use of simple language. There is even a software program named after Hemingway that suggests simpler ways to express yourself. 38And that's Everyday Grammar! 39I'm Jill Robbins 40Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this lesson for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 41_______________________________________________________________ 42Words in This Story 43customer - n. someone who buys goods or services from a business 44guideline - n. a rule or instruction that 45a rule or instruction that that shows or tells how something should be done - usually plural 46remote - adj. far away 47virtual - adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet 48How do you make your language simpler? How do you feel about the way Learning English simplifies stories? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.