Assignment 3 Question 1

1. We spoke about Plain English writing in class. Please answer the following in detail:

A. How would you explain to someone what “Plain English writing” is? (3 Marks)

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Plain English can be broken down into three main objectives. These objectives are that your writing needs to be clear, concise, and correct. In class discussion, we talked about how plain English is important, it’s how we effectively communicate on the internet. Plain language must be clear so the message you are trying to convey is easily understandable to a wide audience. Plain language is emphasized by using simple, everyday language. An example of this would be, instead of convoluted descriptions, using straightforward terms like “people” instead of “photographers and graphic artists,” using more basic terms makes the content more accessible. With accessibility, plain English prioritizes the reader’s needs by ensuring that the content is easy to find and understand and use. The content needs to be organized so the readers can find what they are looking for without getting confused and frustrated. The reader is number one when it comes to plain language writing so understanding the audience and tailoring the message to their needs is a must. Knowing the literacy levels, language proficiency, and familiarity with the topic will help with directly writing to the target audience. For instance, using active verbs and positive messages ensures engagement and clarity. Overall, effective “Plain English Writing” ensures clarity and engagement with the audience. Make sure the writing is always tailored towards the audience and use language that resonates with them. As well as organizing the information so the reader can effortlessly navigate the content. The third objective would be to write for action, this is so the reader takes the necessary steps to drive purpose and effectiveness within our communication. Keeping the text concise and to the point will also respect the reader’s time and attention and will keep them from bouncing from your content overall. The last objective would be to design the content to be visually appealing and accessible; this will further enhance the communication experience. By adhering to these principles, you can create content that follows the plain English writing technique.

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B. What makes plain English writing different? (4 Marks)

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Plain English writing differentiates itself from other writing styles through its unique characteristics and approach to content communication. At the core, plain English writing is heavily based on clarity and simplicity; plain English is the effort to simplify complex language, technical terms, and convoluted sentence structure in favour of straightforward and easily digestible language. This is to try to make our message and goal as easily accessible as we can to a broad audience. It’s to explain a subject in a universal way that a person could follow without having a high level of expertise or familiarity with it. Plain English writing is deeply connected with the audience-centricity. As the creator of the content, we need to understand the audience’s background so that the content will suit a broad audience that might not have our complex knowledge. This doesn’t mean dumbing down the content, though. It just means the writing needs to resonate with the reader effectively and communicate the intended message we want to create. An aspect of plain English writing is the action-orientated approach. Through providing clear instructions and CTAs, plain writing encourages readers to take tangible steps, for example, having to fill out a voting card for an election; that is the broadest audience there is, and you need to create instructions that everyone will understand that being brand new voters and people who have been voting for their whole life. The way to do this is through images and actionable communication. This is what sets plain English apart from the other styles of writing that may lack clear directives or fail to engage readers as if it is too complicated to understand. Plain English values efficiency and accessibility. The whole point is to convey information as best as possible without going overboard and using unnecessary details. This makes it easier for readers to absorb critical information easier. Going back to the voter example, if the instructions were unclear, people would take longer to fill out ballots, and it would hold up everyone’s day. Plain English writing allows for things to run smoothly. Plain English is one of the most engaging approaches to written communication, it brings in a wide range of audiences and contexts.

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 C. What is plain language writing for the web and in detail and in your own words, why is it important? (4 Marks)

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Plain language writing for the web is critical because people are busy. There is so much content and information at readers’ fingertips that people spend less than 15 seconds deciding whether to engage with the content. This spells disaster if people need to think about what your content is trying to say. People will bounce from your site and invest their time with another one. With plain language writing for the web, your ROI will decrease, and you will lose money if you don’t use it. It is an instrumental writing style that shows results. It will improve your website’s conversion rates, lower your webpage bounce rates, and improve the time on the page. Plain English isn’t about dumbing the content down, though. It’s just about avoiding language that trips people up and will, in turn, dilute the message you are trying to get across. Writing using the inverted pyramid method will help you succeed in writing in plain language. This means making sure the most important details are the first thing the user sees; this helps with users skimming over your content and will still get your message across while allowing the user to digest the content accessible and quickly. Space on a webpage is limited. This means being clear and concise is vital on the web so you can pack a punch and deliver exciting content that a broad audience can consume. Short sentences and simple grammatical structures will accomplish this and be much easier to follow than winding sentences. After creating clarity in your writing, you can add your brand’s voice and personality to the content. Overall, plain language writing for the web is essential because it enhances comprehension, user experience, inclusivity, and credibility. By prioritizing clarity and simplicity in your online content, we can effectively communicate our message to a wide audience and create a positive user experience that will reduce bounce rates, increase time on the website and have higher conversion rates.