Writing for understanding
Overview
Overview
Plain language writing requires communicating clearly for your specific audience. Research shows that content is easier to understand when you use language made up of, among other things,
- Shorter words
- Short sections
- Active voice
- Present tense
Use the active voice
Active voice makes it clear who should do what. It eliminates ambiguity about responsibilities. Not “It must be done,” but “You must do it.” Passive voice obscures who handles what and is one of the biggest problems with government writing. Don’t confuse passive voice with past tense.
In an active sentence, the person or agency that’s acting is the subject of the sentence. In a passive sentence, the person or item that is acted upon is the subject of the sentence. Passive sentences often do not identify who is performing the action.
Active voice | Passive voice |
|---|---|
The company polluted the lake. | The lake was polluted by the company. |
We proposed new regulations. | New regulations were proposed. |
You must include the following information in your application. | The following information must be included in the application for it to be considered complete. |
Identifying passive sentences
Passive sentences often have two basic features.
- A form of the verb “to be,” such as “are,” “was,” “were,” “could be,” or “have been”
- A past participle (generally with “-ed” on the end)
In a few instances, passive voice may be appropriate. For example, when one action follows another as a matter of law, and there is no actor (besides the law itself) for the second action, a passive sentence may be the best method of expression.
Use the present tense
The simplest and strongest form of a verb is present tense.
The present tense makes your writing simpler, more direct, and more forceful. The more you use conditional or future tense, the harder your audience has to work to understand your meaning. Writing in the present tense saves your audience work and helps make your point clearly.
Say | Instead of |
|---|---|
These sections tell you how to meet the requirements of Circular A-110 for this grant program. | These sections describe types of information that would satisfy the application requirements of Circular A-110 as it would apply to this grant program. |
Even if you write about an event that occurred in the past, you can clarify the material for your user by writing as much as possible in the present tense.
Say | Instead of |
|---|---|
You may not be covered under this part if you were a federal employee at the time of the injury, and you did not file a claim at that time. | Applicants who were federal employees at the time that the injury was sustained should have filed a compensation request at that time. Failure to do so could have an effect on the degree to which the applicant can be covered under this part. |
You may need to use other tenses. For example, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) frequently refers to what may happen in the future if certain events occur. Use tenses other than the present only when necessary for accuracy.
Avoid hidden verbs
Use the strongest, most direct form of the verb possible.
Verbs are the fuel of writing – they give your sentences power and direction. They liven up your writing and make it more interesting. Too often, we hide verbs by turning them into nouns, making them less effective and using more words than we need.
Government writing is full of hidden verbs. They make our writing weak and longer than necessary.
Say | Instead of |
|---|---|
We analyze data. | We conduct an analysis of the data. |
We manage the program. | We are responsible for management of the program. |
What are hidden verbs?
A hidden verb (or nominalization) is a verb converted into a noun. It often needs an extra verb to make sense.
Hidden verbs come in two forms.
- Some have endings such as -ment, -tion, -sion, and -ance.
- Others link with verbs such as achieve, effect, give, have, make, reach, and take.
Hidden verbs also occur when we:
- Turn verbs into nouns by adding endings such as -ing, -tion, -ment, or -sion, and
- Place the longer word between the words “the” and “of”
Uncovering the hidden verb usually forces you to rephrase your sentence and cut out other poor habits like wordy phrases or passive verbs.
