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Federal Plain Language Guidelines

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1. Thinking about your audience
1. Identify and write for your audience
2. Address separate audiences separately
2. Organizing your document
1. Organize to meet your readers' needs
2. Address one person, not a group
3. Use lots of useful headings
4. Write short sections
3. Writing your document
1. Words
1. verbs
1. Use active voice
2. Use the simplest form of a verb
3. Avoid hidden verbs
4. Use "must" to indicate requirements
5. Use contractions when appropriate
2. nouns and pronouns
1. Avoid noun strings
2. Use pronouns to speak directly to readers
3. Minimize abbreviations
3. other word issues
1. Use short, simple words
2. Omit unnecessary words
3. Dealing with definitions
4. Use the same term consistently for a specific thought or object
5. Avoid legal, foreign, and technical jargon
6. Don't use slashes
2. Sentences
1. Write short sentences
2. Keep subject, verb, and object close together
3. Avoid double negatives and exceptions to exceptions
4. Place the main idea before exceptions and conditions
5. Place words carefully
3. Paragraphs
1. Have a topic sentence
2. Use transition words
3. Write short paragraphs
4. Cover only one topic in each paragraph
4. Other aids to clarity
1. Use examples
2. Use vertical lists
3. Use tables to make complex material easier to understand
4. Consider using illustrations
5. Use emphasis to highlight important concepts
6. Minimize cross-references
7. Design your document for ease of reading
4. Testing your Document