Checklist for Plain Language

Use this checklist to see if your document meets plain language standards. (If you’re writing for the web, here’s the web checklist.)

• written for the average reader
• organized to serve the reader’s needs
• has useful headings
• uses “you” and other pronouns to speak to the reader
• uses active voice
• uses short sections and short sentences
• uses the simplest tense possible—simple present is best
• uses base verbs, not hidden verbs
• omits excess words
• uses concrete, familiar words
• uses “must” to express requirements; avoids the ambiguous word “shall”
• places words carefully (avoids large gaps between the subject, the verb and the object; puts exceptions last; places modifiers correctly)
• uses lists and tables to simplify complex material
• uses no more than two or three subordinate levels