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December 13, 2010

Jodee Taylor: Plain words are best

By Jodee Taylor, Local columnist ----

Here's a cause I can get behind.

This fall, the president signed the Plain Writing Act of 2010.

Thank God.

The act is mainly about banking language, but the Center for Plain Language is already entrenched in my heart.

"Write in active voice," the group says on its website.

"Keep it short."

"Don't be wordy."

What's not to love? These are the tenets of my life, my reason for living. OK, maybe not for living, but certainly for working.

That said, I am in favor of adjectives and adverbs, especially when used responsibly. But the Center for Plain Language gets to the heart of some of my pet peeves, especially in their handy-dandy, clip-and-save (well, it should be) list of "Excess words, Plain alternatives."

"Accordingly" equals "so." "Should it appear that" equals "if." "With regard to" equals "about."

Try it. Here's a sample sentence from the center.

"At the present time, the FAA in accordance with new regulations will on a monthly basis conduct random security checks in the event that there is a terrorist alert."

Huh? What it really means is:

"The FAA under new regulations will conduct monthly random security checks if there is a terrorist alert."

I could probably shorten that even more, but it's pretty good.

There are so many other fun tips at the site, www.centerforplainlanguage.org, that I have to limit myself or I'd spend all day there.

Avoid "shall." It's ambiguous. Don't use unnecessary qualifiers, like "totally qualified" or "work in partnership with."

And one I hadn't thought about: "Don't use and/or." The clear-thinkers at the center say it makes a document unclear. "Why use two words where one would do? Most of the time you mean either "or" or "and" but not both. They admit there are exceptions. In those cases, say, "Bring your driver's license, your birth certificate, or both."

Plain language in government documents is a win/win situation. The government will save money and the rest of us will understand what the heck they're talking about. Tax forms? Simplified. Drug warnings? Understandable. Medicare documents? Sensible.

The center even gives out prizes to websites it thinks are well-written. The 2010 winner explains low back pain in what felt like third-grade words, but if I were in the throes of pain I'd probably find that comforting. Entries are judged not only on language but on site design and how well it works for its intended audience. You can still nominate a site for the 2011 awards.

I think the part of the Plain Writing Act that warms my heart the most is that it makes it clear that simple language doesn't make you a simple person. Using jargon, convoluted phrases and long-winded explanations doesn't make you look smart. Getting your point across clearly does.

Jodee Taylor can be reached at jtaylor@record-eagle.com.

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