Rewrite for clarity.

How to approach a plain language rewrite

Plain language is communication your audience can understand the first time they read it. It is not about dumbing down concepts. It is about removing artificial barriers between your expertise and your reader.

When you start a rewrite, do not attempt to fix everything at once. Paste your dense material into the draft workspace. Then, work through the checklist in phases. First, cut the structural bloat (long paragraphs). Then, fix the sentence logic (active voice). Finally, hunt down the specific words that cause friction (jargon and acronyms).

Common traps to avoid

• The "Fake Simple" trap: Chopping a 30-word sentence into three 10-word sentences without defining the actual subject. Short sentences are good, but they still need to carry clear meaning.
• Losing the technical nuance: If a specific technical term is required for legal or safety reasons, leave it in. Just make sure the words surrounding it are as simple as possible.
• Patronizing the reader: Plain language respects the reader's time. Write clearly, not like you are talking to a toddler. Use standard adult grammar.

Assumptions and boundaries

This checklist assumes your goal is public-facing clarity, aiming for roughly a grade 6 to 8 reading level. It works best for instructional guides, basic policies, public health notices, and consumer explanations. If you are writing a highly specialized academic paper for peers, some of these rules will not apply.

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