Course description
This course is ideal for any editor who would like to achieve a broad understanding of what plain English is for, the core guidelines, techniques and tools, and how to use them in a balanced and nuanced way. You will need an understanding of English grammar and of copyediting generally.
The course explains what plain English is, gives you the skills to use guidelines on plain-English editing with thought and care, and helps you to think through how to market your services and deal with challenges.
By the end of the course you will:
- understand what plain English is and where to use it
- understand the core guidelines for editing into plain English
- know where to find the tools to help you
- know how to apply the skills you have acquired
- have some ideas for creating a business plan for your plain-English editing service.
View the curriculum
Welcome
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Before you start
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Resource centre
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Unit 1: What can make a text unclear?
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- 1 WHAT CAN MAKE A TEXT UNCLEAR? – INTRODUCTION
- 1.1 IF PLAIN ENGLISH IS THE ANSWER, WHAT'S THE QUESTION?
- Exercise 1: If plain English is the answer, what's the question?
- Exercise 1: How did you get on?
- 1.1 Study notes
- 1.2 BACKGROUND AND RESOURCES
- Exercise 2: How is plain English relevant to your work?
- Exercise 2: How did you get on?
Unit 2: Guidelines and techniques
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- 2 GUIDELINES AND TECHNIQUES: INTRODUCTION
- 2.1 KEEP SENTENCES TO A MANAGEABLE LENGTH
- Exercise 3: Splitting up a long sentence
- Exercise 3: How did you get on?
- Exercise 4: Using vertical lists
- Exercise 4: How did you get on?
- Exercise 5: Rewriting the text
- Exercise 5: How did you get on?
- 2.2 EDIT FOR CONCISENESS AND DIRECTNESS
- Exercise 6: You and we
- Exercise 6: How did you get on?
- Exercise 7: Smothered verbs
- Exercise 7: How did you get on?
- Exercise 8: Noun strings
- Exercise 8: How did you get on?
- Exercise 9: Positive language
- Exercise 9: How did you get on?
- Exercise 10: Cut out unnecessary words
- Exercise 10: How did you get on?
- 2.3 CHECK GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION, BUT PUT CLARITY FIRST
- Exercise 11: Choosing appropriate grammatical forms
- Exercise 11: How did you get on?
- Exercise 12: Changing passives to actives
- Exercise 12: How did you get on?
- Exercise 13: Using commas for greater clarity
- Exercise 13: How did you get on?
- Exercise 14: Using hyphens for greater clarity
- Exercise 14: How did you get on?
- 2.4 USE WORDS THAT READERS KNOW
- Exercise 15: Translate the jargon
- Exercise 15: How did you get on?
- 2.5 CHECK THAT THE LANGUAGE IS INCLUSIVE
- Exercise 16: Gender inclusivity
- Exercise 16: How did you get on?
- Exercise 17: Inclusivity general guidelines
- Exercise 17: How did you get on?
- 2.6 MAKE SURE THE MATERIAL IS ORGANISED AND LAID OUT CLEARLY
- Exercise 18: Clear organisation within the text
- Exercise 18: How did you get on?
- Exercise 19: Giving advice on clear layout
- Exercise 19: How did you get on?
- Exercise 20: Good layout
- Exercise 20: How did you get on?
- 2.7 FURTHER PLAIN-ENGLISH CONSIDERATIONS AND CHECKLIST
- Unit 2 quiz
Unit 3: Test your plain-English editing skills
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Unit 4: Tools for plain-English editing
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- 4 TOOLS FOR PLAIN-ENGLISH EDITING: INTRODUCTION
- 4.1 TOOLS IN MICROSOFT WORD
- Exercise 22: Using Word tools to spot problems
- Exercise 22: How did you get on?
- Exercise 23: Using Word tools to demonstrate improvements
- Exercise 23: How did you get on?
- Exercise 24: Words and phrases to highlight or replace
- 4.2 PERFECTIT
- 4.3 OTHER PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP PEOPLE WRITE CLEARLY
Unit 5: Services and challenges
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Course completion
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