Straight and Simple – the Language of Clarity

A short while ago, a customer gave me very explicit directives about the grammatical and syntactical structures he wanted me to use in writing his company’s marketing documents. He demanded very direct language, short, simple sentences and no fancy grammar. Somewhere along the line he has picked up the basics of a body of science called Simplified or Controlled English. I have been a great fan of Simplified English for many years and I will tell you a bit about it and the real value it can have for you in preparing marketing and customer-directed documents.

WHAT IS SIMPLIFIED ENGLISH ALL ABOUT?

The need for clear, concise documentation and writing standards, for international audiences, was recognized as far back as the 1940s – long before anybody talked about globalization. Several large organizations saw the need for a form of English that could be understood by almost anybody – but specifically by people who speak very little English yet are involved in complex maintenance processes. Boeing and Caterpillar were two of the first companies to create rules that became the “language” called Simplified English. Today, Simplified English is a highly developed, very effective set of grammar and syntax rules that covers all aspects of writing – right down to banning semicolons, prohibiting the perfect tense, and fixing the maximum length of a sentence (20 words). Noun clusters – a favorite among Israelis writing marketing documents– are frowned upon.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Simplified English has some very demanding rules. You may not like them, and they certainly can suffocate creative writing but the end result should not be frowned upon. Simplified English ensures that you will have effective operation and maintenance documents that do not require localization or even translation.

In Simplified English:

• A word or term can have only one meaning. There is no ambiguity and synonyms are not permitted. For example: “Follow” means to come after, so “Follow the safety rules” is wrong. “Obey the safety rules” is correct.
• There is only one part of speech for each word: “test” is an approved noun. So the requirement to “Test the system for leaks” is not acceptable. The word “test” cannot be used as a verb. It must be changed to: “Make sure there are no leaks in the system”.
• The shortest and simplest word is used. In fact, there is a definitive list of approved words.
• American terms and spelling are used.
• The active voice is always used.
• Only simple verb tenses are used.
• Lengthy compound words are forbidden.
• Short sentences with one topic or idea presented in each sentence are the rule.
• There should be no more than 20 words per sentence and no more than seven sentences per paragraph.

Simplified English provides companies with some really great advantages:

• Improves understanding for people whose first language is not English.
• Faster product training
• Fewer errors in operation and maintenance in the field
• Makes translation cheaper, easier and allows automated translation.

SIMPLIFIED ENGLISH AND MARKETING WRITING

So where does this get you? Procedural documentation is pretty far from your daily activities. But you are not that distant from Simplified English requirements. Always keep in mind – the majority of your readers are non-native English speakers. You can get your message across much more effectively if the language, grammar and syntax that you use are easily contented with. Simplified English – in its classic form – is certainly not suitable for marketing and customer-directed sales documents. But many of the concepts in Simplified English can be adopted to substantially increase the readability and power of your writing. I have prepared some guidelines – based upon the strictures of Simplified English – that no marketing writer can be ashamed of:

• Keep it short. The value of a document is not measured by its weight. Your readers will not respect you more because you have written 100 pages instead of 20. In fact, they are more likely to get a bit upset at you for making unnecessary demands on their time.
• If you can choice between an abstract word and a more concrete one, choose the latter. It will give more power to your message as it will be immediately understood.
• Always start a paragraph with a topic sentence, i.e. let the reader know the subject of the paragraph.
• Each paragraph must deal with only one subject.
• The length of a paragraph should not be more than seven sentences.
• Vary the paragraph lengths and constructions to keep the text interesting.
• Vary the paragraph lengths to add visual interest.
• Do not use single-sentence paragraphs.
• Try to end a paragraph with a concept that links it to the next paragraph.
• Always try to use the active voice rather than the passive. Your writing will become clearer because your reader will immediately know who or what is carrying out the action.

I end with a pertinent quote by Pascal:

Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.

I have made this letter longer than usual, because I have not had the time to make it shorter.