Plain English and Gobbledygook

The Plain English Society exists to champion the cause of simple clear and effective English. It is at war with "gobbledygook" defined as confusing and unclear writing.

The Society has had great success in exposing the confusing characteristics of government documents and official forms. While some writers believe that a decorative style is necessary for formal writing, others see this as pompous, overblown and confusing.

The aim for clarity is a powerful force and greater understanding has been achieved without a loss in style. Indeed many agree that clarity in writing is a style in itself.

Clarity can often be achieved by

• reducing the complexity of sentences
• preferring the concrete to the abstract
• preferring the active to the passive
• preferring the Germanic to the Romance and the Classical

Try this in your own writing and see if you approve of the result. Are all the pieces of advice above equally useful? What might you add and what could you argue against?

Research the Plain English Society and find examples of gobbledygook which has been rewritten in a more concise and clear style. remember that clarity can be achieved through typographical devices as well as language structure and choice of vocabulary.

Look also at Orwell's six rules for clear English.

Clear and direct language should not be confused with swearing. While it is true that many swear words originate in our early Indo-European or Anglo Saxon speech, where they have more emotional impact than the later Romance language grafted on after 1066, swearing has an intention to insult or abuse. Plain English has the intention to clarify and explain.

Is swearing bad language?

World's Worst Writing

Evasive Language on the Railways and elsewhere

Councils Get Banned Jargon List - 200 examples of jargon words in use by local councils

Police guilty of ‘ploddledygook’

Euphemism is a perfectly legitimate way to avoid expressing something unpleasant or rude. Inevitably it does not speak directly but in a somewhat round about way. Nevertheless it is an aspect of plain English. Plain English does not need to be offensive though it may be blunt.

For Euphemisms in action see - The Fat Lady Sings

For the difficulties of translating plainly from another language see English As She Is Spoke.