Be honest: Are you writing to sound smart or to make things clear?
Because when writing tries too hard to seem impressive… it shows. In long-winded email chains that circle without landing. In rambling reports that seem heavy – but hide real insights.
Decisions slow and frustrations grow.
Plain English writing cuts through the confusion. For readers drowning in stiff, stuffy sentences? It’s a breath of fresh air.
Yet it requires unlearning many habits we picked up at school. You need to know what to remove, what to prioritise and how to reach busy readers.
Here are six practical plain English writing tactics to help you do exactly that – starting with your next email.
1. Use simple, everyday words
Plain English is effective because it uses simple terms. Not because your reader is unintelligent or uneducated – but because common words are familiar and faster for everybody to process.
In workplaces, meaning gets buried under hoity-toity verbs and corporate jargon: utilise, facilitate, synergy, notwithstanding the fact. They may sound sophisticated, but they slow comprehension.
Want to see more examples? Grab our free Plain English translator cheat-sheet to swap sophisticated for simple – and cut the clutter.
Before: Please ensure completion of the form at your earliest convenience and then let’s circle back.
After: Please complete and return the form to me by Tuesday.
2. Get to the ‘must know’ quickly
Busy professionals don’t read fully from top to bottom. They scan messages to understand why (or if) it matters to them.
Long introductions may feel polite – particularly in emails – but they create friction (and frustration).
Word waffle forces readers to hunt for your key message. So you risk people not even seeing what’s important because it’s buried too deep.
Make sure you put the key message as close to the top of your message as possible.
Before: Following several recent discussions and a review of the current approach, I wanted to provide an update on where our onboarding process is at.
After: We need to involve Mike’s team earlier when we onboard people. Here’s what’s changing and what I need from you.
3. Keep sentences focused on one idea
Long sentences are one of the biggest barriers to clear business writing. The more you cram in, the harder they are to follow.
Plain English writing favours short, specific sentences that do one job well. One sentence. One idea.
If a sentence starts running long, you’ve got three options:
- Break it into two or three shorter sentences so each idea can breathe.
- Remove secondary details that don’t earn their place.
- Use bullet points if you’re listing steps, examples or conditions.
If your sentence needs multiple commas and still feels heavy, it’s trying to do too much.
Before: Given the current status of the project and the many external dependencies involved, it may be necessary to consider a revised timeline.
After: The project is facing delays we can’t control. We may need to revise the timeline.
4. Make responsibility obvious (use active voice)
Plain English makes it clear who is doing what. This is especially important in business, where unclear ownership leads to delays, dropped tasks and costly assumptions.
Passive voice often removes responsibility: it was decided, it has been agreed, the document was sent. The action exists – but the owner is nowhere to be seen.
Active voice names the person or team responsible. It’s specific, direct and reduces confusion.
Before: The report was reviewed and feedback was provided.
After: Sarah reviewed the report and sent feedback to Mia.
5. Cut unnecessary words
Plain English writing is often shorter. Not because information is missing, but because clutter has been removed.
Business writing often accumulates filler phrases that add formality without adding meaning: I just wanted to, it is important to note that, in order to.
These filler phrases slow readers and weaken your messages.
So trim without fear. If a word or phrase doesn’t change the meaning? It can go.
Before: I just wanted to follow up to see if you had a chance to review the document.
After: Have you had a chance to review the document?
6. Write in a conversational tone
One of the biggest misconceptions about plain English is that it sounds too casual or even ‘unprofessional’. In reality, it sounds more confident.
Plain English writing uses a natural, human tone. It avoids stiff constructions that feel safe but create distance between you and your reader.
Writing in the second person (using ‘you’ and ‘we’) makes your message feel more personal and relevant. It brings the reader into the conversation instead of keeping them at arm’s length.
Before: Should there be any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the office.
After: If you need a hand, please call our office.
Master plain English writing today
Plain English may start as a personal skill. But its real power is revealed when it becomes a shared standard across your team.
Because when your entire business writes with clarity? Communication becomes sharper. Expectations are clearer. And accountability improves.
Picture it now: Fewer clarification emails. Faster approvals. And less time spent decoding what someone meant.
When everyone works from the same playbook, clarity becomes part of the culture.
Want to embed plain English into your business? Learn more about our Business Writing Essentials training course.