Plain English in the news
Worst words of 2011? ‘Fugitive emissions’ tops the list
The Plain English Foundation has voted fugitive emissions the worst word use of 2011.
Chemical company Orica used the phrase to downplay gas leaks of the highly polluting substance ammonia from its plant at Newcastle, NSW.
According to the Foundation’s Dr Neil James, ‘describing highly toxic pollution as fugitive emissions breathlessly spins a serious environmental incident into something that evades corporate responsibility’.
The term was a clear winner ahead of a dozen examples of spin doctoring, clichés and suitspeak, mixed metaphors, marketing and Manglish.
View the full list
Hear Neil James talk about the worst words of 2011
US bill for a Plain Regulations Act introduced
Botanists switch from Latin to clear the plant backlog
New Zealand on the way to clear financial disclosure documents
Australian judge exasperated by planning document
Neil James addressing Norway conference
Plain English tips for writing well
1. Put the needs of your readers before your own preferences.
2. Clearly state your main message and don’t bury it in detail.
3. Structure your text to place the most important information first.
4. Pay attention to design and layout as much as to the language.
5. Use a formal but friendly tone in workplace writing.
6. Use short, familiar words, rather than long words to sound impressive.
7. Prefer the active to the passive voice.
8. Be ruthless on clutter — remove words and details that add little value.
9. Use sentences which average 15−20 words, and vary them to be between 10 and 35 words.
10. Check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Dr Plain English on air
Interested in plain English and politics? How finance-speak hides a multitude of sins? Why consumers have the right to know what they're signing up for?
Dr Neil James is the Foundation's regular media commentator. He speaks regularly on ABC Radio on language issues such as artspeak and stupid warning labels.
Dr Plain English in print
Dr Neil James explores both the serious and the light side of communication.
Writing at Work
A manual for effective, clear, professional writing.
In every workplace, even the best ideas can fail if you can’t communicate them effectively. Writing at Work, by Neil James, has been road-tested in our writing skills workshops with professionals from government and law, business and finance, engineering and IT. It’s a practical guide for anyone who needs to get it right the first time, whether they’re writing submissions, reports, letters, emails or memos.
Modern Manglish
When exactly did we all become ‘stakeholders seeking to leverage our paradigms to achieve best-practice scenarios moving forward’?
Modern Manglish by Neil James and Harold Scruby, illustrated by cartoonist Alan Moir, explores the world of linguistic traps. It exposes the latest Manglish in serially offending professions such as politics, business, and the law — all contenders for the Manglish crown. Mixed metaphors and mispronunciation, euphemisms, tautologies, and jargon ... ranging from sports talk to silly signs, and food speak to fancy-pants job titles.
Hear Neil talk about the book with ABC Radio's Annie Gastin.
Hear Neil talk about the book with ABC Radio's Carole Whitelock.