Here is all our experience of writing in plain English - condensed into a 27-page booklet that will fit into your pocket or bag. Too busy even to work through our on-line course? Then our 'tips booklet' is the answer.
This product also comes as an e-booklet and as a CD-ROM to install on your intranet
Here's more information about what the tips booklet covers:
- what do we mean by plain English?
- what plain English isn't
- why use plain English?
- using everyday words
- keeping sentences short and workable
- being human when we write
- using active verbs (don't worry, it's easy)
- punctuating properly
- avoiding grammatical errors
- design tips
- how to introduce plain English into your organisation . . .
. . . and much, much more!
There are practical examples throughout, to illustrate and explain how to apply plain English to your own writing.
This booklet is an ideal companion to out tips booklet and an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to write in plain English. It's a bit like a dictionary or thesaurus, but gives plain English 'translations' for hundreds of complex or bureaucratic words and phrases. When you've developed a wide vocabulary it's difficult to keep your writing simple - yet if you don't, many readers will not bother to read what you've written.
This product also comes as an e-booklet and as a CD-ROM to install on your intranet
We've crammed a lot of value into those 33 pages. Here is a full list of what the guide covers:
a short self-test
what is grammar?
'parts of speech', understanding the building blocks of grammar
an explanation of, advice on how to use, and do's and don'ts for:
- nouns
- pronouns
- capitals
- adjectives
- prepositions
- verbs
- adverbs
- conjunctions
words that can be nouns, verbs or adjectives depending on how we use them
putting the building blocks together:
- sentences
- subjects
- objects
- 'active' verbs and 'passive' verbs
problems with grammar
grammatical mistakes and grammatical myths
proofreading exercise
punctuation - what does it do?
punctuation marks and how to use them:
- commas
- full stops
- semi-colons
- colons
- exclamation marks
- question marks
- apostrophes
commonly confused words - telling the difference between 'affect' and 'effect', 'continual' and 'continuous' and other troublesome words
answers to all the exercises.