As part of its launch of Windows 8, Microsoft has completely overhauled the license agreements it offers customers. Instead of lengthy documents written in dense legalese, the new end-user license agreements are written in simple easy-to-understand language.
Here are some tips for writing in Plain English:
- Put the needs of your readers first. What questions do they need answered? What’s most important for them?
- Put the main message first. The topic sentence containing the main idea should come at the beginning of a paragraph.
- Write to express, not to impress. Use familiar words that your readers can relate to.
- Keep sentences to 12-20 words. Vary sentence length.
- Edit carefully for unnecessary words and phrases.
- Make the design and layout reader-friendly. Use straightforward familiar fonts. Use headings to guide the reader.
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