By Lilian H. Hill
It is
important to use simple language to help people comprehend information of all
types. Plain language is one way to communicate information that is easily
accessible to people with a variety of educational levels. The U.S. PLAIN
Language Guidelines recognize the importance of clear written communication.
PLAIN stands for Plain Language Action and Information Network, a group of
federal employees who believed that citizens deserve to receive clear
communications from their government. The guidelines are based on three
principles: citizens should be able to “find what they need, understand what
they find; and use what they find to meet their needs” in any document
published by the government (Federal Plain Language
Guidelines, 2011, p. 1).
At first, the guidelines were used to provide
guidance for government employees writing documents for the public. The
guidelines were designed to promote the social benefits of clear communications
including improving access to justice and enabling consumers to make more
informed decisions. Later they were adopted by many commercial,
medical, accounting, and legal companies for similar reasons. They are now
spreading worldwide.
The PLAIN Language guidelines provide useful
guidance about writing that anyone can use. The document includes information
about sentence and paragraph structure, punctuation, organization, tables and
graphs, and vocabulary. They stated that: “Words matter. They are the most
basic building blocks of written and spoken communication. Choose your words
carefully – be precise and concise” (Federal Plain Language Guidelines, 2011,
p. 18). You can read the guidelines for yourself.
Why can’t writers just say things plainly?
The best writing is designed to communicate to a
specific audience. Effective writers study their audience and use vocabulary
they know the audience will understand. They don’t use complicated words just
to show off their impressive vocabulary. Famous writer Mark Twain said, “Don't use a
five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will do” (Simons, 2016). In other words, writing is meant to
communicate and not to intimidate readers. Stephen King, author of
73 suspense, fantasy, horror, and science fiction books, commented,
One of the
really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary,
looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short
ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is
embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness
should be even more embarrassed” (King, 2000, pp. 117-118).
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Dog Wearing Tuxedo
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One of the main reasons for using more complex
vocabulary is that it communicates precise and specific meanings. They are used
when there is a need to clearly distinguish between one idea or another. For
example, figure skaters execute several complicated jumps on ice. The skaters,
coaches, and competition judges need specialized words to describe the
different jumps to communicate with each other. For example, the salchow (a
jump from the skate blade’s edge), the lutz (a toe jump), and the
axel (an edge jump) are some of the different jumps that skaters use. Most
sports have their own terminology that you will learn because you are playing
the sport or because you love to follow your favorite players or teams playing
the sport.
Different professions develop their own sets of
terms. For example, physicians will diagnose a child with otitis media,
but then tell the parent that it’s an ear infection because they know that most
parents will understand the latter diagnosis. Otitis media refers to an infection
of the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains the
tiny vibrating bones of the ear. Doctors use this specific term with other
medical professionals because infections occur in other locations in and near the ear and treatments
may need to be tailored to that. This is only one example of medical terms that
are specific. Many of the terms used are based in Latin.
Latin words to describe species
Latin words are also used in biology where new
species names are named with words based in Latin. For example, Aleiodes shakirae is a species of parasitic wasp belonging to
the family Braconidae. The species is
named after Shakira, the
singer/songwriter known for her song Hips Don’t Lie. Aleiodes is the family name for a type of wasp. After
the wasp injects its egg into a caterpillar, the caterpillar will shake
and wiggle uncontrollably. While the term is used to refer to the specific type
of wasp described here, it is also clear that scientists like to have a little
fun when naming new species. The scientific convention is that when someone
discovers a new species, they can name it after themselves. Sometimes, they
bestow the honor on someone else. So, Agaporomorphus colberti is a beetle
named after Stephen Colbert, Aleiodes gaga is a wasp named after Lady Gaga,
and Aptostichus barackobamai is a spider
named after Barack Obama. You can view many other examples of organisms named after famous
people.
Novel writers use of descriptive vocabulary
Novel writers tend to use a lot of descriptive
vocabulary to give readers a sense of where and when the events in their book
take place. They also use vocabulary to provide a lot of detail about their characters’
experiences and their feelings. The vocabulary they use makes the story more
vivid so that readers can visualize what happens in the book.
Writers may also use complex vocabulary to insert
variety in their writing because it can make reading more interesting. Reading
the same words over and over can make a reading seem boring. However, authors
can go too far and make their writing more difficult to read for many
people.
References
Federal Plain
Language Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.plainlanguage.gov/media/FederalPLGuidelines.pdf
King, S. (2000). On
writing: A memoir of the craft. Scribner.
Simons, T.
(2016). Mark Twain's secret to success: "Use Better Words." Retrieved
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organisms_named_after_famous_people_(born_1950%E2%80%93present)
