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Guidelines	All
Words To Avoid	Worst Jargon Archaic Words Expressions
Jargon	Jargon Words, Jargon Phrases
Principals of Clear Writing	General Searches, Style Analysis, Positive Characteristics
Imperatives	Simple Style Analysis
Headings	Heading & Doc Shape
Purpose Clause	Positive Characteristics
Definitions	Positive Characteristics
Ambiguity	Complex Style Analysis
Hidden Verbs	General Searches
Contractions	General Searches

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

Guidelines

There are guidelines for writing using Plain Language. These guidelines have topics, which are addressed by one or more services. This table is offered as a guide to help identify which services address the user friendly document topics. Access your unique guidelines and update the services and rules, if needed. The main menu points you to the core language rules found in the guidelines.

Writing Reader Friendly Documents - Topics	Services
1 TECHNIQUES FOR BETTER WRITING	-
1.1 Identify and write for your audience	Positive Characteristics
1.2 Organize to meet your readers' needs - table of contents	Headings & Doc Shape
1.3 Use useful headings	Headings & Doc Shape
1.4 Use pronouns to represent the reader and to refer to your agency	Positive Characteristics
1.5 Use active voice	Simple Style Analysis
2 WRITE CLEARLY	-
2.1 Break your material into short sentences	Complex Style Analysis
2.2 Address One Person, Not a Group	Simple Style Analysis - Gender Positive Characteristics
2.3 Use present tense whenever possible	Complex Style Analysis
2.4 Use "must" to indicate requirements	Simple Style Analysis - Imperatives
2.5 Place words carefully	Complex Style Analysis - Long Sentences
2.6 Use tables to make complex material easier to understand	Positive Characteristics
2.7 Avoid words and constructions that cause confusion	General Searches - Acronyms
2.8 Use the same term consistently to identify a specific thought or object	Word Themes
2.9 Define words in a way that does not conflict with ordinary or accepted usage	Word Themes
2.10 Avoid "noun sandwiches"	Simple Style Analysis - Gender
2.11 Avoid confusing legal and technical jargon	Jargon Words Jargon Phrases
2.12 Avoid stilted, wordy language	Worst Jargon Archaic Words Expressions
2.13 Use contractions to make your writing more accessible	General Searches
3 WRITE IN A VISUALLY APPEALING STYLE	-
3.1 Use lots of informative headings	Headings & Doc Shape
3.2 Break your material into short, understandable sections	Headings & Doc Shape
3.3 Cover only one topic in each paragraph	Complex Style Analysis
3.4 Use lots of lists	Positive Characteristics
3.5 Use emphasis to highlight important concepts	-

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

Words to Avoid

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

Jargon

Bold marks the offenders most likely to weaken your work.

A-B | C-D | E-F | H-I | L-M | N-0 | P-R | S-T | U-Y

INSTEAD OF	TRY
a and/or b	a or b or both
accompany	go with
accomplish	carry out, do
accorded	given
accordingly	so
accrue	add, gain
accurate	correct, exact, right
additional	added, more, other
address	discuss
addressees	you
addressees are requested	(omit), please
adjacent to	next to
advantageous	helpful
adversely impact on	hurt, set back
advise	recommend, tell
afford an opportunity	allow, let
aircraft	plane
allocate	divide
anticipate	expect
a number of	some
apparent	clear, plain
appreciable	many
appropriate	(omit), proper, right
approximate	about
arrive onboard	arrive
as a means of	to
ascertain	find out, learn
as prescribed by	in, under
assist, assistance	aid, help
attain	meet
attempt	try
at the present time	at present, now
be advised	(omit)
benefit	help
by means of	by, with

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

A-B | C-D | E-F | H-I | L-M | N-0 | P-R | S-T | U-Y

INSTEAD OF	TRY
capability	ability
caveat	warning
close proximity	near
combat environment	combat
combined	joint
commence	begin, start
comply with	follow
component	part
comprise	form, include, make up
concerning	about, on
consequently	so
consolidate	combine, join, merge
constitutes	is, forms, makes up
contains	has
convene	meet
currently	(omit), now
deem	believe, consider, think
delete	cut, drop
demonstrate	prove, show
depart	leave
designate	appoint, choose, name
desire	want, wish
determine	decide, figure, find
disclose	show
discontinue	drop, stop
disseminate	give, issue, pass, send
due to the fact that	due to, since
during the period	during

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

A-B | C-D | E-F | H-I | L-M | N-0 | P-R | S-T | U-Y

INSTEAD OF	TRY
effect modifications	make changes
elect	choose, pick
eliminate	cut, drop, end
employ	use
encounter	meet
endeavor	try
ensure	make sure
enumerate	count
equipments	equipment
equitable	fair
establish	set up, prove, show
evidenced	showed
evident	clear
exhibit	show
expedite	hasten, speed up
expeditious	fast, quick
expend	spend
expertise	ability
expiration	end
facilitate	ease, help
failed to	didn't
feasible	can be done, workable
females	women
finalize	complete, finish
for a period of	for
for example,______etc.	for example, such as
forfeit	give up, lose
forward	send
frequently	often
function	act, role, work
furnish	give, send

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

A-B | C-D | E-F | H-I | L-M | N-0 | P-R | S-T | U-Y

INSTEAD OF	TRY
has a requirement for	needs
herein	here
heretofore	until now
herewith	below, here
however	but
identical	same
identify	find, name, show
immediately	at once
impacted	affected, changed
implement	carry out, start
in accordance with	by, following, per, under
in addition	also, besides, too
in an effort to	to
inasmuch as	since
in a timely manner	on time, promptly
inception	start
incumbent upon	must
indicate	show, write down
indication	sign
initial	first
initiate	start
in lieu of	instead
in order that	for, so
in order to	to
in regard to	about, concerning, on
inter alia	(omit)
interface	meet, work with
interpose no objection	don't object
in the amount of	for
in the event of	if
in the near future	shortly, soon
in the process of	(omit)
in view of	since
in view of the above	so
is applicable to	applies to
is authorized to	may
is in consonance with	agrees with, follows
is responsible for	(omit) handles
it appears	seems
it is	(omit)
it is essential	must, need to
it is requested	please, we request, I request

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

A-B | C-D | E-F | H-I | L-M | N-0 | P-R | S-T | U-Y

INSTEAD OF	TRY
liaison	discussion
limited number	limits
magnitude	size
maintain	keep, support
maximum	greatest, largest, most
methodology	method
minimize	decrease, method
minimum	least, smallest
modify	change
monitor	check, watch

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

A-B | C-D | E-F | H-I | L-M | N-0 | P-R | S-T | U-Y

INSTEAD OF	TRY
necessitate	cause, need
notify	let know, tell
not later than 10 May	by 10 May, before 11 May
not later than 1600	by 1600
notwithstanding	inspite of, still
numerous	many
objective	aim, goal
obligate	bind, compel
observe	see
on a _________basis	(omit)
operate	run, use, work
optimum	best, greatest, most
option	choice, way

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

A-B | C-D | E-F | H-I | L-M | N-0 | P-R | S-T | U-Y

INSTEAD OF	TRY
parameters	limits
participate	take part
perform	do
permit	let
pertaining to	about, of, on
portion	part
possess	have, own
practicable	practical
preclude	prevent
previous	earlier
previously	before
prioritize	rank
prior to	before
proceed	do, go ahead, try
procure	(omit)
proficiency	skill
promulgate	issue, publish
provide	give, offer, say
provided that	if
provides guidance for	guides
purchase	buy
pursuant to	by, following, per, under
reflect	say, show
regarding	about, of, on
relative to	about, on
relocate	move
remain	stay
remain	stay
remainder	rest
remuneration	pay, payment
render	give, make
represents	is
request	ask
require	must, need
requirement	need
reside	live
retain	keep

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

A-B | C-D | E-F | H-I | L-M | N-0 | P-R | S-T | U-Y

INSTEAD OF	TRY
said, some, such	the, this, that
selection	choice
set forth in	in
similar to	like
solicit	ask for, request
state-of-the-art	latest
subject	the, this, your
submit	give, send
subsequent	later, next
subsequently	after, later, then
substantial	large, much
successfully complete	complete, pass
sufficient	enough
take action to	(omit)
terminate	end, stop
the month of	(omit)
there are	(omit)
therefore	so
therein	there
there is	(omit)
thereof	its, their
the undersigned	I
the use of	(omit)
this activity, command	us, we
timely	prompt
time period	(either one)
transmit	send
type	(omit)

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

A-B | C-D | E-F | H-I | L-M | N-0 | P-R | S-T | U-Y

INSTEAD OF	TRY
under the provisions of	under
until such time as	until
utilize, utilization	use
validate	confirm
viable	practical, workable
vice	instead of, versus
warrant	call for, permit
whereas	because, since
with reference to	about
with the exception of	except for
witnessed	saw
your office	you
/ (slash)	and, or

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

Principles of Clear Writing

Principle

Service

1. Write in the active voice 2. Use action verbs 3. Use "must" instead of "shall" 4. Be direct Talk directly to your readers 5. Use the present tense 6. Write positively 7. Avoid use of exceptions 8. Avoid split infinitives 9. Use the singular noun rather than the plural noun 10. Be consistent 11. Use parallel structure 12. Prefer simple words 13. Omit needless words 14. Avoid redundancies 15. Use concrete words 16. Don't use words that antagonize 17. Avoid noun sandwiches 18. Don't use gender specific terminology 19. Write short sentences 20. Make lists clear and logical in structure 21. Use short paragraphs

simple style analysis simple style analysis simple style analysis simple style analysis complex style analysis complex style analysis simple style analysis general searches complex style analysis word themes complex style analysis simple style analysis simple style analysis simple style analysis complex style analysis complex style analysis none simple style analysis complex style analysis complex style analysis complex style analysis

1. Write in the active voice. The active voice eliminates confusion by forcing you to name the actor in a sentence. This construction makes clear to the reader who is to perform the duty.

The passive voice makes sentences longer and roundabout. Who is responsible is much less obvious. Passive verbs have a form of the verb to be plus the past participle of a main verb.

am

is

are

was

were

be

been

plus

a main verb usually ending in "en" or "ed".

Examples of passive verbs:

• was received,
• is being considered,
• has been selected.

The passive voice reverses the natural, active order of English sentences. In the following passive example the receiver of the action comes before the actor.

Passive: The regulation [receiver] was written [verb] by the drafter [actor].

Active: The drafter [actor] wrote [verb] the regulation [receiver].

Passive constructions are confusing when used in regulations. Active sentences must have actors, but passive ones are complete without them.

The material will be delivered.	By whom?
The start date is to be decided.	By whom?
The figures must be approved.	By whom?

Putting the actor before the verb forces you to be clear about responsibility.

• The messenger will deliver the material.
• The contractor will decide the start date.
• The administrator must approve the figures.

The passive voice is appropriate when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or obvious. This does not usually apply in regulatory text.

• Small items are often stolen.
• The applications have been mailed.

2. Use action verbs.

Avoid words like this:

DON'T SAY	SAY
give consideration to	consider
is applicable to	applies to
make payment	pay
give recognition to	recognize
is concerned with	concerns

They are called "nominals" -- nouns with verbs inside. They are hard to read and make sentences longer. Action verbs are shorter and more direct.

3. Use "must" instead of "shall".

shall	imposes an obligation to act, but may be confused with prediction of future action
will	predicts future action
must	imposes obligation, indicates a necessity to act
should	infers obligation, but not absolute necessity
may	indicates discretion to act
may not	indicates a prohibition

To impose a legal obligation, use "must."

To predict future action, use "will."

DON'T SAY: The Governor shall approve it.

SAY: The Governor must approve it. [obligation]

OR: The Governor will approve it. [future action]

4. Be direct. Talk directly to your readers. Use the imperative mood. Regulations lend themselves to this style, especially procedures, how-to instructions, and lists of duties.

Directness avoids the passive voice:

SAY: Sign all copies.

SAY: Attach a copy of your W-2 to your return.

This style results in procedures that are shorter, crisper, and easier to understand.

5. Use the present tense. A regulation of continuing effect speaks as of the time you apply it, not as of the time you draft it or when it becomes effective. For this reason, you should draft regulations in the present tense. By drafting in the present tense, you avoid complicated and awkward verb forms.

DON'T SAY: The fine for driving without a license shall be $10.00.

SAY: The fine for driving without a license is $10.00.

6. Write positively. If you can accurately express an idea either positively or negatively, express it positively.

DON'T SAY: The Governor may not appoint persons other than those qualified by the Personnel Management Agency.

SAY: The Governor must appoint a person qualified by the Personnel Management Agency.

A negative statement can be clear. Use it if you're cautioning the reader.

DON'T WALK
DON'T SMOKE
But avoid several negatives in one sentence.

DON'T SAY: A demonstration project will not be approved unless all application requirements are met.

SAY: A demonstration project will be approved only if the applicant meets all requirements.

It's better to express even a negative in positive form.

DON'T SAY	SAY
not honest	dishonest
did not remember	forgot
did not pay any attention to	ignored
did not remain at the meeting	left the meeting
did not comply with or failed to comply with	violated

7. Avoid use of exceptions. If possible, state a rule or category directly rather than describing that rule or category by stating its exceptions.

DON'T SAY: All persons except those 18 years or older must...

SAY: Each person under 18 years of age must...

However, you may use an exception if it avoids a long and cumbersome list or elaborate description. When you use an exception, state the rule or category first then state its exception.

DON'T SAY: Alabama, Alaska,... and Wyoming (a list of 47 states) must ration...

SAY: Each state except Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona must ration... (Note that the category "each State" is established first and then the exceptions are stated.)

8. Avoid split infinitives. The split infinitive offends many readers, so avoid it if you can.

DON'T SAY: Be sure to promptly reply to the invitation.

SAY: Be sure to reply promptly to the invitation. or SAY: Be sure to reply to the invitation promptly.

9. Use the singular noun rather than the plural noun. To the extent your meaning allows, use a singular noun instead of a plural noun. You will avoid the problem of whether the rule applies separately to each member of a class or jointly to the class as a whole.

DON'T SAY: The guard will issue security badges to the employees who work in Building D and Building E.

SAY: The guard will issue a security badge to each employee who works in Building D and each employee who works in Building E.

unless you mean
The guard will issue a security badge to each employee who works in both Building D and Building E. (There are other possible meanings.)

10. Be consistent. Don't use different words to denote the same things. Variation for the sake of variation has no place in regulation writing. Using a synonym rather than repeating the precise term you intend just confuses the reader.

DON'T SAY: Each motor vehicle owner must register his or her car with the Automobile Division of the Metropolitan Police Department.

SAY: Each automobile owner must register his or her automobile with the Automobile Division of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Don't use the same word to denote different things.

DON'T SAY: The tank had a 200-gallon tank for fuel.

SAY: The tank had a 200-gallon fuel container.

11. Use parallel structure. Arrange sentences so that parallel ideas look parallel. This is important when you use a list.

Nonparallel construction:

The duties of the Executive Secretary of the Administrative Committee are:

• To take minutes of all the meetings; (phrase)
• The Executive Secretary answers all the correspondence; and (clause)
• Writing of monthly reports. (topic)

Parallel construction:

• To take minutes of all the meetings;
• To answer all the correspondence; and
• To write the monthly reports.

12. Prefer simple words. Government writing should be dignified, but doesn't have to be pompous. Writing can be dignified when the language is simple, direct, and strong. To make your writing clearer and easier to read -- and thus more effective -- prefer the simple word.

DON'T SAY	SAY
construct, fabricate	make
initiate, commence	begin
terminate	end
utilize	use
substantial portion	large part
afforded an opportunity	allow

13. Omit needless words. Don't use compound prepositions and other wordy expressions when the same meaning can be conveyed with one or two words.

DON'T SAY	SAY
because of the fact that	since (because)
call your attention to the fact that	remind you
for the period of	for
in many cases	often
in many instances	sometimes
in the nature of	like
the fact that he had not succeeded	his failure
the question as to whether	whether

14. Avoid redundancies. Don't use word pairs, if the words have the same effect or where the meaning of one included the other.

Examples: Word pairs to avoid

any and all

authorize and direct

cease and desist

each and every

full and complete

order and direct

means and includes

necessary and desirable

15. Use concrete words. Government writing often concerns abstract subjects. But abstract words can be vague and open to different interpretations. Put instructions in simple, concrete words.

DON'T SAY	IF YOU MEAN
vehicles	automobiles
firearms	rifles
aircraft	helicopters

16. Don't use words that antagonize. Words can attract or repel readers. It is possible to choose words in our writing that do not make the wrong impression or antagonize our readers. Use words to which people react favorably rather than words that they resent.

USE WORDS LIKE	RATHER THAN THESE WORDS
ability achieve benefit guarantee please reasonable reliable service useful you	alibi allege blame complaint impossible liable oversight unfortunate waste wrong

17. Avoid noun sandwiches. Administrative writing uses too many noun clusters -- groups of nouns "sandwiched" together. Avoid these confusing constructions by using more prepositions.

DON'T SAY: Underground mine worker safety protection procedures development.

SAY: Development of underground procedures for the protection of the safety of mine workers.

OR MORE LIKELY: Development of procedures for the protection of the safety of workers in underground mines.

Which meaning is intended becomes clearer when this four-word sandwich is broken up.

18. Don't use gender-specific terminology. Avoid the gender-specific job title:

DON'T SAY	SAY
Crewman	Crew member
Draftsman	Drafter
Enlisted men	Enlisted personnel
Fireman	Firefighter
Foreman	Supervisor
Manhours	Hours worked
Manpower	Personnel, workforce

Avoid the gender-specific pronoun when the antecedent could be male or female.

DON'T SAY: The administrator or his designee must complete the evaluation form.

SAY: The administrator or the administrator's designee must complete the evaluation form.

Be careful when you rewrite to avoid the problem. The following examples don't necessarily have the same meaning --

• Each Regional Director will announce his or her recommendations at the conference.
• The Regional Directors will announce their recommendation at the conference.

19. Write short sentences. Readable sentences are simple, active, affirmative, and declarative.

The more a sentence deviates from this structure, the harder the sentence is to understand.

Long, run-on sentences are a basic weakness in legal documents.

Legal documents often contain conditions which result in complex sentences with many clauses.

The more complex the sentence, the greater the possibility for difficulty in determining the intended meaning of the sentence.

Solutions

• State one thing and only one thing in each sentence.

• Divide long sentences into two or three short sentences.

• Remove all unnecessary words. Strive for a simple sentence with a subject and verb. Eliminate unnecessary modifiers.

• If only one or two simple conditions must be met before a rule applies, state the conditions first and then state the rule.

• If two or more complex conditions must be met before a rule applies, state the rule first and then state the conditions.

• If several conditions or subordinate provisions must be met before a rule applies, use a list.

20. Make lists clear and logical in structure. Listing provides white space that separates the various conditions. Listing can help you avoid the problems of ambiguity caused by the words "and" and "or". When you list, use the following rules:

• Use parallel structure. (See example in item 11 above.)

• List each item so that it makes a complete thought when read with the introductory text.

• If the introductory language for the list is a complete sentence --

• End the introduction with a colon; and

• Make each item in the list a separate sentence.

• If the introductory language for the list is an incomplete sentence --

• End the introduction with a dash;

• End each item in the list except the last item with a semicolon;

• After the semicolon in the next-to-last item in the list, write "and" or "or" as appropriate; and

• End the last item in the list with a period.

21. Use short paragraphs. A writer may improve the clarity of a regulation by using short, compact paragraphs. Each paragraph should deal with a single, unified topic. Lengthy, complex, or technical discussions should be presented in a series of related paragraphs.

22. Use a checklist and review your draft for each of these principles separately.

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

Imperatives

1. "Shall" has three strikes against it.

First, lawyers regularly misuse it to mean something other than "has a duty to." It has become so corrupted by misuse that it has no firm meaning.

Second - and related to the first - it breeds litigation. There are 76 pages in "Words and Phrases" (a legal reference) that summarize hundreds of cases interpreting "shall."

Third, nobody uses "shall" in common speech. It's one more example of unnecessary lawyer talk. Nobody says, "You shall finish the project in a week."

For all these reasons, "must" is a better choice, and the change has already started to take place. The new Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, for instance, use "must," not "shall."

Prof. Joe Kimble, Thomas Cooley Law School

2. "Must" is now being extensively used in the legislation of... Australia and at least three Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba) that have amended their Interpretation Acts to say that "must" is to be interpreted as imperative."

Recommendation

"Must" may be used to create requirements and prohibitions. However, prohibitions should be drafted in the form of "X must not", rather than "no X must".

Drafters should not use "must" and "shall" together in the same Act or regulation. It could raise questions about whether different meanings are intended."

Justice Canada's Legislative Services Branch

3. Delete every shall.

"Shall" isn't plain English. . . But legal drafters use "shall" incessantly. They learn it by osmosis in law school, and the lesson is fortified in law practice.

Ask a drafter what "shall" means, and you'll hear that it's a mandatory word - opposed to the permissive "may". Although this isn't a lie, it's a gross inaccuracy. . . Often, it's true, "shall" is mandatory. . . Yet the word frequently bears other meanings - sometimes even masquerading as a synonym of "may". . . In just about every jurisdiction, courts have held that "shall" can mean not just "must" and "may", but also "will" and "is". Increasingly, official drafting bodies are recognizing the problem. . .Many . . drafters have adopted the "shall-less" style. . . You should do the same.

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

Headings

Use a heading for each designated component of the regulations. A heading is a catch line that describes the subject matter of a particular component of your regulations. Descriptive headings should illustrate the logic and arrangement of your regulations. Descriptive headings help readers locate the provisions of the regulations that apply to them.

EXAMPLE:

Part 2 - EMERGENCY CHILD HEALTH CARE

Subpart A - Administration of Emergency Care

Sec.

2.1 Purpose

2.2 Applicability

2.3 Board of directors: Appointment.

2.4 Board of directors: Term of office.

2.5 Board of directors: Duties.

2.6 Filing complaints; time limits; action by the Board.

Subpart B - Maintenance of Information
2.10 Retain information 10 years.

2.11 Expunge information.

Use headings to indicate that material in a series of section is related.

EXAMPLE:

2.3 Board of directors: Appointment.

2.4 Board of directors: Term of office.

2.5 Board of directors: Duties.

Use headings to indicate that a group of related subjects is treated together in a single section.

EXAMPLE:

2.6 Filing complaints; time limits; action by the Board.

Use headings only down to the section level of your regulations, unless a reader would miss significant information in a section. However, headings at the paragraph level are carried within the text of the CFR but not in the table of contents.

EXAMPLE:

2.10 Retain information 10 years.

(a) The 10-year rule.

(b) Exceptions: 15-year rule when younger sibling is endangered.

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

Purpose Clause Identify Your Audience

1. Include a purpose clause only when necessary. A purpose clause is a simple statement of intent that appears at the beginning of a part or subpart. The purpose clause is used to help the reader interpret the document. Use a purpose clause only when you know that some of your sections, due to their complex substance, are difficult to understand. If you need a purpose clause, draft it after you draft your dcoument. Otherwise, it can become a crutch used to avoid resolving difficult substantive issues in the document.

2. Do not include substantive content within a purpose clause. Content belongs in the main body of the document. A reader may miss content tucked away in what should be limited to a simple statement of purpose.

3. Identify your audience early and state why the reader needs to read the document. Identify who will be interested even if they are not directly affected. Write to everyone who is interested, not just to technical or legal experts. Keep in mind the average reader's level of technical expertise. Identify clearly whom you are speaking to in each section. Don't make a reader go through material only to find out at the end that the section doesn't apply.

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

Definitions

1. Avoid unnecessary definitions. The main purpose of a definition is to achieve clarity without needless repetition. For this reason, "it is unnecessary" to define ordinary words that are used in their usual dictionary meaning.

DON'T SAY: Trash can means a receptacle for waste material.

2. Do not define in a way that conflicts with ordinary or accepted usage. If possible, use a word in a way that is consistent with the its everyday meaning and do not define the word. Otherwise, you confuse the reader and risk using the word elsewhere in your regulations in its ordinary sense.

DON'T SAY: Airplane means an airplane, helicopter, or hot-air balloon.

SAY: Aircraft means a device that is used or intended to be used for flight.

[Here the definition is broad enough to include any device that flies and at the same time the word is not used in a way that conflicts with its ordinary meaning.]

3. Do not define a term that is used only once or infrequently. If a term is used only once or infrequently, spell out the meaning of the term at those few places it appears in the regulations.

4. Do not include part or all of the term being defined in the text of your definition. A true definition should not include the term being defined as part of the definition. This forces the reader to consult a dictionary or look elsewhere in the regulations for the complete meaning.

DON'T SAY: Excepted position means a position in the excepted service.

5. Do not include a substantive rule within a definition. A reader can easily miss a rule placed within a definition.

DON'T SAY: Sec. 200. Definitions. For the purpose of this part, alcoholic beverage means beer, wine, and liquor. Each owner of a business establishment serving alcoholic beverages shall obtain a license.

6. Place a definition where it is most easily found by the reader. Generally, define a term that is used throughout a part or chapter at the beginning of that part or chapter. If you have a term that is used only once or in a few closely related sections, place the definition in the section where the term is used first.

7. Draft the regulations first, then draft the definitions. It is difficult to determine how many times a particular word or concept will be used in a set of regulations before you start drafting. If you draft definitions before you draft your regulations, you may define a word that is not used.

Often a concept that is used in a set of regulations is complex and you must develop a phrase to use as shorthand for that concept. If you develop the phrase before you draft the regulations, the phrase may not be as appropriate as one developed during the process of drafting.

8. Do not use "must" in a definition. The definition section of your regulations should not obligate anyone to do anything. For this reason, "must" is inappropriate for a definition. Instead, use the indicative mood.

DON'T SAY: Agency head must mean...

SAY: Agency head means...

9. How to list definitions. If you have a group of terms that you want to group together, use the following conventions:

• Place the terms in a section called "Definitions".
• Place the defined terms in alphabetical order.
• Do not give any defined term a paragraph designation, for example, (a), (b), (c); however, subparagraphs are designated (1), (2), (3).

EXAMPLE:

Sec. 100.3 Definitions. For the purpose of this part --

Act means the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977.

OSMRE Director means the head of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

Regional Director means the head of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement in the region in which the state applying for a grant under this part is located.

This method of listing definitions makes your task easier if you ever have to add or remove definitions. You do not have to change the paragraph designation of each term that appears after terms are added or removed.

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Ambiguity

An ambiguous sentence is a sentence that a reader can interpret in two or more ways. Ambiguity has at least two common sources -- word order and word meaning.

A. WORD ORDER

The position of words in a sentence is the principal means of showing their relationship. You should group together words that are related in thought and separate words that are not related. The following conventions address the most common word order problems.

l. Avoid misplaced modifiers. The careless placement of a modifier may result in the same sentence having several meanings.

DON'T SAY: John saw Jane driving down the street.

SAY: John, while driving down the street, saw Jane.

unless you mean

John saw Jane, who was driving down the street.

2. Avoid indefinite pronouns used as references. If a pronoun could refer to more than one person or object in a sentence, repeat the name of the individual or object.

DON'T SAY: After the administrator appoints an Assistant, he or she shall supervise the...

SAY: After the Administrator appoints an Assistant, the Assistant shall supervise the...

3. Avoid grouping together two or more prepositional phrases. A common example of a problem of word order occurs when two or more prepositional phrases are grouped together in a sentence.

DON'T SAY: Each subscriber to a newspaper in Washington, DC.

SAY: Each newspaper subscriber who lives in Washington, DC.

unless you mean

Each subscriber to a newspaper published in Washington, DC.

B. WORD MEANING

Problems of word meaning occur when one word or phrase is open to several possible interpretations. The following conventions address the most common problems of word meaning.

4. Use the singular noun rather than the plural noun. To the extent your meaning allows, use a singular noun instead of a plural noun. You will avoid the problem of whether the rule applies separately to each member of a class or jointly to the class as a whole.

DON'T SAY	SAY
The guard shall issue security badges to employees who work in Building D and Building E.	The guard shall issue a security badge to each employee who works in Building D and each employee who works in Building E. unless you mean The guard shall issue a security badge to each employee who works in both Building D and Building E. (There are other possible meanings).

5. Draft an expression of time as accurately as possible. You can eliminate uncertainty as to when a time period begins or ends by clearly stating the first and last days of that period.

DON'T SAY: From July 1, 19___, until June 30, 19___.

SAY: After June 30, 19___, and before July 1, 19___.

If a time period is measured in whole days, use the word "day" instead of "time". A reader may interpret the word "time" to mean an exact time during the day or night an event occurs.

DON'T SAY: Thirty days after the time when...

SAY: Thirty days after the day on which....

Avoid the use of time relational words such as "now", "presently", and "currently" in your regulations. Use of these words to relate a provision in your regulations to the time the regulations takes effect creates an ambiguity. It is unclear whether the provision in the regulations should change if the "current" fact changes after the regulation takes effect.

DON'T SAY: The Mayor of the District of Columbia is entitled to a salary equal to that of a GS-15, step 2, as now prescribed by law.

[You know what the Mayor's salary is on the day the regulation takes effect but what salary does the Mayor receive if Congress changes the pay rate for a GS-15 one week, one month, or one year after the regulation takes effect?]

If, in the example above, you intend the provision to remain unchanged after the regulation takes effect, it is better to determine what the provision would be on the day the regulation takes effect and write that specific provision into your regulation.

SAY: The Mayor of the District of Columbia is entitled to a salary of $____________.

However, if you intend the provision to change as time passes, make that fact clear.

SAY: The Mayor of the District of Columbia is entitled to a salary equal to that of GS-15, step 2. The GS-15, step 2, salary is adjusted by Congress.

6. Draft an expression of age as accurately as possible. Similar problems occur when you express an age requirement. The expression "more than 21 years old" has two possible meanings. A person may be "more than 21" on his or her 21st birthday, or on his or her 22nd birthday. Depending upon which meaning you intend, clarify the ambiguity as follows:

DON'T SAY: A person who is more than 21 years old...

SAY: A person who is 21 years old or older...

unless you mean

A person who is 22 years old or older...

DON'T SAY: Between the ages of 16 and 20...

SAY: Sixteen years old or older and under 21...

7. Do not use privisos. The priviso is archaic, legalistic, and usually results in a long and unintelligible sentence. Use the following drafting conventions to avoid expressions such as "provided however" and "provided always".

• To introduce a qualification or limitation to the rule, use "but".
• To introduce an exception to the rule, use "except that".
• To introduce a condition to the rule, use "if".
• If the clause is a separate complete thought, start a new sentence or subsection.

Page Top . Words To Avoid . Jargon . Principals of Clear Writing

Hidden Verbs

Uncover your hidden verbs

Use the strongest, most direct form of the verb possible.

Verbs are the fuel of writing - they give your sentences power and direction. They liven up your writing and make it more interesting. Too often, we hide verbs by turning them into nouns, making them less effective and using more words than we need.

What Are hidden verbs?

A hidden verb is a verb converted into a noun. It often needs an extra verb to make sense. So we write: Please make an application for a personal loan... rather than Please apply for a personal loan....

Hidden verbs come in two forms. Some have endings such as: -ment, -tion, -sion, and -ance and often link with verbs such as: achieve, effect, give, have, make, reach, and take. For example:

Hidden Verb:

To trace the missing payment, we need to carry out a review of the Agency's accounts so we can gain an understanding of the reason the error occurred.

Uncovered:

To trace the missing payment, we need to review the Agency's accounts so we understand the reason the error occurred.

Hidden Verb:

If you cannot make the payment of the $100 fee, you must make an application in writing before you file your tax return.

Uncovered:

If you cannot pay the $100 fee, you must apply in writing before you file your tax return.

Hidden verbs also occur when we turn verbs into nouns by adding endings such as -ing, -tion, -ment, or -sion and placing the longer word between the words the and of. For example:

Hidden Verb:

This means we must undertake the calculation of new figures for the congressional hearing.

Uncovered:

This means calculating new figures for the congressional hearing.

Hidden Verb:

The production of accurate statistics is important for the committee in the assessment of our homelessness policy.

Uncovered:

Producing accurate statistics is important to the committee in assessing our policy on homelessness.

Uncovering the hidden verb usually forces you to rephrase your sentence and cut out other poor habits such as wordy phrases. Hidden verbs often go hand in hand with passive verbs and combine to give an officious and longwinded style.

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Contractions

Contractions improve clarity and help your reader. Yes, Virginia, contractions are acceptable in government writing. They're especially appropriate in letters. But you must use them with discretion. Just as you shouldn't bullet everything on a page, you shouldn't make a contraction out of every possible word.

Contractions help the reader. Readers are used to hearing words in the contracted form. So, when readers see "would not," they turn it into "wouldn't." That means that using contractions speeds reading. Another benefit is that many readers miss the second word and take the exact opposite meaning. They read "would not" as "would." That doesn't happen when you use "wouldn't."

Most people will agree that contractions are less formal than writing out both words. As in any other type of writing, it's important to focus on your reader. If you would speak more formally to someone, then you should probably write to them the same way, without contractions.

In a few cases, there is a difference in tone between the contracted form and the two word form--"can't" and "cannot" or "don't" and "do not."

More Emphatic Message	Softer Message
You cannot come in now.	You can't come in now.
Do not enter this building.	Don't enter this building.
Do not enter this building without permission.	Don't enter this building without permission.

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