How to simplify your writing and engage your readers

When I edit business and academic files, one of my goals is to remove unnecessary words. This creates a clean and sparkly document that readers can really engage with. Taming unwieldy and complex sentences is one of the principles of plain English, a writing style that uses clear, concise and accessible language to communicate an idea.

That said, variety is the spice of life ~ and I like to mix it up. Longer sentences are fine, as long as they are crystal clear, but throw in plenty of short ones to stop the reader falling asleep 😴.

Which of the snippets below do you find clearer, the apples 🍎 or the bananas 🍌?

🍌 They contributed to higher productivity.

🍎 They increased productivity.

🍌 It experienced substantial growth.

🍎 It grew substantially.

🍌 During the period between 2000 and 2001...

🍎 Between 2000 and 2001...

🍌 We provide a description of...

🍎 We describe...

🍌 X puts a limit on Y.

🍎 X limits Y.

I 🍎 know 🍏 what 🍎 I 🍏 think.