News
Plain English campaign news articles
2013 awards nominations
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- Created on Thursday, 05 September 2013 16:10
The 2013 Plain English Awards are almost here, but there’s still time for you to send us your nominations. If you have any great examples of not-so-great communication, written or spoken, or if you want to salute an individual or organisation for their plain-English efforts, we’d love to hear from you.
Send your suggestions to us by 1 November and we’ll consider them alongside all our other entries. For a list of award categories, please visit our awards page. The results will be announced on Wednesday 4 December.
New site design
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- Created on Tuesday, 03 September 2013 01:07
We have re-designed our site. We hope that you will find it easier to use, with a few new features.
If you have any problems with the site, please email webmaster@plainenglish.co.uk.
Want to learn to write badly? Then go to university!
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- Created on Tuesday, 13 August 2013 14:41
The multi-syllabled pomposity and obscurity of much academic writing, particularly in the social sciences, often attracts derision and damnation. The contempt has generally come from outside the campus. But here’s a surprise: Michael Billig, professor of social sciences at Loughborough University no less, has written an insider’s demolition of his colleagues’ writing. His Learn how to write badly: how to succeed in the social sciences rounds up the usual suspects: jargon, acronyms, passives, and using five pound words when five pence ones would do (but, strangely, neglects the long sentences and page long paragraphs). In particular, he condemns the constant turning of verbs into nouns: ‘beware of long words ending in –ization and –ification’ and ‘write about people not things’ Billig wisely advises. He quotes some of the worst academic writing and, sometimes, names the perpetrators. Billig tears apart the arguments put forward in defence of the ‘academic style’ and exposes the inhumanity and subconscious elitism that often underlies it.
Read more: Want to learn to write badly? Then go to university!
Plain English Campaign declares the death of local democracy
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- Created on Tuesday, 16 July 2013 11:36
Plain English Campaign officials are currently reporting on a wave of protests regarding attempts at consultations on local development plans.
‘From Dundee to Derbyshire, we are receiving complaints from people who feel their right to a democratic voice has been taken away’ says campaign founder Chrissie Maher.
Read more: Plain English Campaign declares the death of local democracy
NHS communications in poor health
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- Created on Thursday, 11 April 2013 21:20
Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley and Broughton, has rightly savaged NHS Greater Manchester’s hideous and gobbledygook-ridden ‘Healthier Together: Strategic Direction Case’ document.
Mr Stringer describes the paper as “tripe dissolved in twaddle” and goes on to deride it as “the most incomprehensible, opaque and jargon-ridden document I have read in the last 30 years.”
He adds: “The person who wrote it should be sent on a plain English course immediately, unless of course the whole intention was to keep secret the intent to make cuts.”
Perhaps this is the case?
