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What Is Plain English?

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What is plain English? Plain English means using language that is clear and natural. It is modern, standard English. It is simply using clear and natural, Standard English in a legal context. It involves applying to legal documents techniques that good writers use in other areas. It is simply clear and effective writing for its intended purpose. Using plain English means the document is readable and easily comprehensible, it conveys it’s meaning as clearly and simply as possible. For me plain legal writing is an essential skill. It is ensuring that documents are clear in their meaning and application, precise and readable. Plain English is a flexible, efficient writing style that the reader understands in one reading. To be …show more content…

What is not plain English is the use of artificial complications that can arise through the use of antiquated words and phrases. Wordiness and redundancy is not plain English. Lawyers especially have a tendency to use more words when fewer would suffice. Legalese and use of antiquated words and unnecessary legal jargon when Standard English will suffice is not plain English. In an attempt to sound sophisticated and show just how smart they are lawyers often use legal jargon and words and phrases that are antiquated, and overcomplicate their writing, this is not plain English. Verbosity and undue technicality are two key traits of non plain English legal writing. Others are archaic language, illogical word order, complex grammatical structures, and sentences of excruciating length. Compare: – “The tenant must repair the premises” – with -“[The tenant shall] when where and so often as occasion requires well and sufficiently ... repair renew rebuild uphold support sustain maintain pave purge scour cleanse glaze empty amend and keep the premises and every part thereof ... and all floors walls columns roofs canopies lifts and escalators ... shafts stairways fences pavements forecourts drains sewers ducts flues conduits wires cables gutters soil and other pipes tanks cisterns pumps and other water and sanitary apparatus thereon with all needful and necessary amendments whatsoever ...”. The

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