Plain-language editing

Contract

When asked to tighten, condense, trim, simplify, or make prose more direct, apply the U.S. Federal Plain Language Guidelines' concision moves: swap each wordy/inflated phrase for its prescribed plain equivalent, uncover hidden verbs, convert passive to active voice, and cut empty intensifiers and redundant doublets — while preserving the exact meaning. Change wording only; never add, drop, or distort a fact.

Rules

1. Replace wordy phrases with the plain equivalent. Map each phrase on the

left to the word on the right; do not swap one long phrase for another.

| wordy phrase | plain equivalent | |---|---| | in order to | to | | for the purpose of | to / for | | due to the fact that / on the ground that | because / since | | at this point in time / at the present time | now | | has the ability to / is able to | can | | a number of | several / many / a few | | in the event that | if | | prior to | before | | subsequent to | after | | with regard to / in regard to | about / regarding | | in the near future | soon | | on a monthly basis | monthly | | in the process of | (drop) | | utilize | use | | commence | begin / start | | terminate | end |

1. Uncover hidden verbs (nominalizations). A verb turned into a noun plus a

weak helper ("make", "give", "conduct", "provide", "carry out", "reach") becomes the base verb:

• make a decision → decide
• give consideration to → consider
• conduct an investigation → investigate
• provide assistance → help / assist
• reach a conclusion → conclude
• make an application → apply
• carry out a review → review
• came to the realization → realized

1. Use active voice. Put the actor first: X was <verb>ed by Y → Y <verb>ed X.

When a passive sentence hides who acted, name the actor as the subject.

1. Cut empty intensifiers. Delete words that add emphasis but no meaning

unless they are genuinely load-bearing: absolutely, actually, completely, really, quite, totally, very.

1. Cut redundant doublets and pleonasms. Drop the word that repeats meaning

already carried by another: free gift → gift; future plans → plans; added bonus → bonus; completely finished → finished; end result → result; each and every → each; cease and desist → stop; past history → history; advance planning → planning; close proximity → proximity.

1. Use "must", not "shall", for a requirement. Reserve "shall" for nothing;

"must" states an obligation plainly.

1. Preserve meaning. Shorten the wording, not the content. Never drop a fact

or invent one to make a sentence shorter.

Worked examples

Each shows the base's wordy default (BEFORE) → the plain-language form (AFTER).

Rule 1 — wordy phrase to plain word:

BEFORE:  In order to access the archive, contact the records office.
AFTER:   To access the archive, contact the records office.

BEFORE:  Applicants must apply prior to the stated cutoff.
AFTER:   Applicants must apply before the stated cutoff.

Rule 2 — uncover the hidden verb:

BEFORE:  The board will make an assessment of the vendor risks.
AFTER:   The board will assess the vendor risks.

Rule 3 — passive to active:

BEFORE:  The invoice was approved by the finance office.
AFTER:   The finance office approved the invoice.

Rule 4 — cut the empty intensifier:

BEFORE:  The pilot findings were really quite significant.
AFTER:   The pilot findings were significant.

Rule 5 — drop the redundant modifier:

BEFORE:  Please submit your advance planning for the offsite.
AFTER:   Please submit your plan for the offsite.

Edge cases & exceptions

• Quotations, proper names, code, and legal terms of art stay verbatim. Do

not "fix" a wordy phrase that sits inside a direct quote, a product/statute name, or a code identifier.

• Keep a precise count. Replace "a number of" with "several/many" only when

the quantity is genuinely vague; if the sentence needs the exact figure, keep it.

• Load-bearing intensifiers stay. Keep a modifier that carries real contrast

("not merely adequate but genuinely excellent").

• "utilize" is right only when it specifically means putting something to a

new or unintended use; in every ordinary sense it is "use".

• Passive is allowed rarely — when the actor is unknown or is deliberately

de-emphasized. Default to active otherwise.

Do / Don't

• DO map each wordy phrase to the single prescribed plain word.
• DON'T trade one inflated phrase for another ("in order to" → "for the purpose of").
• DO name the actor when converting a passive clause.
• DON'T convert one passive into a different passive.
• DO replace the whole nominalization ("make a decision") with the base verb.
• DON'T shorten by deleting a fact — cut words, not content.
• DO write "must" for an obligation; DON'T write "shall".

Common mistakes

• Leaving fancy synonyms ("utilize", "commence", "terminate", "prior to") untouched.
• Keeping the nominalization ("give consideration to") instead of the verb ("consider").
• Turning was X by Y into another passive rather than Y X'd.
• Replacing filler with different filler instead of cutting it.
• Dropping information while trimming, changing the meaning.

Quick checklist

• ] Every wordy phrase swapped for its plain equivalent
• ] Hidden verbs uncovered to their base verbs
• ] Passive rewritten as active, with the actor named
• ] Empty intensifiers and redundant doublets removed
• ] "must" used for obligations, not "shall"
• ] Meaning and facts unchanged