Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

2007 • Teesdale District Council’s • New distance-learning courses Take off, listen up, ‘incomprehensible’ report • Our services (editing, crash out Pikestaff 1 • YouGov Poll on management accreditation and training) and jargon corporate membership January • UK and US doublespeak • PLC becomes a limited 2007 company Pikestaff 2 • ‘Improve Your English’ • Why we use ‘z’ rather than ‘s’ Devil of a features in The Independent in words like ‘organization’ disclaimer February • Survey on barriers to • Our distance-learning and on- 2007 youngsters setting up in site courses business • Ruth Thornton’s new book • Competition run by US • Why we chose the name Department for ‘Pikestaff’ Transportation • Stockport Council’s ‘Communication Month’ Pikestaff 3 AVoid craZy • BBC survey on language in • Relaunch of our website I trust this CAPITALS CVs • New articles by Martin Cutts provides the March • Scottish Executive’s baffling and Sarah Carr degree of 2007 cloudification that language • StyleWriter software you require • The Rules of Golf by Bryan Garner Pikestaff 4 Use inclusive • Use of capital letters in legal • Corporate membership I spy with a critical language documents • PLAIN conference in eye April 2007 • Department of Health’s new Amsterdam

scheme to accredit producers • Our approach to readability of health information • Letters to The Independent following its ‘Improve Your English’ feature • Plain-English syllabus in Australia

1 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff 5 Write shorter • Forms used in Scottish • Norwood wins award for its Crustless bread sentences, but elections are heavily criticized annual report yields mighty beef May 2007 don’t make • Unfair Commercial Practices • Our distance-learning courses your readers Directive • Judy Brown’s new article on sea-sick • Oregon’s plain-language bill our website

• Judges who don’t understand • Parliamentary and Health modern words and phrases Service Ombudsman publishes • Obituary of Lord Renton Principles Pikestaff 6 Don’t be a • Dons warn of students’ failing • Good Word Guide offers • Cost of hinking writing also- language skills • Financial Services Authority’s is criminal June 2007 ran, right any • Department of Health’s new website gains gold standard • Pains in trains run-on standard for providers of and planes add sentences health information mainly to the

• US Federal Rules restated in strain

Pikestaff 7 Punctuate • Unclearly worded adverts and • Bromford Housing Group gets Pedants revolt: bullet lists company names top marks from the Housing • Because you’re July 2007 properly, or • MP John McFall and the Corporation mirth it you could be ‘memorandum of • O2 report gains Clear English • O vary special shot at misunderstanding’ Standard offer

• ‘Crazy English’ in China • Reader’s letter about run-on • What’s in a

sentences with ‘however’ name? • It’s all hot air Pikestaff 8 Write in the • PLAIN conference in • Why we call ourselves ‘Plain Ambiguity corner: active, so a Amsterdam Language Commission’ • Don’t crash September right-royal • Dr Bernard Lamb’s article on • Martin Cutts’ and Sarah Carr’s and burn 2007 style is avoided students’ errors new articles on our website • Law students

• Ruth Thornton visits up a gumtree

Buckingham Palace to collect • Officers on the book award beat? • Enquire’s guide receives Clear • Expectations English Standard grate

2 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff 9 Remember • Unusual languages – Pitmatic • Readers’ letters on overusing Horribly Word’s and Klingon ‘key’; and on Latin terms highfalutin: October grammar • Readability of recipes • Writing by numbers, Martin • Hard-to- 2007 checker gives Cutts’ workshop at PLAIN’s understand stats of conference shoulder chequered • StyleWriter review • Quest for cool quality coif continues • Christina Gleeson’s new book • Norwich Union becomes corporate member Pikestaff Ceteris paribus, • Electoral Commission’s • Reader’s letter about using Rhubarb, FreeRice 10 give your review of the Scottish singular or plural verbs with redundancies and writing that je elections ‘data’ Roman rubbish: November ne sais quoi • Education pack on Bob • High Peak Borough Council • Needing to 2007 and relieve Dylan’s song lyrics commissions training address a your readers’ • Harriet Harman and • Martin Manser’s new book failure to angst – bid parliamentary language deliver adieu to • Private Eye picks up on Martin • Simplification Centre Cutts’ article, Plain English • Pedantic about foreign words PIN numbers and phrases launched at Reading Awards scandal • Unplainly University painful

• Euphemisms R US Pikestaff If you want • Tesco needs to mind its • Christmas competition to Free-range British National 11 your writing to language in the US rewrite a notice spotted in gobbledegook: Corpus be simply the • Unfairness of Plain English Tesco • Seasonal bird December best – better Campaign awards • Awards won by PLC customers that’s hard to 2007 than all the • Petition on term ‘McJob’ during 2007 swallow rest – then test • PLC donates money to Plan • For patient

International instead of patients only

sending Christmas cards • Twelve lords a- drivelling

3 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

2008 Follow due • Alan Greenspan’s linguistic • Results of competition to Travellers’ tales: Scottish PROCESS to style rewrite Tesco notice • Good nudes: Government’s Pikestaff clarify your • Medical abbreviations • Reader’s letter about long your clothes online booklet, 12 writing Plain Language • Annual conference of Patient sentence in law book are now ready and Legislation Information Forum • Customers praise PLC’s on-site for take-off January courses • Training in 2008 • Local Government Association publishes ‘non- • Reminder about why we use ‘z’ tautology word’ list rather than ‘s’ in words like • Form in bad ‘organization’ shape • Clearly in a different universe Pikestaff Avoid • Asterisqué bleeping • Interview with Wirral Sic jokes (slips Plain English 13 abbreviations, • Rowan Williams’ ‘unclarity’ Partnership Homes on our and amusing Lexicon MDU advises English from • BBC’s shrinking legibility editing services February MDs, RNs and • Readers’ letters on why we use Activia and 2008 AHPs ‘z’ rather than ‘s’ in words like Cafebar) ‘organization’; and on using singular ‘they’ (for example, instead of ‘he or she’) • New articles by Martin Cutts and Sarah Carr on our website Pikestaff Don’t improvise • US Plain Language Bill • Martin Cutts’ masterclasses at Which profession Bartleby.com 14 when you • Contronyms Patient Information Forum prevails in piffle apostrophize; production • Swearing at work conference March be wise and prowess? • Comment on Rowan Williams’ • How to save money on our 2008 follow the rule editing that applies ‘unclarity’ • On-site courses • New name for ‘One’ train company • Dealing with critics of plain English

4 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff Avoid • US Plain Language Act • Ruth Thornton’s example of Champions Apostrophe 15 (semi)colonic • Northern Irish order on contronym challenged for Protection irritation personal current bank • Readers’ letters on ‘it’s’ being supremacy in Society April 2008 accounts short for ‘it has’ as well as ‘it is’ sesquipedalianism

• Small Print Bill • StyleWriter • Semi-colons in France • Royal blackmail tape • Obituary of Jyoti Sanyal Pikestaff Avoid colonic • Northamptonshire County • Readers’ letters on curse Nasty (or just plain Typo Eradication 16 irritation Council and the taste of words; ‘there’s’ + plural nouns; nutty) Advancement strawberry and apostrophe amnesty nomenclature: League (TEAL) May 2008 • Office of Government • New on website – Linguistic • Don’t sweat Commerce logo links and Pikestaff index the small stuff • Citizen’s Summary project • New articles by Martin Cutts • To wait or not and Sarah Carr to wait: that is the question • Library language languishes as laxity launched in lieu of literate lingo • And now for a spine-chiller

5 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff Don’t get your • Help needed for Small Print • Laws for Citizens (Nordic-Baltic More nutty Language Log 17 colons (and Bill seminar on clear legal nomenclature: semi-colons) in • Quickie guide to Wiki words language) All is not lost June 2008 a twist • Use of ‘from’ with ‘stop’ and • Readers’ letters on aberrant • An Ugley

‘prevent’ apostrophes; punctuation of rumour ‘Citizen’s summary’; and a slip • How Prez-I- in Pikestaff 16 Dent Bush reads a speech Pikestaff Don’t mourn • FSA studies clarity of pension • PLC wins contract with An end to nutty Global Language 18 the moribund ‘wake-up’ packs Department for Work and nomenclature: Monitor gerund • More on use of ‘from’ with Pensions • Court is a brick July 2008 ‘stop’ and ‘prevent’ • Corporate Responsibility Group to Swedish

• Proposed Office of Tax awarded gold Wining Website parents who Simplification standard named son Lego • William Lutz’s project at US • Information Design Association Securities and Exchange talk on Dopplr • Love score in Commission Lesbian action • Sandra Martins of Português • Fame or shame Claro gets married for those with inane domain name? Pikestaff Avoid clichés • Clichés cornered 1 • PLC’s readability report Funny foreign George Orwell 19 like the plague • Lecturer calls for spelling features in BBC3 programme features (not sent diaries reform due to students’ poor • Conference in Germany on in by Brad, Bruni September spelling European administrative or Beckham) 2008 • FSA’s final report on clarity of language pension ‘wake-up’ packs • Publishing news • Tesco changes text of ‘Up to • Readers’ letters on error in FSA ten items’ notice speech; Virgin Media’s • Journalists told to include language; and ‘standees’ attention-grabbing words for ‘search engine optimization’

6 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff Rightsize the • Bournemouth Council bans • Readers’ letters on Results From the Simple Language 20 buzzwords and Latin words and phrases Accountability; over/more apostrophic to the rightsize your • Management buzzwords hit than; and Pikestaff’s name prophylactic: October writing by credit crunch • High-street bank commends • Hat trick for 2008 repertoire • Clichés cornered 2 editing turnaround time Tesco on text

• You’d think a lawyer would of trouble • Arguments for and against phonetic spelling known better • Safe-sex instructions, warts and all Pikestaff Don’t • US Securities and Exchange • Financial Services Authority TEAL me another: A Plain English 21 automatically Commission (SEC) improves and Community Legal Advice • Reef not Handbook (US junk the disclosure achieve gold ratings in Winning • Manchester’s Securities and November jargon; just • Plain Language Association Website scheme missionary Exchange 2008 explain the InterNational becomes • Electoral Commission’s ‘Making position Commission) technical terms incorporated your mark’ project • Stationary

• Clichés cornered 3 • Readers’ letters on ‘aims and stationery

• Update on Latin ban, and objectives’; Tesco’s cheese Plain English Campaign’s take sign; and simplified spelling on average reading age Pikestaff Don’t • Celebrities’ influence on • Christmas competition to Anti Ambiguity’s National Year of 22 equivocate – young people’s reading rewrite website text agony column Reading disambiguate habits, and popular and less • Norwood publishes Annual December popular books Review in plain English 2008 • Clichés cornered 4 • Christmas wishes to readers

7 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

2009 Be relatively • Report of 21st Century • Halifax Bank uses Plain English • Poo(r) Dubyaspeak clear – use the Disclosure Initiative Standard proofreading Pikestaff pronoun what’s • Siegel+Gale survey on • Results of Christmas (probably) 23 right complexity in financial competition • And my quote

documents • Oxford Guide to Plain English marks have January • Clichés cornered 5 used in new US programme gone south too 2009 • Courses for European Ombudsman • Readers’ letters on apostrophes in place names; and BBC quote on avoiding ambiguity Pikestaff Don’t waffle on • Info Commissioner condemns • Readers’ letters on is/are fewer Slips and trips Useit.com 24 the web misleading small print than 2; and • Collecting ethnic data • Plain language in law February • Update on US Plain Language • Our services, and request for 2009 Act ideas for other services Pikestaff Don’t dangle • Tribute to Bill Sabin • Welcome to Consumer Focus Ambiguity corner: Health Literacy 25 your partner by • Furore over change of Scotland, new corporate • So chocolatey, Group his participles Facebook terms member they’re March • Survey on financial jargon by • Patient Information Forum obscene 2009 NALA and EBS building conference • Past tense society • Readers’ letters on missing • Take this on • LGA list of 200 words that link; recommended web- board councils shouldn’t use writing book; and why we use ‘z’ in words like ‘organization’

8 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff Practise • Webby Awards – 5-word • New articles on our website, How mondegreen Sounds familiar 26 nominalization speeches written for BIOA on writing was my valet? (British Library) avoidance…and • LGA failing to follow its own clearer letters (by Martin Cutts) April 2009 go steady on advice on words to avoid and for IDeA on speaking verbing your • Conservatives’ new policy plainly (by Sarah Carr) nouns paper on NHS information • PLAIN conference in Australia in October 09 • April Fool’s jokes related to language • Reader’s letter on standards of English, especially ‘I’/’me’ Pikestaff Do your best to • Tesco’s ‘cheaper • Our readability-testing service • The ants are Simply 27 PC the wood alternatives’, and Morrisons’ • Readers’ letters on verbed my friends, Understand from the trees misspelt toy nouns they’re blowin’ May 2009 • Manchester City Council’s in the wind unclear road sign • In my (public) • Somerset County Council’s house are view of LGA word list many kitchens Pikestaff Practise good • Confusing credit-card • Readers’ letters on ‘deplaning’; Faintly amusing Business 28 practice in statements may compound 12pm and 12am; and ‘opened Dictionary.com spelling ‘-se’ credit crunch them the door’ June 2009 and ‘-ce’ words • The millionth-word milestone • Pendle Council’s staff poll on attitudes to plain English Clearly • ‘How to Write Clearly’ to be clarified: eye translated into 23 languages clinic Pikestaff Ensure useless • Public Administration Select • Martin Cutts’s new article for Lost in translation Lexiophiles 29 euphemism Committee launches inquiry The Ombudsman joins the choir into official language • Corrections to article about July 2009 invisible • New StyleWriter editing ‘How to Write Clearly’ booklet

software out in September • New edition of Oxford Guide Clearly clarified: legal • Readers’ letters on 12pm and English 12am; and using ‘a’ or ‘an’ before ‘USD’ 9 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff Don’t confuse • Tesco adds new wording to • Sarah Carr joins PiF advisory A roaring success Health Literacy 30 your customers (partly) clarify its ‘See group and Plain with cheaper alternatives’ • Third edition of Oxford Guide to Language September colloquialisms • Report launched on testing Plain English published Resource Guide 2009 phase of Department of • Sandra Fisher-Martins speaks Clearly Health’s Information at law seminar in Sweden clarified: Accreditation Scheme pension • Conference of Society for • Private Eye’s stupid letter of explanation Editors and Proofreaders the week: BT customer • Readers’ letters on ‘There’s a services lot of…’ Pikestaff Write • Martin Cutts’s presentations • Decision to provide Pikestaff as Signs of the times Twurdy 31 instructions at PLAIN conference in a bookmarked PDF as well as a that cut it Australia web link October • Tesco boss blames school for • New articles – ASBO English 2009 Clearly low standards and StyleWriter’s Bog index clarified: a • Plain-English progress in hotel’s ‘left Australia and New Zealand luggage’ ticket Pikestaff Please, no • Gordon Brown’s letter • Dr Bernard Lamb’s new article Hideous headlines The English 32 nasty pleonasm backfires • Photos of, and links to Project • Day, and information, on PLAIN November Clearly Language of Law conference conference 2009 clarified: • Stupid letters of the month: election of new British Airways members • Information Standard launched • An editor’s revenge

10 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff Try hard to • Public Administration Select • Information Commissioner’s Yule laugh at these Parliamentary 33 follow the bard Committee publishes report new Guide to Data Protection Counsel’s writing on official language gets Clear English Standard guides December Clearly • Ideas for books to buy as • Audit Commission’s Oneplace 2009 clarified: Christmas presents website launched Christmas • Word of the Year • Martin Cutts comments on new competition to Lasting Power of Attorney rewrite legal forms text 2010 Avoid • ‘Police forced to fill out 50 • Two new articles by Martin Instructional Plain language in nominalization forms for a playground fight’ Cutts, for International Travel update the US Pikestaff copulation • Going through the motions Insurance Journal, and British 34 and Irish Ombudsman Christmas Association January competitors • Report of public lecture at 2010 clearly clarify University of Reading’s content Simplification Centre Pikestaff Remember • Jurors think they understand • Martin Cutts gives keynote What a mouthful ‘Blog’ of 35 we’re your what judges tell them, but speech at conference on ‘Unnecessary’ plain-English – often don’t developing quality patient Quotation Marks February not plain • French system of double- information 2010 English – hyphenating names outlawed • Reader’s letter on –ee/-er, and partner • What’s in a (personal) name? ambiguous language • Chilean mint manager sacked over coin typo

11 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff Don’t labour to • Progress on US Plain • Readability reports – a new Interesting and EC new guide, 36 avoid Language Act service from Plain Language amusing place How to write contractions • New European Commission Commission names clearly March Clear Writing campaign • Book by Philip Yaffe added to 2010 Clearly • Local Government website – The Simple Secrets clarified: Association’s annual list of of Writing and Speaking money-off tea banned words (Almost) Like a Professional: coupon College Edition • Reader’s letter on Canadian place names Pikestaff The proof of • Report on HMRC by Public • Martin Cutts’s presentation to French great ape Writing for 37 the pudding is Accounts Committee, Travel Insurance Industry gets local lass Dollars, Writing in the checking ‘Handling telephone Conference pregnant and to Please April 2010 enquiries’ • Sarah Carr wins SfEP drops dead • Party political leaders’ use of competition to rename code of ‘less’ and ‘fewer’ in TV practice debates • Unusual organizational names and job titles Pikestaff • Politicians’ language boobs • Clarity conference in Lisbon What the Demand to 38 • Deborah King’s call for Easy • Advice to Chilli Growing Society Kyrgyzstan? Understand Read finance documents and on ‘and/or’ May 2010 • First ClearMark awards • StyleWriter 4 review Pikestaff Elect to • Coalition government’s • Invitation to complete readers’ Lost in translation The Times 39 enhance your bureaucracy ‘bonfire’ survey Spelling Bee e-newsletter • Neilsen rates political e- • Readers’ letters on NHS June 2010 newsletters language and use of ‘myself’ • Queen’s English Society • Welcome to new corporate launches Academy of English member CFEB • Poor instructions for ladder

12 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff Decline to • Office of Tax Simplification • New Pikestaff logo Lost in translation Local 40 decline ‘who’ launched • Clear English Standard rules Government Improvement & • WriteMark New Zealand Plain • Sarah Carr writes for 2 new July 2010 Development English Awards books • StyleWriter article and • Reminder about Pikestaff demonstration readers’ survey • Readers’ letters on ‘Stick stamp here’, and gobbledegook notice Pikestaff Punctuation • Wording of question for • Health Rights Information Lost in translation National 41 rules (but not electoral reform referendum Scotland wins prize for carers’ Punctuation Day always) • WriteMark New Zealand Plain information in BMA awards September English Awards • Readers’ letters on ‘Stick stamp 2010 • Usability of ticket vending here’ machines • Results of Pikestaff readers’ survey Pikestaff Have an I for • Obama signs Plain Writing • Reader’s letter with Pants in Center for Plain 42 personal Act of 2010 miscellaneous snippets translation Language pronouns • Electoral Commission • Clarity2010 conference, Lisbon (redesigned site) October publishes report on 2010 referendum question • EC Clear Writing Campaign Pikestaff Be felicitous in • Plain-language progress in • Clarity presentations on • Amazing or Google Translate 43 doing the splits Eire Slideshare hair-raising • UK celebrates National Pro • Readers’ letters on Innaction phrasing November Bono Week health club and instructions for • Driving her 2010 • Polemical politicians grapple assembling a bird feeder pepper potty over grammar

13 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff • Português Claro’s new claro! • Call for clarity from coalition • Four quenelles I write like… 44 Initiative • Clear Writing throughout on breakfast- • Evolving English exhibition Europe conference show menu December • Bathetic Word List • Reader’s letter on Latin and 2010 competition (Cheryl Greek plurals Stephens) • Christmas competition to • Neologism nudenda rewrite rubbish text 2011 Be highly wily • Articles by Sara I James and • Reader’s letter with poem and • Calling all Surviving about getting Daphne Perry link to TED talk by Alan Siegel couch potatoes Unplain Pikestaff smiley • National Punctuation Day • Clear Writing throughout • Eggstremely Language 45 haiku competition Europe silly statements Clearly • British Academy Annual • Article by Martin Cutts appears January clarified: Lecture by David Crystal on Write Limited’s website 2011 Christmas competition results Pikestaff Be nifty with • Error-strewn email from • Sarah Carr’s new role as Translating 46 netiquette schoolteacher coordinator of SfEP local group jargon • Twitter’s grammar vigilantes • Reply to call for clarity from February • ‘What price quality?’ report coalition 2011 for SfEP by Kathleen Lyle • Onliners’ letters on linking /r/, • Scottish Social Housing and ‘plain-clothes’ versus Charter Discussion Paper ‘plain-clothed’ • Reader’s dialect version of bin notice

14 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff • Lady Justice Hallett’s plea for • Advice to Electoral Commission Funny finalities OFT Unfair 47 plain English in 7/7 inquest on election materials Contract Terms • Daphne Perry’s new article on • Competition: spot the Bulletins March the Benchbook in Counsel speciousness 2011 • Clarity meeting on Nabarro’s • Reader’s dialect ‘Clarity matters’ slogan version of bin notice • PLAIN conference in Stockholm • OFT’s warning on small print in consumer contracts • Professor Theo Raynor’s research on drugs labels Pikestaff Clearly • Lord Neuberger’s lecture on • No to AV campaign Blinking well lost in One-Minute 48 clarified: clarity in law • Martin Cutts’s sessions at translation Swedish results of • SfEP April’s Fool’s joke PLAIN conference, Stockholm April 2011 competition to • Clarity breakfast ‘spot the speciousness’ • British Academy’s statement on language learning • Research shows readers prefer edited news Pikestaff • Recommendations following • New edition of Plain English Wish to see Google Books 49 7/7 inquest Lexicon delights? • How to write instructions • Readers’ letters on Ralf Loopi, May 2011 • Ambiguous law on public swiping Nectar cards, and pollution in Malawi ‘sortation’ • Reading as a teenager gets • Damaging obscurity in you a better job insurance language

15 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff Don’t not use • National Literacy Trust’s first • Clear English Standard – 3 British sign Better book titles 50 the positive! annual Omnibus survey satisfied customers language • Boys ‘can’t read past 100th • PLAIN conference, Sweden June 2011 page’ • New names for investment funds Pikestaff • Spelling mistakes claimed to • Readers’ letters in Italian Dount defie SfEP self-test in 51 cost millions in lost sales referendum, and jargon apostrophe and proofreading • Next Clarity breakfast – on • Associate Sarah Carr writes spelling rule’s July 2011 improving clarity through new SfEP guide, Editing into document design Plain Language • OUP drops Oxford comma in press releases Pikestaff • Lawyers allege some police • Reader’s letter on origin and Heroin goes dirty Pikestaff on 52 ‘barely literate’ meaning of ‘spoke in the wheel’ dancing Facebook • Clear Writing throughout and ‘silver lining’ September Europe – conference • Victory for better legibility 2011 proceedings, parliamentary question and Emma Wagner’s retirement • International Plain Language Day

16 Issue Tip of the General news Plain Language Commission Funny examples Linguistic link number month (PLC) news and of unclear and readers’/website visitors’ English month Clearly letters clarified

Pikestaff • Liam Fox’s use of the passive • Private Eye reports Martin 53 voice to avoid blame Cutts’s parking victory • Events for International Plain • Our relaunched website November Language Day • Advice to Electoral Commission 2011 • WriteMark New Zealand Plain on referendums English Awards 2011 • Readers’ letters on starting • December Clarity breakfast Good Website Campaign, • Exam boards ordered to use impenetrable council language, proofreaders and language quiz question • Need for truth on broadband speed

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