Plain Language: Improving Communications from the Federal Government to the Public


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Examples >Before-and-After Comparisons

Before-and-After Comparisons

One of the best ways to see how a plain-language approach can improve a document is to look at some examples of documents before and after they received plain language treatments.

Government regulations

  • Airworthiness Directives regulation, Federal Aviation Administration
  • Fisheries regulations on skipper education, NOAA
  • Ambiguous wording rewritten —several short examples
  • Wordiness made spare —several short examples

Government manuals, handbooks, reports

  • Army Information Security Handbook
  • Johnson Space Center manual—Before    After
  • Johnson Space Center manual—Before    After
  • Johnson Space Center manual—Before    After
  • National Park Service museum-loans manual— Before    After

Using visual explanations to convey information more clearly

  • Car Safety, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • Over-the-counter drug label—Before and AfterAdobe Acrobat Reader icon, Food and Drug Administration

Government letters, brochures, and other publications

  • Medicare Fraud Letter, Health and Human Services
  • Essential Health Care Handbook, Health and Human Services
  • Losing Weight Brochure , Health and Human Services
  • IRS form CP2000Adobe Acrobat Reader icon—Before    After

Other before and after examples

State of California Jury Instructions

 
Other Pages:
Plain–Language Examples

Before-and-After Comparisons

Government Examples

Legal Examples

Award–Winners

Humor

Related Topics

Regulations

Using Plain Language in the Government

 

 
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