Hopefully most of you will get that reference. So anyway, I like to use big words. I had to add a link to Dictionary.com to the sidebar. I did this because some people did not understand some of the big words I use. A colleague gave a short presentation yesterday on ‘How to write in plain English.’ If you can’t tell, I’m trying to utilise (damn it, I like utilise ok! I don’t want to use the word ‘use’) these skills. I am writing shorter sentences using simpler words. We were also given a quasi-dictionary (only word that will work I’m afraid) on big words and their alternatives. A few examples include
- approximately = roughly
- consequently = so
- designate = point out, show, name
- furthermore = then, also, and (I like furthermore too damn it!)
- utilise = use
And the list goes on and on. I’m going to try to start writing in a more readable fashion. I had to use some of these skills this week. My colleague asked me to write brief explanations of topics for our website. One was on the history of the Greater London Authority. It was fun. See Dick run. See Jane run. Short sentences rock.
So yeah, you might notice the style of my writing change slightly on this site but maybe not. It may last a week or two and then I’ll be back to flowery words that require Dictionary.com. I can’t help it. I like big words. This is also my site after all. Writing factsheets for our London Elects website is an area where you need to write simply so that anyone can understand it. On my blog where most of my readers probably have a reading level well above a ten-year old, I think my style will be sufficient (plain English: enough).