Plain Language in Government Writing

CHAPTER 5Editing: Writing with Clarity and Conciseness

♦ Jargon and Gobbledygook ♦

Because Maria had done such a good job with her first writing assignment, her supervisor asked her to continue reviewing the writing of others—mainly staff—on a regular basis. She found that the documents she was reviewing tended to have long and often confusing sentences. The writers tended to favor outdated expressions, such as “enclosed please find” and “we are in receipt of your application.” They also used cumbersome phrases, such as “we deem it advisable” or “we will endeavor to ascertain.” Maria found pretentious words like “promulgate” and “reside” sprinkled ...