Category Archives: Plain English Editing and Copywriting

We recently #plainenglish edited a govt. survey. “A camel,” it has been said, “is a horse designed by committee.” While we make no judgements, here at APM we struggle on hump day and can’t go three days without water. In our oasis words are simple, clear and human. Feedback / improvements always welcome.

While I agree #travel broadens the mind, comprehending those #insurance policies can be like walking through honey on a cold day. I was recently reading a travel PDS’ chockers with “scenic view legalese” and I couldn’t help myself. People your plane English before and after has landed! BTW this was a tough one so feedback / improvements welcomed.

Internal policies must be 100% clear to avoid trespassing or disputes. No untangling of lawyer speak or clumsy wording. We plain English edited a suite of alcohol and drug policies for a logistics company. Our client had had a lot of issues with staff unclear on what was what. The MD called me directly –…

As Julie Andrews never sang – here are a few of my most unfavourite things. (…when the dog utilises, when the bee obtains…) The Sound of Muzak? Make like a zoo people and add your pet hates.

A #legalease #plainEnglish before and after #edit. Some may argue the need to mention “criteria”. I didn’t see it, neither did the client. As always feedback is welcomed.

Here’s one from a recent #plainenglish review of a suite of #government application #forms. Our much-loved, long-term client was somewhat amused albeit startled such an egregious assault on #English had escaped her review for so many years. #livingintheshadows #hidinginplainsight Context alert: – subheading was “Apply online” so sentence 1 is redundant – client agreed it’s implied that incomplete applications aren’t accepted. Feedback / improvements…

APM Principal Andrew Pegler is in Canberra doing a plain English training program for writers of explanatory memorandums at the Federal Treasury. He spent some time in the National Library last night and took this shot on leaving. Canberra has so many stunning buildings that perfectly mix function and form.

APM Principal Andrew Pegler has just finished #judging NZ’s #plainenglish awards in the #legalease category. APM does a lot of legal editing. Here’s an extract from our edit of a groaning retail lease. This was definitely not drafted for the long-suffering, non-legal retailer and our enlightened client wanted to change this. #editing #writingtips #awards2022 #plainlanguage