Plain English for Business Writing: Reports and Emails That Get Read

Most workplace documents fail for a boring reason: the reader cannot find the point. Plain English business writing reports and emails is not about dumbing anything down. It is about making the document easy to read the first time, by someone who is busy and has other things to do. In Ireland, the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) publishes guidance on exactly this, and this article turns it into a routine you can use on your next report or email. Managers who write a lot of updates may also find our overview of leadership and management development useful.

We have kept to what NALA's own pages say. Where we add our own suggestions, we label them.

Why plain English is worth the effort

NALA's plain English page (page metadata shows 24 January 2025) defines a plain language communication as one whose wording, structure and design are so clear that the intended readers can easily find what they need, understand what they find and use it. It gives three reasons to bother. The first is business sense: it says clearer communication is linked to fewer mistakes and complaints, which can save time and money. The second is that plain English is becoming more of a legal matter because it helps people make informed choices. The third is fairness. The page states that 1 in 5 adults in Ireland struggle with reading and understanding information, and attributes this to the Central Statistics Office's PIAAC 2023 survey, published in 2024, which covers adults aged 16 to 65. We are quoting NALA's figure, not our own.

The European Commission's translation service takes a similar view. Its plain language page (last updated 23 June 2026) says clear texts build trust and help people find information, understand decisions and act. It describes editors who replace jargon with everyday words and cut content so the text focuses on what readers need to know.

Step 1: Know your reader and your purpose

NALA's Writing and design tips booklet (2024 edition, originally published in 2001) starts with planning. It suggests identifying your readers and imagining their situation, asking how familiar they are with your organisation's language, what they can be assumed to know, and whether they will read straight through or skip to sections. It also says to define the purpose of the document, and that testing with readers helps, because people who know little about a subject often spot unclear text best.

Our suggestion: before you write, finish this sentence in one line: "After reading this, the reader should ___." If you cannot, you are not ready to write.

Step 2: Structure for people who skip

The NALA booklet recommends organising by the reader's needs, with a table of contents for long documents and an introductory summary paragraph for long sections. It also recommends headings and sub-headings, questions and answers to highlight key facts, bullet points to break up complex text, one idea per paragraph, and white space between paragraphs.

The booklet's example of a rewritten letter moves the required actions and the deadline to the top, uses headings to highlight the main action points, sets out numbered steps and includes a contact section for questions. NALA's webinar page (a workshop held on 21 November 2025) covers using plain English guidelines for emails and lists the same booklet as a resource. We have not seen a separate set of email rules, so applying the booklet's structure to an email is our interpretation, and a sound one:

• Open with what you need and by when.
• Follow with the background, in short paragraphs.
• Use bullets for lists of three or more items.
• End with who to contact.

The same principle suits a report. The NALA booklet does not have a dedicated report section. Its checklist applies to letters, leaflets, booklets, short reports and web pages, so the same ideas carry over: a clear structure, headings, short paragraphs and plain words. Our suggestion for a report is a summary on page one that states the conclusion, the decision needed and the deadline, followed by the detail for those who want it. Teams that prepare management accounts or board papers will see why this helps. If you work in finance and are mapping wider development, our guide to finance training courses in Dublin is a place to start.

Step 3: Choose plain words

NALA's "Plain English guidelines at a glance" and the longer booklet make similar points on words:

• Replace jargon and technical terms with plainer words. If you cannot, define them.
• Spell out abbreviations and acronyms when your reader might not know them, ideally at first use.
• Avoid Latin and French expressions. Use "for example" and "that is" rather than "e.g." and "i.e."
• Cut unnecessary words. NALA's examples are "before" instead of "in advance of", "because" instead of "owing to the fact that" and "if" instead of "in the event that".
• Prefer verbs to nouns made from verbs: "consider" rather than "consideration".
• Use the same term for the same thing throughout. Do not swap between "review" and "audit" for one task.
• Use "I", "we" and "you" to sound direct and less formal.

The booklet also includes word lists, among them financial and legal terms, which can help if your work involves those areas.

Step 4: Write shorter sentences, mostly in the active voice

NALA suggests an average of 15 to 20 words per sentence, with no strict limit, and mixing longer and shorter sentences for variety. The booklet recommends full stops rather than semi-colons to break up long sentences. It prefers active verbs, where the actor comes first, because they are clearer and usually need fewer words. It says the passive voice should only be used occasionally and, where appropriate, should name who does what. The guidelines give the example that "We will decide on your application soon" works better than a passive version.

A quick test is to read a sentence aloud. If you run out of breath, split it.

Step 5: Lay it out for easy reading

The booklet's layout advice is practical and quick to apply to a Word document or email:

• Use a clear sans serif font such as Arial or Helvetica, at least 12-point.
• Use 1.5 line spacing (18-point for 12-point text).
• Align text to the left and do not justify it.
• Use bold for emphasis. Avoid italics, underlining and all capital letters.
• Keep a single-column layout, avoid background images behind text, and place tables and charts near the text they explain.

Some of the booklet's advice is about paper, such as uncoated paper and weight. Most office documents now go out as PDFs or emails, so we have left that out.

Step 6: Check before you send

NALA says a readability checker such as the one in Microsoft Word is a guide only, because it does not assess content, reader needs or how quickly readers find information. It recommends proofreading at least an hour after writing, ideally 24 hours later, and asking someone else to proofread as well. It highlights checking spelling, numbers, names, dates, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, and using an accessibility checker for contrast, reading order, font size and layout. NALA also offers a 20-item checklist for documents, which we have not reproduced because the page does not list the items.

Our suggestion for teams: agree a short house style for your names, job titles, acronyms and jargon. NALA also recommends keeping such a guide up to date.

Where NALA can help further

The NALA page says it offers plain English editing and writing, training, a Plain English Mark for documents or websites that meet international plain English standards, and writing and design tips. We have not included prices or contact details, as these can change. If you are building skills across a team, our overview of CPD training for finance professionals in Dublin shows where communication skills can sit within a wider development plan.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

What is plain English?

According to NALA, it is writing where the wording, structure and design are so clear that readers can easily find what they need, understand it and use it.

How long should my sentences be?

NALA suggests an average of 15 to 20 words, with no strict limit. Vary the length so the text does not feel choppy.

Is it unprofessional to use "I", "we" and "you"?

NALA recommends them because they make text more direct and less formal. If your sector has a house style that conflicts, follow that style, but keep the sentences clear.

Do these tips work for reports as well as emails?

Yes. NALA's checklist applies to letters, leaflets, booklets, short reports and web pages. The core ideas are the same: know your reader, put key points first, use headings and short paragraphs, and use plain words.

Plain English is a habit, not a talent. Pick one report or email this week, apply two or three of these steps, and see whether the replies get shorter and faster.