Use strong, active verbs rather than the passive voice.<\/p>\n
Sentences written in the active voice are easier to understand. It\u2019s clearer who is doing what to whom.<\/p>\n
Instead of:<\/span><\/strong> A door-to-door contract can be cancelled by the customer within 10\u00a0days.<\/p>\n Write:<\/span><\/strong> You can cancel a door-to-door contract within 10 days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You might use the passive voice when:<\/p>\n In general, do not use ampersands (&) because not all readers will be familiar with them. This applies to headings and regular text.<\/p>\n Use \u201cand\u201d unless the ampersand is part of an official name, like Community Advocacy & Legal Clinic.<\/p>\n When you present information that compares different situations or presents an \u201cif-then\u201d scenario, use a table or a chart when possible.<\/p>\n For example, how much someone on Ontario Works can claim in child-care expenses depends on the type of child-care provider they use. Can I work and get OW at the same time?<\/a> uses a table to help the reader see what applies to them.<\/p>\n Keep sentences short and make only one point <\/strong>per sentence.<\/p>\n Keep your average sentence length to 15 words<\/strong> and aim for a maximum length of 25 words<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Break up long sentences.<\/p>\n Write:<\/span><\/strong> You get money from another source to pay for your child care, for example, money from your local government. This is called a fee subsidy.<\/p>\n Not:<\/span><\/strong> You get money from another source to pay for your child care, for example, money from your local government, which is called a fee subsidy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You might also break a long sentence into a bulleted list.<\/p>\n Varying the length of your sentences makes the content more interesting to read.<\/p>\n It\u2019s okay to start a sentence with a conjunction<\/strong> like:<\/p>\n They help your reader see connections and let you break up long sentences.<\/p>\n When you start a sentence with a conjunction, you do not<\/strong> need a comma after the conjunction.<\/p>\n Example:<\/span><\/strong> It’s possible to make a will yourself. But it’s usually a good idea to talk to an estates lawyer\u00a0before making one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The exception<\/strong> is a structure where a phrase appears after the conjunction and before the main subject.<\/p>\n Example:<\/span><\/strong> The protestor refused to move. And, right after that, the police took them away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n These principles apply to readers with any level of literacy and to all types of writing. By being concise, you help everyone. And no one ever complains that something is too easy to understand.<\/p>\n For example, research shows<\/a> an overwhelming preference for plain language across education levels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Short paragraphs are easier to read and understand. Long paragraphs discourage readers from trying to understand your content.<\/p>\n Limit each paragraph to one topic<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Keep most of your paragraphs to 3 sentences or less<\/strong>. But vary the length of your paragraphs.<\/p>\n Remember that paragraphs with one sentence <\/strong>are okay and often an effective way to stress a point.<\/p>\n Write headings in sentence case<\/strong>. This means capitalizing only the first word and proper names.<\/p>\n Write:<\/span><\/strong> Get legal help Example:<\/span><\/strong> Appeal to the Social Benefits Tribunal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Keep headings as short as possible.<\/p>\n For example, in print documents aim to keep headings to one line, if possible, and 2 lines at the most. This is important because when translating from English to French, headings will be considerably longer.<\/p>\n Be consistent in the style of headings you use.<\/p>\n You might start your headings with a simple verb.<\/p>\n Example:<\/span><\/strong> Get legal help<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Or use a gerund, which is a verb acting as a noun. Read more in:<\/p>\n Example:<\/span><\/strong> Getting legal help<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You could use headings that are statements.<\/p>\n Example:<\/span><\/strong> What to include in your application form<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Or you could use questions.<\/p>\n Example:<\/span><\/strong> What must I include in my application form?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Use bold<\/strong> to highlight up to a few key words but not entire sentences. If you use too much bold in a sentence or paragraph, it loses its effect.<\/p>\n Write:<\/span><\/strong> When you give notice to your landlord, do it in writing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Not:<\/span><\/strong> When you give notice to your landlord, do it in writing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The most important part of the sentence is \u201cin writing\u201d.<\/p>\n Do not<\/strong> set words in italics<\/em>. Italics are difficult to read, especially online.<\/em><\/p>\n To keep your writing less formal, do not <\/strong>use italics or quotation marks for the names of acts and statutes.<\/p>\n Never use ALL CAPS<\/strong>, unless the word is an abbreviation or acronym. PRESENTING TEXT IN ALL CAPS IS VERY HARD TO READ. This applies to headings as well.<\/p>\n In most cases, use bold<\/strong> if you want to highlight a term, rather than putting it in \u201cquotation marks\u201d.<\/p>\n Read about the type of quotations marks to use and how to use them in the section Quotation marks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Do not highlight using bold and quotation marks together. Be consistent. Decide which approach you\u2019ll use in a document or web resource.<\/p>\n Sometimes, it might be easier for the reader if you set aside a term with quotation marks<\/strong>. There are no set rules about this. You need to use your judgment.<\/p>\n\n
Example: If you miss the deadline, your benefits will be cut off.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Example: The law was passed in 2017.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAmpersand (&)<\/h2>\n
Using comparisons<\/h2>\n
Sentences<\/h2>\n
Keep them short<\/h3>\n
Break up and vary length<\/h3>\n
Start with a conjunction<\/h3>\n
\n
Everyone benefits<\/h3>\n
Paragraphs<\/h2>\n
Headings<\/h2>\n
Use sentence case<\/h3>\n
Not:<\/span><\/strong> Get Legal Help<\/p>\nKeep them short<\/h3>\n
Adopt a consistent style<\/h3>\n
\n
Grammarly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nHighlight important words<\/h2>\n
Overview<\/h3>\n
Bold or quotation marks?<\/h3>\n