'Plain Language': Practical Tips for How to Make It Not So Plain

Plain writing does not literally mean plain. Plain writing is skillful writing: simple and direct, interesting, readable, and even eloquent. We can do more than merely remind our students about the concepts of grammar, paragraph structure and syntax; we can provide students with simple methods to implement them. Even for more skilled writers, these simple tools are effective self-editing checks. Using these methods, students of all levels can improve their writing and gain understanding that language is not so plain after all.