WRITING GUIDES
To dumb down text, replace difficult wording and untangle sentence structure while keeping the facts, conditions and intended meaning. Start with what the reader needs to understand, then compare the rewrite with the original.
Identify its purpose: an action, an explanation or an argument. A sentence that sounds easier but no longer serves that purpose needs another revision. Include nearby context when a reference depends on it.
Underline names, amounts, deadlines, exceptions and technical labels. Pay attention to may, must, only, unless and before. Changing one of these can change the instruction even when the rest reads well.
Try use for utilize or before for prior to. Keep a specialist term when an everyday substitute would be inaccurate. Add a short explanation only when the source supports it and the reader needs it.
Name the person doing the action when the source identifies them. Split crowded sentences at natural boundaries. Keep words such as because, although and after when they explain the relationship.
Check each claim against the original. Read the result as a connected passage, not a list of short sentences. Keep an already clear sentence when changing it adds nothing.
Hand-written examples that illustrate editing choices, not live model results.
Applicants are required to furnish proof of residence prior to the commencement of the course.
Applicants must provide proof of residence before the course begins.
Must stays mandatory. Before still describes the deadline.
Illustrative exampleThe library will remain accessible during renovation, with the exception of the second-floor reading room.
The library will stay open during renovation, except for the second-floor reading room.
Removing the exception would incorrectly suggest every room is open.
Illustrative exampleA lower word count is not proof of a better rewrite. Explaining an unfamiliar term can make the passage longer and easier to understand.
Digital.gov’s short and simple writing guidance recommends familiar wording and direct sentence construction. The examples and checklist above are our own.
An AI tool can suggest a draft. Check it sentence by sentence, especially where an instruction depends on a number, an exception or a technical term.
Start with Clear & simple for everyday wording. Use Lightly simpler for small edits or Extra simple for more explanation. No setting guarantees accuracy.
No. Simplifying focuses on understanding. Summarizing selects the main ideas and leaves out detail; a simplified passage may still need all of its original information.
Paste a complete passage, choose a level, then compare the result with your original. Up to 1,000 words per request.