🔤 Multilingual Writing: Write Sentences Readers Can Follow

Show who does what, what happens next, and what readers need to know

A sentence that is clear to a fluent English reader may still be hard for someone who uses English as a second or additional language. It may also be hard to translate.

Good sentences do not make readers guess. They show who is doing what, what happens next, and what the reader needs to know or do.

Use a clear subject and verb

Many strong sentences have a clear subject and a clear verb.

Less clear:
Your application will be reviewed after all required documents have been received.

Clearer:
We will review your application after we receive all required documents.

The clearer sentence tells readers who will act and what must happen first.

Put the main idea near the beginning

Readers should not have to wait too long for the main point.

Less clear:
After all required documents have been received and your eligibility has been confirmed, your application will be reviewed.

Clearer:
We will review your application after we receive all required documents and confirm that you are eligible.

The clearer sentence starts with the action: We will review your application.

Keep related words close together

Do not separate words that belong together.

Less clear:
People must submit by Friday forms for the program.

Clearer:
People must submit program forms by Friday.

The clearer sentence keeps submit and program forms close together.

Use active voice when it helps

Active voice often helps readers because it names the person, agency, group, or organization doing the action.

Less clear:
A decision will be sent within 10 days.

Clearer:
We will send you a decision within 10 days.

Active voice is not always required. But when readers need to know who does what, active voice usually helps.

Use lists when a sentence has too many parts

A long sentence can be hard to read when it includes several items, steps, conditions, or examples. Sometimes the clearest choice is a list.

Less clear:
Bring proof of income, proof of address, photo identification, your completed form, and any letters you received about your case.

Clearer:
Bring:

Proof of income
Proof of address
Photo identification
Your completed form
Any letters you received about your case

Do not use a list for every long sentence. Use a list when the parts are easier to see separately.

Keep sentences short enough to follow

Shorter sentences are usually easier to read, understand, and translate. But short does not mean choppy. A sentence should be long enough to say what it needs to say and short enough for readers to follow.

As a general guide, aim for an average sentence length of about 20 words. A sentence longer than 25 to 30 words may still work if it is well organized and uses familiar terms. But long sentences are especially hard when they include too many conditions, exceptions, side points, or punctuation marks trying to hold the sentence together.

Less clear:
You may qualify for the program if you live in the service area, meet income rules, submit proof of address, and apply before the deadline, unless funding has already run out.

Clearer:
You may qualify for the program if you live in the service area, meet income rules, submit proof of address, and apply before the deadline. Funding may run out, so apply as soon as you can.

Be careful with this, that, it, and they

Pronouns can confuse readers when the noun is not clear.

Less clear:
Send the form with your photo ID. It must be current.

What must be current: the form or the photo ID?

Clearer:
Send the form with your photo ID. Your photo ID must be current.

Repeating the noun may sound less elegant, but it can be clearer.

Avoid double negatives

Double negatives can confuse readers, especially when they are learning English or using translation tools.

Less clear:
You are not ineligible if you apply after July 1.

Clearer:
You may still be eligible if you apply after July 1.

Use punctuation to show meaning

Punctuation helps readers see how a sentence works. Use commas, periods, colons, and semicolons to guide readers through the sentence.

Harder to follow:
If you need help call us before Friday after Friday we may not be able to process your request.

Clearer:
If you need help, call us before Friday. After Friday, we may not be able to process your request.

Harder to follow:
Bring proof of income proof of address photo identification and your completed form.

Clearer:
Bring proof of income, proof of address, photo identification, and your completed form.

Use punctuation to guide readers. Do not use punctuation to hold together a sentence that should be shorter. For more advice, see Garbl’s Guide to Punctuation.

Avoid metaphors, slang, and idioms when clarity matters

Some English phrases do not mean what the words seem to say. That can confuse people who use English as a second or additional language. It can also confuse translators, interpreters, and translation tools.

Metaphors, slang, idioms, and casual expressions may work well with readers who know them. But they can fail when readers take the words literally or when the phrase does not translate well.

Less clear:
We need to get the ball rolling before the deadline.

Clearer:
We need to start before the deadline.

Less clear:
Circle back with us if you hit a roadblock.

Clearer:
Contact us again if you have a problem.

Less clear:
This change will move the needle for families.

Clearer:
This change will make a real difference for families.

You do not need to avoid every image or familiar expression. But when the information is important, practical, legal, medical, technical, or safety-related, choose words that say exactly what you mean.

Check the sentence for possible confusion

People who use English as a second or additional language may read a sentence word for word. They may not know when a phrase is informal, indirect, exaggerated, or figurative. Translators and interpreters also need to understand exactly what the writer means.

Before you finish, ask:

Does the sentence say exactly what I mean?
Is the subject clear?
Is the action clear?
Is the order clear?
Could it, this, that, or they refer to more than one thing?
Could a reader, translator, or interpreter misunderstand the sentence?

A good sentence carries the writer’s meaning with less confusion.

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