Delivery Mode
Face-to-face or virtual workshop.
A mix of interactive activities including hands-on exercises and simulations to apply concepts.
Duration
1 day
Plain English: Writing with Clarity and Confidence
Build the skills to write clear, concise and reader-focused documents for any workplace.
Strong writing is essential in every role. Whether you are preparing emails, reports, briefing notes, proposals, policies, procedures, web content or stakeholder communications, your writing needs to be clear, purposeful and easy to act on.
This practical course will help you communicate complex ideas in plain English, structure your documents more effectively, and write with greater confidence. You will also explore how to use AI tools ethically and effectively to improve writing quality, reduce drafting time and support clearer communication.
Is this course right for you?
This course is designed for professionals who want to improve the clarity, impact and efficiency of their workplace writing.
It is suitable for people who are new to professional writing, as well as those seeking a refresher to sharpen their writing skills. It is particularly useful if you need to turn complex information into clear, practical and reader-friendly content.
You will benefit from this course if you want to:
- Write more clearly and concisely
- Make documents easier for readers to understand and use
- Reduce unnecessary complexity, jargon and repetition
- Improve the structure and flow of your writing
- Develop a reliable writing and editing process
- Use AI tools appropriately to support drafting, editing and proofreading.
Participants explore how to bridge the gap between what the writer wants to say and what the reader needs to understand. This includes considering audience, purpose, context and the action required from the reader.
This section introduces the key characteristics of plain English, including clarity, simplicity, structure, conciseness and reader focus. Participants examine examples of unclear writing and practise rewriting them in a clearer style.
Participants learn how to organise ideas before writing, create logical flow, use headings effectively and make documents easier to scan and navigate.
This section focuses on reducing wordiness, improving sentence structure, choosing familiar language and avoiding unnecessary jargon, repetition and ambiguity.
Participants learn when to use active voice for clarity and accountability, and when passive voice may be appropriate in more formal or sensitive contexts.
Participants review common problem words, punctuation issues and grammar traps, then apply practical proofreading techniques to improve accuracy and professionalism.
Participants explore how AI tools can support workplace writing, including brainstorming, outlining, summarising, rewriting, proofreading and adapting tone. The course also covers key ethical considerations, including confidentiality, privacy, accuracy, bias, over-reliance on AI and the importance of human judgement and review.
1 day
Face-to-face or virtual workshop.
A mix of interactive activities including hands-on exercises and simulations to apply concepts.
Practical application
Throughout the course, participants work through practical examples and short writing exercises. They will have opportunities to rewrite unclear text, improve document structure, review tone and style, and reflect on their own writing habits.
Where appropriate, participants may apply the techniques to common workplace documents such as emails, reports, briefing notes, proposals, web content, procedures or stakeholder communications.
Who should attend?
This course is ideal for:
- Professionals who write as part of their role
- Early-career staff developing workplace communication skills
- Managers and team leaders who review or approve written material
- Technical specialists who need to explain complex information clearly
- Staff preparing emails, reports, proposals, policies, procedures or stakeholder communications
- Anyone seeking a practical refresher in clear, concise and professional writing.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
