The style of language used in a report needs to be appropriate to the nature of the report and its intended readership. In addition, the report must be clear, concise, complete and correct. It's not easy and takes practice.
There is a Plain English Campaign; organisations can get their publications endorsed by it. There are many books around written with the aim of helping adults to write better, clearer English. Some of them are very readable. One such book, unconnected with the Plain English Campaign, other than by title, is The Plain English Guide (Cutts, 1995).
1 Clarity
The reader needs to be clear why a particular point is being raised at a particular place in a report. It may be self-evident, but if it is not, then the logical links with previous material should be explained.
Simple concise words should be used in preference to abstract ones eg 'We are sure that in the end the procedure will work again' is better than 'We have absolute confidence that eventually the situation will be restored'. Similarly 'Turn off all computers' is better than 'Turn all the computer switches to the off position'.
Jargon - the unnecessary use of technical language can be a barrier to understanding even among specialists. Jargon should be avoided, particularly in documents intended for non-specialist readers. Where jargon is needed include an explanation and consider producing a glossary (see para 3.9.9 in the main report).
Abbreviations should be avoided but where they are used, they should be described in full where first introduced. For example:
"... is to be found in the new Project Control System (PCS)."
2 Readability
Remember that your readers are probably busy people - so be brief and keep it simple. They are looking for facts - so be clear and informative.
You are attempting to send a clear message along a communication channel, but a message appropriate to the audience, purpose and content.
Repetition of words provokes boredom and gives an impression of limited vocabulary. It is nearly always possible to find synonyms or equivalent short phrases. However always try to use simple words - don't let this quest for variety lead to complex, flowery language. Unnecessary repetition, redundant words and phrases should be taken out.
Sentence length should be varied to avoid monotony. In general, it is good practice to keep sentences short, under 30 and preferably under 20 words. However it should be borne in mind that strings of short sentences can create a distracting, staccato effect.
Sentences should be structured to make the text easy to read. The ideal level of 'ease' will depend upon the abilities of the target audience. The level of ease can be considered using a 'Reading Ease' or 'fog index' score. Details of the calculation of one such score are given in the Appendix D.
Technical note: Many wordprocessors, such as the grammar checker in Word, provide automatic calculation of reading ease.
3. Language
Slang must not be used in reports. Similarly colloquialisms and very informal language should also be avoided. The reader may be a stranger to you, so be appropriately formal. So it is usually better to say
"It is first necessary to consider the system's requirements."
rather than
"Before browsing through the amendments, it would be wise to look at the requirements set for the production."
Student project, 1998
Formal language is required but clichés and stiffness of expression can be barriers to effective communication. For instance, it is much clearer to say "It is important that..." rather than "In every case it is of paramount importance that...".
It is important to consider the emotion that you create in your reader. For instance, violent words can cause readers to feel uneasy so avoid using terms such as 'abort', 'terminate', 'hit a key' or 'kill', other than where they are technically necessary.
Use of grammatical forms should be consistent. Unexplained changes in the tense of verbs can confuse the reader. Use the past tense to describe work which was completed.
Active voice verbs are more powerful than passive ones: "We developed a new system" is more powerful than "The development of a new system was carried out". However the convention in reports is to use the passive - keep it impersonal. Do not use 'I' or 'we'.
