Simple words are strong: Simple words are strong words. People remember a clear sentence. They forget a fancy one.
Clever words lose listeners: Many people use long words to sound clever. The listener only feels lost. Your job is not to impress. Your job is to be understood.
Keep sentences short: Use short sentences. Use words a 12-year-old would understand. If a sentence has more than two ideas, split it into two sentences.
How to Keep It Simple
- Say the main point first. Then add the detail.
- Replace a hard word with an easy one: "Use this" is better than "Utilise this."
- After you finish, ask, "Is that clear?" — and mean it.
Example
The shopkeeper's fancy words: A shopkeeper tells a worker, "You must ensure the expeditious dispatch of the consignment." The worker nods, but he does not know what to do.
The clear version works: The clear version is, "Send this parcel today, before 4 pm." Now the worker knows exactly what to do.
Key Terms
- Clarity (وضاحت) — being easy to understand
- Main point (اصل بات) — the one thing the listener must remember
Quran or Hadith
None in this topic.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: One long tangled sentence crossed out, replaced by two short clear sentences. In Project Desk colours.
- Simple words are strong words. People remember a clear sentence.
- Say the main point first, then the detail.
- If a sentence has two ideas, split it into two sentences.