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1、成都理工大学毕业论文The Influence of the Plain English Movement on Business English Writing简明英语运动对商务英语写作的影响ByYang PinghaoSupervised byProf. Luo RuntianMay 20th, 2011College of Foreign Languages and CulturesChengdu University of TechnologyvThe Influence of the Plain English Movement on Business English Writing
2、Student: Yang Pinghao Class: 2007110102Supervisor: Prof. Luo RuntianAbstractAbout three decades ago the Plain English Movement began, and so far it has developed on a spectacular scale around the globe. It was then against gobbledygook and fighting for the benefit of ordinary people; now it is, almo
3、st the same but more positively, against the waste of time and money and fighting for effective and comfortable communication.Plain English has certainly entered the world of business. For a field that is so in need of efficiency, it has helped a lot. Written communication in business is like a corn
4、erstone. People conduct the majority of their transactions via it for its permanency and accuracy. With the globalization of economy, business English, or efficient business English becomes more and more essential. So the old style of business English, long-winded and obscure, starts to appear helpl
5、ess or even cause more trouble. Thats why plain English is now widely accepted and practiced.Due to the influence of plain English, business people begin to make their writings shorter by employing simpler words and removing needless jargons. In this way, they express themselves more clearly and hel
6、p the readers understand them more easily. A number of examples are presented in this paper to show how plain English actually helps to simplify business writing. But the purpose of plain English is not merely to simplify, totally denying traditional business English, but to state all the informatio
7、n in a more concise and clearer way for quicker and better understanding.The author hopes this study will help people get a better understanding of both plain English and business writing, and be better at writing business works.Key words: plain English; business writing; influence; effective commun
8、ication简明英语运动对商务英语写作的影响摘 要大约三十年前简明英语运动兴起，至今已在全球蓬勃发展。当初简明英语运动反对官样文章，保障普通老百姓的利益；现在它仍然行使着这职责，并且有了更加积极的一面：反对浪费时间和金钱，保障有效沟通。简明英语自然也进入了商业领域，对于如此讲求效率的商业世界多有裨益。书面通信是商业的基石，因其持久性和准确性，人们大多数的生意都是通过书面通信进行的。随着经济全球化的不断发展，商务英语，特别是高效率的商务英语扮演着越来越重要的角色。以往的商务英语冗长、晦涩，早已显出其无用甚至反作用，而简明英语现今却被广泛接受与使用。由于简明英语的影响，商务工作者已开始使用简易的
9、单词、去掉不必要的陈旧术语，以使写作更加简明。这样，他们将自己的意思表达得更清楚，也使读者更容易明白。本文通过大量例证探讨了简明英语是如何影响商务英语，使其简明化的。但简明英语的目的并不是为了简化而简化，甚至全然否定了传统商务英语，其目的实质为将所有信息更加简明扼要、清楚明了地呈现给读者，使读者更快更轻松地理解。作者希望这一研究可以使读者对简明英语与商务英语都有一定的了解，并且通过这些了解对现代商务英语写作有更好的掌握。关键词：简明英语；商务写作；影响；有效沟通ContentsAbstracti摘 要iiIntroduction11.Plain English and the Plain En
10、glish Movement11.1Plain English11.1.1The Definition of Plain English21.1.2Basic Principles of Plain English31.2The Plain English Movement41.2.1The Plain English Movement in Britain41.2.2The Plain English Movement in the US52.Business English Writing62.1The Definition of Business English62.2Practical
11、 Business English Writings62.3 Features of Business English Writing73.The Influence of Plain English on Business English Writing83.1Why Do People Use Plain English83.2Obvious Changes in Business English Writing93.2.1Omission of Unnecessary and Repeated words93.2.2 Use of Simple Words and Everyday Ex
12、pressions103.2.3 Avoiding the Out-of-date Commercial Jargons113.3 Other Inspirations of Plain English12Conclusion13Acknowledgements15Endnotes16References1717The Influence of the Plain English Movement on Business English Writing简明英语运动对商务英语写作的影响IntroductionThe same with legal English, business Englis
13、h has long been considered typical written language filled with technical terms and awkward formulaic expressions. It cant be denied, however, that changes have taken place with the development of times, and of course the most important, with the development of plain English.Plain English has become
14、 a trend in every way of our daily life, and a must in our work and communication, especially the written form. We have a good reason to study it and make clear how it would help us for more effective communication. It has affected modern business English a lot so that the latter has become much eas
15、ier to understand, thus making our work more efficient.In the first part well get an idea of Plain English and the Plain English Movement. The second part is a brief introduction of business English. In the third part the author will use a lot of examples to state how plain English has influenced bu
16、siness writing nowadays.1.Plain English and the Plain English MovementIn order to discuss the influence of plain English on business English writing, wed better first acquaint ourselves with some basic knowledge of plain English and the Plain English Movement. For what reason did the Movement occur
17、and what exactly is plain English about? The answers are in the following paragraphs.1.1Plain EnglishPlain English cannot be misunderstood as excessively simple language or baby language, or a language that lacks expression. Its an audience-oriented method of delivering information clearly and effec
18、tively with daily language and familiar words, in proper grammar and structure. The information of the plain language doesnt have to be reduced, while the redundant and obscure part of a sentence does have to be improved.1.1.1The Definition of Plain English“We define plain English as something that
19、the intended audience can read, understand and act upon the first time they read it. Plain English takes into account design and layout as well as language.”1Plain English Campaign, U.K. Plain English is a way of communication aiming at effectiveness and efficiency. Effectiveness means the readers c
20、an understand the information; while efficiency means the readers can understand the information the moment they first read it. It helps people communicate as simply and effectively as possible, using straightforward, concrete and familiar words. But its not childish or simplistic; it offers all the
21、 necessary information to the reader.We can have a look at this example:A: Because we knew nothing about local conditions, we could not determine how effectively the committee had allocated funds to areas that most needed assistance.B: Our lack of knowledge about local conditions precluded determina
22、tion of committee action effectiveness in fund allocation to those areas in greatest need of assistance.2Its not strange that most of us may choose B as a better expression at the first sight, but according to Joseph M. Williams, the author of Style: Toward Clarity and Grace, the fact is the other w
23、ay round. B is not good because it is filled with abstract nouns which make the sentence hard to understand, while A is easy to understand with simple and effective verbs.Now weve already grabbed the essence of plain English.1.1.2Basic Principles of Plain EnglishFor Plain English, to determine the w
24、riting purpose and the intended audience is the foremost step. The author should put the readers first and take their need and level of knowledge into account when deciding his contents and style. Here follows its basic principles of writing.(1) Plain English should have proper arrangement and be cl
25、early organized. If theres a large amount of information to deliver, it should be divided into logical parts. Bullet points, examples or pictures are encouraged when ones explaining a complex message.(2) Vigorous writing should be concise and to the point, containing no unnecessary words or sentence
26、s. (3) We should introduce new information on the basis of the familiar information, present every action in a logical order, and put the most important information at the end of a sentence if necessary.(4) The value of a document is not proportional to its weight. So we should use simple sentence p
27、atterns and avoid excessively long sentences. But of course, we dont cut out words just to make it shorter; information should be explained exactly and concisely.(5) Sentence in the active voice is shorter and clearer, while in the passive voice longer and vaguer. When we write, active voice should
28、almost take up 90% of a text. But one can still employ some sentences in passive voice when it is necessary. For example, when one wants to stress the receiver of the action, when one wants to put new or surprising information at the end, or when one wants to evade responsibility, they tend to use p
29、assive voice.(6) Verbs, not nouns, are preferred in English. Many nouns ending in “-ion” are simply verbs in disguise, but they make the sentence obscure. We can turn them into corresponding verbs to make the sentence clearer.(7) In plain English, complicated, abstract, Latin, foreign and archaic wo
30、rds or jargons that are not familiar to the audience should be avoided. Dont use a phrase if a word can do. A complicated concept can be explained by plain English almost all the time. And if an article or document is particularly for experts in a certain field, jargons within their field are also a
31、cceptable as plain.(8) We should prevent vagueness and ambiguity by putting modifiers in the right places and avoid a series of noun attributes and prepositional phrases. Meanwhile, the pronouns, such as “you”, “I” and “we”, will benefit companies and organizations. These words create a closer relat
32、ionship between companies and their clients. The audience will be more likely to cooperate when the information is conveyed with these clear and kind pronouns. So do the writing as if youre talking.(9) In most cases, neutral words are preferred, and well try any way to make the sentence free from an
33、y discrimination. Another suggestion for us is to seldom adopt negative sentences, especially double negatives, which take more time to comprehend. We should simply turn it into a positive one. In addition, wed better leave enough margins. Dont use capital letters or underlines all the time. If the
34、layout is in a mess, the letters are too small, or their color doesnt stand out, then the reader will also have trouble in comprehending even if the writer expresses himself clearly.Plain language is easier to understand so the audience may be more patient to finish reading. Even an audience with st
35、rong reading ability would prefer plain language, for it saves time and money. Nowadays plain English is not only popular with the public, but also with professionals.1.2The Plain English MovementPlain language is not only a method or style but also a movement to offer its users understandable infor
36、mation. The Plain English Movement is generally a language revolution for a better kind of writing that is clear and easy enough for everybody, no matter what his status is, to understand and get the essential information. It was originally launched for the benefits of the common people. In the past
37、 three decades, the Plain English Movement has flourished in numbers of countries around the world. The UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Sweden have all seen great development of the Movement in the fields of law, finance, business, technology, healthcare and so forth. Th
38、e initiators of the movement include corporations, organizations and individuals, most of which are supported by governments. Plain English has already enjoyed great popularity as a means of effective communication.1.2.1The Plain English Movement in BritainThe Plain English Campaign is a non-governm
39、ental organization established by Chrissie Maher in 1979, with its headquarters in New Mills, Derbyshire. That year, Ms. Maher witnessed the death of two old women who died from coldness because they couldnt understand the application form of housing benefits. She then drove to London and publicly s
40、hredded hundreds of official documents in Parliament Square, marking the beginning of the campaign.The Plain English Campaign leads in advocating and persuading organizations in the UK and abroad to communicate with the public in plain language. It created the Crystal Mark as its seal of approval pr
41、inted on documents that are considered clear enough for its prospective audience to understand. So far, this symbol has been marked on over 18,300 documents worldwide, according to the Plain English Campaign itself. It has its own publications, such as Language on Trial and Plain English Magazine, a
42、nd it often makes public comment about language-related news stories, especially jargon.The Campaign has exerted notable influence on British government, business, law and public service; even the South African government was assisted by it to make a plain-language act. Tom McArthur, editor of the O
43、xford Companion to the English Language, once said, “In all the history of the language, there has never been such a powerful grassroots movement to influence it as the Plain English Campaign.”31.2.2The Plain English Movement in the USIn 1971, the American National Council of Teachers of English set
44、 up a committee of plain English, which roused public attention. Four years later, the Paperwork Reduction Act was introduced. The Executive Order 12044 signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, requiring the federal government to make their regulations in plain English, officially supported this mo
45、vement. Although the Order was abolished in 1981 by President Reagan, its influence spread across the country. In 1998, President Clinton issued a presidential memorandum on plain language to “make the government more responsive, accessible, and understandable in its communication with the public”4.
46、 Thus the Plain English Movement has penetrated the American government, finance, business and healthcare in almost every state.The increasing awareness of the public of their own rights and the government of their service function, are main factors making plain English popular. Competition in the b
47、usiness field and the globalization of the English language also contribute a lot to its wide influence. Thus we can see other countries and areas like Ireland, India, Hong Kong, Brazil, Denmark and Finland, joining the campaign.2.Business English WritingNowadays, the word “business” doesnt simply m
48、ean exchange or trade for things people want or need, but has a more technical definition: the production, distribution, and sale of goods and service for a profit. Its a combination of all these activities: production, distribution and sale, through which profit or economic surplus will be created.Language is a key part in the business world. And most of the transactions are carried out through business correspondence, which is still an important form of communication at this age. So now we are going to discuss something about business English wr