National Adult Literacy Database

This video takes an amusing approach to the subject of clear writing for the workplace.

It begins with a writing “hit squad” bursting in on a manager as he writes another jargon-filled, overly complicated memo to his employees. The manager learns that while his writing is grammatically correct, it is anything but clear.

He learns the rules for getting his message across, including writing directly to his readers instead of using impersonal third person; using the active voice; writing instructions in their natural order; maintaining a positive tone if at all possible; avoiding jargon; and explaining difficult words in their context.