Government documents have traditionally been written in a formal style to communicate the authority of the government. But a formal style and language can be difficult for people with lower levels of English-language reading skills to understand. It therefore may reduce the effectiveness of communication with the public.

Government writing is moving towards a less formal and more personal style. It should be:

• respectful
• clear and direct
• objective and impartial.

Initiatives in plain language have developed in the past 30 years in English-speaking governments around the world, most notably in the United States Plain Writing Act 2010. Although Australia does not have similar national legislation, more than 40 individual laws require plain language across all states and territories.

Plain language in government writing includes:

• more use of the first person (we, us, our; see Using first, second and third person, and impersonal voice)
• more use of active rather than passive voice (see Balancing active and passive voice)
• limited use of jargon (see Avoiding jargon and unnecessarily complex words).