Plain English Alternatives

Formal EnglishPlain English
(an) absence ofno, none
abundanceenough, plenty, a lot (or say how many)
accede toallow, agree to
acceleratespeed up
accentuatestress
accommodationwhere you live, home
accompanyingwith
accomplishdo, finish
according to our recordsour records show
accordinglyin line with this, so
acknowledgethank you for
acquaint yourself withfind out about, read
acquiesceagree
acquirebuy, get
additionalextra, more
adjacentnext to
adjustmentchange, alteration
admissibleallowed, acceptable
advantageoususeful, helpful
advisetell, say (unless you are giving advice)
affixadd, write, fasten, stick on, fix to
afford an opportunitylet, allow
affordedgiven
aforesaidthis, earlier in this document
aggregatetotal
alignedlined up, in line
alleviateease, reduce
allocatedivide, share, give
along the lines oflike, as in
alternative(a) choice, (the) other
alternativelyor, on the other hand
ameliorateimprove, help
amendmentchange
anticipateexpect
apparentclear, plain, obvious, seeming
applicant (the)you
applicationuse
appreciablelarge, great
appriseinform, tell
appropriateproper, right, suitable
appropriate tosuitable for
approximatelyabout, roughly
as a consequence ofbecause
as of the date offrom
as regardsabout, on the subject of
ascertainfind out
assemblebuild, gather, put together
assistancehelp
at an early datesoon (or say when)
at its discretioncan, may (or edit out)
at the momentnow (or edit out)
at the present timenow (or edit out)
attempttry
attendcome to, go to, be at
attributable todue to, because of
authoriseallow, let
authorityright, power, may (as in 'have the authority to')
axiomaticobvious, goes without saying
B 
belatedlate
beneficialhelpful, useful
bestowgive, award
breachbreak
by means ofby
C 
calculatework out, decide
ceasefinish, stop, end
circumventget round, avoid, skirt, circle
clarificationexplanation, help
combinemix
combinedtogether
commencestart, begin
communicatetalk, write, telephone (be specific)
competentable, can
compilemake, collect
completefill in, finish
completionend
comply withkeep to, meet
componentpart
comprisesis made up of, includes
(it is) compulsory(you) must
concealhide
concerningabout, on
conclusionend
concuragree
conditionrule
consequentlyso
considerablegreat, important
constitutesmakes up, forms, is
construeinterpret
consulttalk to, meet, ask
consumptionamount used
contemplatethink about
contrary toagainst, despite
correctput right
correspondwrite
costs the sum ofcosts
counteragainst
courteouspolite
cumulativeadded up, added together
currentlynow (or edit out)
customaryusual, normal
D 
deducttake off, take away
deem to betreat as
deferput off, delay
deficiencylack of
deletecross out
demonstrateshow, prove
denoteshow
depictshow
designatepoint out, show, name
desirewish, want
despatch or dispatchsend, post
despite the fact thatthough, although
determinedecide, work out, set, end
detrimentalharmful, damaging
difficultiesproblems
diminishlessen, reduce
disbursepay, pay out
dischargecarry out
disclosetell, show
disconnectcut off, unplug
discontinuestop, end
discreteseparate
discusstalk about
disseminatespread
documentationpapers, documents
domiciled inliving in
dominantmain
due to the fact thatbecause, as
durationtime, life
during which timewhile
dwellinghome
E 
economicalcheap, good value
eligibleallowed, qualified
elucidateexplain, make clear
emphasisestress
empowerallow, let
enableallow
enclosedinside, with
(please find) enclosedI enclose
encountermeet
endeavourtry
enquireask
enquiryquestion
ensuremake sure
entitlementright
envisageexpect, imagine
equivalentequal, the same
erroneouswrong
establishshow, find out, set up
evaluatetest, check
evinceshow, prove
ex officiobecause of his or her position
exceptionallyonly when, in this case
excessivetoo many, too much
excludeleave out
excludingapart from, except
exclusivelyonly
exempt fromfree from
expeditehurry, speed up
expeditiouslyas soon as possible, quickly
expenditurespending
expirerun out
extantcurrent, in force
extremitylimit
F 
fabricatemake, make up
facilitatehelp, make possible
factorreason
failure toif you do not
finaliseend, finish
followingafter
for the duration ofduring, while
for the purpose ofto, for
for the reason thatbecause
formulateplan, devise
forthwithnow, at once
forwardsend
frequentlyoften
furnishgive
further toafter, following
furthermorethen, also, and
G 
generateproduce, give, make
give consideration toconsider, think about
grantgive
H 
henceforthfrom now on, from today
herebynow, by this (or edit out)
hereinhere (or edit out)
hereinafterafter this (or edit out)
hereofof this
heretoto this
heretoforeuntil now, previously
hereunderbelow
herewithwith this (or edit out)
hithertountil now
hold in abeyancewait, postpone
hope and trusthope, trust (but not both)
I 
if and whenif, when (but not both)
illustrateshow, explain
immediatelyat once, now
implementcarry out, do
implysuggest, hint at
in a number of casessome (or say how many)
in accordance withas under, in line with, because of
in addition (to)and, as well as, also
in advancebefore
in case ofif
in conjunction withand, with
in connection withfor, about
in consequencebecause, as a result
in excess ofmore than
in lieu ofinstead of
in order thatso that
in receipt ofget, have, receive
in relation toabout
in respect ofabout, for
in the absence ofwithout
in the course ofwhile, during
in the event of/thatif
in the majority of instancesmost, mostly
in the near futuresoon
in the neighbourhood ofabout, around
in view of the fact thatas, because
inappropriatewrong, unsuitable
inceptionstart, beginning
incorporatingwhich includes
incurhave to pay, owe
indicateshow, suggest
informtell
initiallyat first
initiatebegin, start
insertput in
instancescases
intend towill
intimatesay, hint
irrespective ofdespite, even if
is of the opinionthinks
issuegive, send
it is known thatI/we know that
J 
jeopardiserisk, threaten
L 
(a) large number ofmany, most (or say how many)
localityplace, area
locatefind, put
M 
magnitudesize
(it is) mandatory(you) must
mannerway
manufacturemake
marginalsmall, slight
materialrelevant
materialisehappen, occur
may in the futuremay, might, could
merchandisegoods
mislaylose
modificationchange
moreoverand, also, as well
N 
negligiblevery small
neverthelessbut, however, even so
notifytell, let us (or you) know
notwithstandingeven if, despite, still, yet
numerousmany (or say how many)
O 
objectiveaim, goal
(it is) obligatory(you) must
obtainget, receive
occasioned bycaused by, because of
on behalf offor
on numerous occasionsoften
on requestif you ask
on the grounds thatbecause
on the occasion thatwhen, if
operatework, run
optimumbest, ideal
optionchoice
ordinarilynormally, usually
otherwiseor
outstandingunpaid
owing tobecause of
P 
partiallypartly
participatejoin in, take part
particularsdetails, facts
per annuma year
performdo
permissibleallowed
permitlet, allow
personnelpeople, staff
personspeople, anyone
peruseread, read carefully, look at
placeput
possesshave, own
possessionsbelongings
practicallyalmost, nearly
predominantmain
prescribeset, fix
preservekeep, protect
previousearlier, before, last
principalmain
prior tobefore
proceedgo ahead
procureget, obtain, arrange
profusion ofplenty, too many (or say how many)
prohibitban, stop
projectedestimated
prolongedlong
promptlyquickly, at once
promulgateadvertise, announce
proportionpart
providegive
provided thatif, as long as
provisionsrules, terms
proximitycloseness, nearness
purchasebuy
pursuant tounder, because of, in line with
R 
reconsiderthink again about, look again at
reducecut
reductioncut
referred to ascalled
refers totalks about, mentions
(have) regard totake into account
regardingabout, on
regulationrule
reimburserepay, pay back
reiteraterepeat, restate
relating toabout
remainstay
remainderthe rest, what is left
remittancepayment
remunerationpay, wages, salary
rendermake, give, send
reporttell
representsshows, stands for, is
requestask, question
requireneed, want, force
requirementsneeds, rules
residelive
residencehome, where you live
restrictionlimit
retainkeep
reviewlook at (again)
revisednew, changed
S 
said/such/samethe, this, that
scrutiniseread (look at) carefully
selectchoose
settlepay
similarlyalso, in the same way
solelyonly
specifiedgiven, written, set
statesay, tell us, write down
statutorylegal, by law
subject todepending on, under, keeping to
submitsend, give
subsequent to/uponafter
subsequentlylater
substantiallarge, great, a lot of
substantiallymore or less
sufficientenough
supplementgo with, add to
supplementaryextra, more
supplygive, sell, deliver
T 
(the) tenantyou
terminatestop, end
that being the caseif so
the question as to whetherwhether
thereafterthen, afterwards
therebyby that, because of that
thereinin that, there
thereofof that
theretoto that
thusso, therefore
to dateso far, up to now
to the extent thatif, when
transferchange, move
transmitsend
U 
ultimatelyin the end, finally
unavailabilitylack of
undernotedthe following
undersignedI, we
undertakeagree, promise, do
uniformsame, similar
unilateralone-sided, one-way
unoccupiedempty
until such timeuntil
utilisationuse
utiliseuse
V 
variationchange
virtuallyalmost (or edit out)
visualisesee, predict
W 
ways and meansways
we have pleasure inwe are glad to
whatsoeverwhatever, what, any
whensoeverwhen
whereasbut
whether or notwhether
with a view toto, so that
with effect fromfrom
with reference toabout
with regard toabout, for
with respect toabout, for
with the minimum of delayquickly (or say when)
Y 
you are requestedplease
your attention is drawn toplease see, please note
Z 
zonearea, region
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