From the course: Writing in Plain English
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Use examples to make your points stick
From the course: Writing in Plain English
Use examples to make your points stick
- [Instructor] You may have heard the writing advice "Show, don't tell," well, this applies to plain language writing too. In every kind of writing, examples help readers understand exactly what you mean and stay interested and engaged. Examples can also make it more clear to your readers what you mean or what you want them to do, turning abstract concepts into aha moments. In the following example, let's say you've written, "Olive oil is often recommended for improving your heart health because it's high in monounsaturated fats." Depending on your audience, you might say healthy fats instead, but either way, it helps to add an example to show readers how they might act on the idea. For instance, "Replacing some of the butter with olive oil in a brownie recipe can help lower bad LDL cholesterol levels." This takes an abstract idea and helps readers imagine themselves putting it into practice. Examples can also reduce misunderstandings. For example, if you write, "Store the olive oil…
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