Appendix D - Plain Language Alternatives

Here are some examples of unnecessarily difficult words and phrases and plain language alternatives that you can use to replace them. Use the alphabetical map to look at particular sections of the table.

A B C D E F H I L M N O P R S T U V W

Difficult	Alternative
A
accorded	given
accordingly	so
accumulate	gather
acquaint	tell
acquire	get
activate	begin
additional	added
adequate number of	enough
administer	manage
admit of	allow
advert	refer
afforded	given
aggregate	total
all of the	all the
allocate	give, divide
along the lines of	like
ameliorate	improve
anticipate	foresee
apparent	clear
apprise	inform
approximately	about
assist, assistance	help
at the present time at this point in time	now
at the time that	when
attains the age of	become ... years old
attempt (as a verb)	try
B
by means of	by
by reason of	because of
by virtue of	by, under
C
calculate	compute
category	kind, class, group
cause it to be done	have it done
cease	stop
cognizance	knowledge
commence	begin, start
commitment	promise
communicate	write, tell, talk, telephone
compensation	pay
complete (verb)	finish
conceal	hide
concerning the matter of	concerning, about
consequence	result
consequently	so
constitute	make up
construct	build
consummate	bring about, complete
contiguous to	next to
continue	keep up
contribute	give
D
deem	consider
demonstrate	show
desire	wish
discontinue	stop
does not operate to	does not
donate	give
due to the fact that	because
during such time as during the time that in the course of	during, while
during the course of	during
during the period from	from
E
edifice	building
effectuate	bring about, carry out
eliminate	remove, strike out
elucidate	explain
employment	work
encounter	meet
encourage	urge
endeavour (verb)	try
ensure	follow
enter (on a form)	write
enter into a contract with	contract with
equivalent	equal
evince	show
excessive number of	too many
expedite	hasten, hurry, speed up
expend	spend
expiration	end
explicit	plain
F
facilitate	make easy
feasible	possible
for a period of	for
for the duration of	during
for the purpose of	for, to
for the purpose of holding	to hold
for the reason that	since, because
forthwith	immediately
frequently	often
from the point of view of	to
H
hence	so
hereafter	after this...take effect
herein	here
heretofore	before this...takes effect, until now
I
implement	carry out
in accordance with	by, under, on
in back of	behind
in case	if
in connection with	with, about, concerning
in favour of	for
in lieu of	instead of, in place of
in order to	to
in relation to	about, concerning
in terms of	in, of
in the amount of	for
in the course of	during, while
in the event that	if, when
in the interests of	for
in the nature of	like
in the neighbourhood of	about
in this case	here
inasmuch as	since, because
indicate	show
inform	tell
initial	first
initiate	begin, start
inquire	ask
institute	begin, start
interrogate	question
is able to	can
is authorized	may
is binding upon	binds
is empowered	may
issue	give
it is probable that	probably
it would appear that	apparently
L
locality, location	place
locate	find
M
maintenance	upkeep
majority of	most
make application to	apply
make contact with	see, meet
manner	way
materialize	appear
maximum	most, largest, greatest
minimum	least, smallest
modification	change
modify	change
moreover	how, next
N
necessitate	require
negotiate	make
nevertheless	but, however
no later than June 30	before July 1
O
objective	aim, goal
obligate	bind
obligation	debt
obtain	get
occasion (as a verb)	cause
of a technical nature	technical
on a (daily, weekly) basis	daily, every day
on and after July 1	after June 30
on behalf of	for
on his own application	at his request
on or before June 30	before July 1
on the basis of	by, from, because of
on the part of	by
optimum	best
or, in the alternative	or
P
participate	take part
per annum, per day, per foot	a year, a day, a foot
per centum	percent
period of time	period, time
personnel	people, staff
peruse	read
portion	part
possess	have
preserve	keep
prior	earlier
prior to	before
proceed	go, go head, start
procure	buy, obtain, get
promulgate	make, issue
prosecute its business	carry on its business
provided that	if
provision of law	law
purchase (as a verb)	buy
pursuant to	under
R
regarding	about
reimburse	repay
remainder	rest
remuneration	pay, wages, salary, fee
render	make, give
represents	is
require	need
reside	live
respecting	about
retain	keep
S
said, same, such	the, this, that
sections 20 to 94 inclusive	sections 20-94
solely	only
specified	named
State of Kansas	Kansas
submit	send
subsequent	next
subsequent to	after, later
subsequent(ly)	later
sufficient	enough
sufficient number of	enough
summon	send for, call
T
terminate	end
the manner in which	how
the question as to whether	whether, the question
there is no doubt but that	doubtless, no doubt
this is a (subject) that	this subject
this is a (topic) that	this topic
this is an (instance, case, situation) which	this is (omit)
thus	so
to be sure	of course
to the extent that	if, when
transmit	send
U
under circumstances in which for the reason that due to the fact that in view of the fact that despite the fact that notwithstanding the fact that	although, even though
under the provisions of	under
until such time as	until
utilization	use
utilize, employ	use
V
verbose	wordy
visualize	imagine
voluminous	bulky
W
with a view to	to
with reference to	about, concerning
with regard to	for, about, concerning
with respect to	for, on, about

Redundant Phrases

The following phrases are redundant and should be avoided:

acknowledge and confess
act and deed
aid and abet
aid and comfort
all and every
alter or change
annul and set aside
any and all
approve and accept
assume and agree
authorize and direct
authorize and empower
authorize and require
bind and obligate
by and between
by and under
cease and come to an end
cease and desist
chargeable or accountable
conjecture and surmise
convey, embrace and include
covenant and agree
deem and consider
desire and require
due and owing due and payable
each and all
each and every
entirely and completely
final and conclusive
finish and complete
fit and proper
fit and suitable
for and during
for and in behalf of
for and in consideration of
force and effect
fraud and deceit
free and clear
free and unfettered
from and after
full and complete
full faith and credit
furnish and supply
give and grant
give, devise and bequeath
good and sufficient
goods and chattels
had and received
have and hold
have and obtain
heed and care
hold and keep
if and when
in my stead and place
intents and purposes
in truth and in fact
just and reasonable
keep and maintain
kept and performed
kind and character
kind and nature
known and described as
last will and testament
let or hindrance
lot, tract or parcel
made and entered into
made and provided
maintenance and upkeep
may have access to and examine
means and included
mentioned and referred to
meet and just
mind and memory
modified and changed
null and void
of and concerning
order and direct
ordered, adjudged and decreed
over, above and in addition to
pardon and forgive
part and parcel
peace and quit
perform and discharge
perform and observe
power and authority
quiet and peaceable
ratifying and consenting
relieve and discharge
remise, release and quitclaim
request and demand
rest, residue and remainder
save and except
seized and possessed
shall and will
shun and avoid
shall have and exercise
sort and kind
sole and exclusive
suffer or permit
supersede and displace
then and in that event
true and correct
truth and veracity
type and kind
under and subject to
understood and agree
unless and until
void and of no effect
various and sundry
ways and means
when and as