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will New Zealand's plain language law finally make bureaucrats talk like normal people?

  • Written by Andreea S. Calude, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, University of Waikato
will New Zealand's plain language law finally make bureaucrats talk like normal people?GettyImages

Which sentence is easier to understand? “He was conveyed to his place of residence in an intoxicated condition.” Or, “He was carried home drunk.” Most people choose the latter, for obvious reasons.

This century-old example is a useful illustration of how “plain language” can be used to communicate...

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