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Complete Plain Words
'Be short, be simple, be human.'
When Sir Ernest Gowers first wrotePlain Words, it was intended simply as a guide to the proper use of English for the Civil Service. Within a year, however, its humour, charm and authority had made it a bestseller. Since then it has never been out of print.
Six decades on, writer Rebecca Gowers has created a new edition of this now-classic work that both revises and celebrates her great-grandfather's original. Plain Words has been updated to reflect numerous changes in English usage, yet Sir Ernest's distinctive, witty voice is undimmed. And his message remains vital: our writing should be as clear and comprehensible as possible, avoiding superfluous words and clichés - from the jargon of 'commercialese' to the murky euphemisms of politicians.
In a new preface, this edition draws on an extensive private archive, previously hidden away in family cupboards and attics, to tell the story behind a book that has become an institution: the essential guide to making yourself understood.
When Sir Ernest Gowers first wrotePlain Words, it was intended simply as a guide to the proper use of English for the Civil Service. Within a year, however, its humour, charm and authority had made it a bestseller. Since then it has never been out of print.
Six decades on, writer Rebecca Gowers has created a new edition of this now-classic work that both revises and celebrates her great-grandfather's original. Plain Words has been updated to reflect numerous changes in English usage, yet Sir Ernest's distinctive, witty voice is undimmed. And his message remains vital: our writing should be as clear and comprehensible as possible, avoiding superfluous words and clichés - from the jargon of 'commercialese' to the murky euphemisms of politicians.
In a new preface, this edition draws on an extensive private archive, previously hidden away in family cupboards and attics, to tell the story behind a book that has become an institution: the essential guide to making yourself understood.
236 pages, ebook
First published September 1, 1954
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1020 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
March 11, 2013
Dear Everybody Who Plans To Be A Non-Fiction Writer,
You should read this book. It's a bit dated and very British, so you'll have to use your own judgement in deciding which of his rules to follow to the letter, but the principles are still sound after all these years. It's about clarity in communications. Whether you're writing marketing copy, blogs, user manuals, or restaurant reviews, your aim is still the same - to convey information succinctly and unambiguously.
I was made to read this book in school over 30 years ago, and it's probably the single most influential thing I've ever read. I've been a professional non-fiction writer since 1988, and I'm sure that the reason I've succeeded is because I learned in my teens how to structure written information effectively and express myself clearly. That doesn't mean being a stickler for grammar or correct usage - far from it. It means thinking about who's going to read what you write, and whether they'll understand it. It means opting for simplicity over showing off your linguistic skills - the "plain words" of the title.
Seriously, read it. It'll make you a better writer.
Regards,
Matt
You should read this book. It's a bit dated and very British, so you'll have to use your own judgement in deciding which of his rules to follow to the letter, but the principles are still sound after all these years. It's about clarity in communications. Whether you're writing marketing copy, blogs, user manuals, or restaurant reviews, your aim is still the same - to convey information succinctly and unambiguously.
I was made to read this book in school over 30 years ago, and it's probably the single most influential thing I've ever read. I've been a professional non-fiction writer since 1988, and I'm sure that the reason I've succeeded is because I learned in my teens how to structure written information effectively and express myself clearly. That doesn't mean being a stickler for grammar or correct usage - far from it. It means thinking about who's going to read what you write, and whether they'll understand it. It means opting for simplicity over showing off your linguistic skills - the "plain words" of the title.
Seriously, read it. It'll make you a better writer.
Regards,
Matt
April 18, 2014
Originally written as a guide to civil servants writing reports and encouraging them to do it in plain English, Plain Words has been completely updated and remains an absolute must for anyone trying to find their way through the minefield of the English language. Although Gowers’ primary mission is to discourage the use of impenetrable jargon, he’s also immensely helpful on punctuation, grammar and usage. A classic – and a godsend for writers of every kind.
May 19, 2011
The Complete Plain Words is one of some half-dozen books on my shelves which I dip into in the vain hope of improving my prose style. Gowers was a civil servant and it is to fellow civil servants that his book is primarily addressed. His enemy is officialise and, to a lesser extent, commercialese. He notes that the language is subject to perpetual change, and his own English, and many of the objects of his wrath are already old-fashioned.
His message is that writing should be performed to convey ideas from one's own mind to that of another. To this end, the writer should choose the right words and arrange them with clarity and simplicity. Writing should be short, simple and human.
This is of course easy to say, but not quite so easy to do. I believe it was Johnny Mercer, the songwriter, whose mother complained “Why can’t you write simple songs like that George Gershwin?” And so it is with prose. Simplicity is not at all simple.
The problem with this particular book is that it is organized to be read from beginning to end. It is not set out like a reference book. Other such volumes – Fowler’s Modern English Usage is a good example - have the form of a dictionary or encyclopaedia, so you can open them at random or look up an article on a particular topic and then put it down again. It is difficult to treat this book in this manner, so it finally becomes tedious.
Gowers is an elegant and witty writer. He explains things well; his examples are well-chosen; he is often funny. All the same, by the time I was half way through the book, I could have thrown it on the fire. Indeed, I have not bothered to finish it. I am happy to have the book on my shelf, but I shall approach it in future via the index.
His message is that writing should be performed to convey ideas from one's own mind to that of another. To this end, the writer should choose the right words and arrange them with clarity and simplicity. Writing should be short, simple and human.
This is of course easy to say, but not quite so easy to do. I believe it was Johnny Mercer, the songwriter, whose mother complained “Why can’t you write simple songs like that George Gershwin?” And so it is with prose. Simplicity is not at all simple.
The problem with this particular book is that it is organized to be read from beginning to end. It is not set out like a reference book. Other such volumes – Fowler’s Modern English Usage is a good example - have the form of a dictionary or encyclopaedia, so you can open them at random or look up an article on a particular topic and then put it down again. It is difficult to treat this book in this manner, so it finally becomes tedious.
Gowers is an elegant and witty writer. He explains things well; his examples are well-chosen; he is often funny. All the same, by the time I was half way through the book, I could have thrown it on the fire. Indeed, I have not bothered to finish it. I am happy to have the book on my shelf, but I shall approach it in future via the index.
February 24, 2020
'Mark Twain, in 1890, after advising the young author to write short sentences as a rule, added:
"At times he may indulge himself with a long one, but he will make sure that there are no folds in it, no vaguenesses, no parenthetical interruptions of its view as a whole; when he is done with it, it won't be a sea-serpent, with half its arches under the water, it will be a torchlight procession."
If you can write long sentences that you are satisfied really merit that description, by all means surprise and delight your readers with one occasionally. But the shorter ones are safer' (page 254).
"At times he may indulge himself with a long one, but he will make sure that there are no folds in it, no vaguenesses, no parenthetical interruptions of its view as a whole; when he is done with it, it won't be a sea-serpent, with half its arches under the water, it will be a torchlight procession."
If you can write long sentences that you are satisfied really merit that description, by all means surprise and delight your readers with one occasionally. But the shorter ones are safer' (page 254).
May 4, 2021
Begins interestingly, but slips into overly obtuse and finicky jargon (in the sense the book defines it) near the end.
The updates and revisions are also quite haphazardly interposed, which results in a relatively disorienting read
The updates and revisions are also quite haphazardly interposed, which results in a relatively disorienting read
April 8, 2020
This book is a classic guide to writing English clearly, by Ernest Gowers, a leading civil servant of his day (the original edition was published in 1948). It has been well revised and updated by his granddaughter, Rebecca Gowers.
It was aimed at civil servants, but for the most part its analysis and advice is useful to anyone interested in clear writing, be they reader, writer or neither. Gowers was not an academic linguist, but a deeply engaged practitioner of official writing and on this evidence a very well read and most thoughtful, lucid and practical man.
He practises what he preaches: he shows with great clarity what the questions are, what problems they can give rise to and why he recommends his preferred solution (where he has one, which is not in every case).
He has a lot of ground to cover, and he covers it concisely: the only boring sentences in his book are some of his examples of bad writing, and once he has made his presentation and argument, he moves on to the next point.
He is reasonable rather than dogmatic. He doesn't shy away from judgement as to what is good and what isn't, but where he sees that some point is unimportant, or irremediably arbitrary, or impossible to decide, he is happy to say so. He strikes a judicious and informed balance between the demands of logic and the facts of how things just happen to be.
He does not try to play the comedian, as some writers in the field do, as if embarrassed to be writing on a subject they fear readers may consider dry (stand up, please, Benjamin Dreyer); yet he is sometimes drily funny in passing.
Still less does he make his theme into an ideological hobby-horse (hello, David Shariatmadari). Instead, he keeps his focus on the task at hand: helping officials to write clear English for the benefit of readers who are the subjects of rights, obligations, restrictions and authorisations, which is to say everyone.
He makes you notice what your own faults are (one of mine is over-use of parentheses), which is obviously necessary if you're to have any hope of curing them.
Keep this book on your desk and refer to it as needed, which is likely to be often; but take it to the beach with you too.
A quick word on the update: it's pretty good. Language changes: Rebecca Gowers has removed some outdated material and introduced a small amount of supplementary new material, in the form of comments on Ernest's subjects rather than of independent new sections. There is an interesting preface, which tells us a bit about Gowers' interesting and impressive life as well as about the subject and history of the book.
It was aimed at civil servants, but for the most part its analysis and advice is useful to anyone interested in clear writing, be they reader, writer or neither. Gowers was not an academic linguist, but a deeply engaged practitioner of official writing and on this evidence a very well read and most thoughtful, lucid and practical man.
He practises what he preaches: he shows with great clarity what the questions are, what problems they can give rise to and why he recommends his preferred solution (where he has one, which is not in every case).
He has a lot of ground to cover, and he covers it concisely: the only boring sentences in his book are some of his examples of bad writing, and once he has made his presentation and argument, he moves on to the next point.
He is reasonable rather than dogmatic. He doesn't shy away from judgement as to what is good and what isn't, but where he sees that some point is unimportant, or irremediably arbitrary, or impossible to decide, he is happy to say so. He strikes a judicious and informed balance between the demands of logic and the facts of how things just happen to be.
He does not try to play the comedian, as some writers in the field do, as if embarrassed to be writing on a subject they fear readers may consider dry (stand up, please, Benjamin Dreyer); yet he is sometimes drily funny in passing.
Still less does he make his theme into an ideological hobby-horse (hello, David Shariatmadari). Instead, he keeps his focus on the task at hand: helping officials to write clear English for the benefit of readers who are the subjects of rights, obligations, restrictions and authorisations, which is to say everyone.
He makes you notice what your own faults are (one of mine is over-use of parentheses), which is obviously necessary if you're to have any hope of curing them.
Keep this book on your desk and refer to it as needed, which is likely to be often; but take it to the beach with you too.
A quick word on the update: it's pretty good. Language changes: Rebecca Gowers has removed some outdated material and introduced a small amount of supplementary new material, in the form of comments on Ernest's subjects rather than of independent new sections. There is an interesting preface, which tells us a bit about Gowers' interesting and impressive life as well as about the subject and history of the book.
August 6, 2020
One of the most interesting books I have ever read because it discusses the linguistic fallacies and structural semantics of the English words. The writer examines the precise usage of vocabularies in various structures and expressions in the last five chapters. The first three chapters discusses the linguistic issues on the English words and phrases.
Moreover, the author examines some of the most confusing words and expressions in English language with reference to dialects and jargons.
Frankly, the book worth being read more than once despite the fact that it need a reader with razor-sharp mind.
I loved every moment I spent reading this book.
Moreover, the author examines some of the most confusing words and expressions in English language with reference to dialects and jargons.
Frankly, the book worth being read more than once despite the fact that it need a reader with razor-sharp mind.
I loved every moment I spent reading this book.
March 21, 2019
A good guide to plain English, primarily useful for an extended elucidation of the underlying principles but also as a historical overview of actual usage in the 1970s. There is a lot of specific advice about the use of particular words or phrases, and some of this advice remains useful but much of it is now out of date. The focus is very much on the use of English in government institutions, which may also limit the interest of this title for some readers.
August 18, 2014
Wonderful. Wish I had my own copy. Refreshing reminders on how to write!
October 4, 2014
Really good stuff! Would highly recommend that everyone reads this book at some point in time.
November 25, 2014
Human, quite simple, quite short. Indispensable.
January 1, 2024
This really caught my eye as a guide to writing for the civil service.
Now is this a perfect guide to writing? No. Does it even avoid all the mistakes that it points out? No. And is it a little dated, despite being revised? Yes. Yet I found it thoroughly interesting, helpful and thought provoking, as well as a unique take on a writing guide which is why I'm giving it 5 stars. I don't think such guides should be blindly followed but I do think this will make me think abouit my writing more and it had good advice and interesting examples.
Maybe some would not like the approach of listing many words/phrases and discussing their use and misuse but I actually liked it.
Some of the examples of convoluted writing were hilarious but also relatable. I felt like I was in an episode of Yes Minister.
I understand that Gowers' work is a product of its time so some of the advice has a focus that would not be seen in modern day guides. I think nowadays guides would be very focused on inclusiveness, accessibility and culture and the correct image or acceptable terms that may be used for certain groups. Guides would also have to consider that work is published on websites, as enewsletters, on social media and people send emails and these have different standards and requirements to the letters and paper reports that Gowers would have been thinking about.
However the general advice to write plainly still stands and thinking about the subtleties behind certain words and how they have evolved over time has been very valuable to me.
Now is this a perfect guide to writing? No. Does it even avoid all the mistakes that it points out? No. And is it a little dated, despite being revised? Yes. Yet I found it thoroughly interesting, helpful and thought provoking, as well as a unique take on a writing guide which is why I'm giving it 5 stars. I don't think such guides should be blindly followed but I do think this will make me think abouit my writing more and it had good advice and interesting examples.
Maybe some would not like the approach of listing many words/phrases and discussing their use and misuse but I actually liked it.
Some of the examples of convoluted writing were hilarious but also relatable. I felt like I was in an episode of Yes Minister.
I understand that Gowers' work is a product of its time so some of the advice has a focus that would not be seen in modern day guides. I think nowadays guides would be very focused on inclusiveness, accessibility and culture and the correct image or acceptable terms that may be used for certain groups. Guides would also have to consider that work is published on websites, as enewsletters, on social media and people send emails and these have different standards and requirements to the letters and paper reports that Gowers would have been thinking about.
However the general advice to write plainly still stands and thinking about the subtleties behind certain words and how they have evolved over time has been very valuable to me.
January 16, 2025
Reading this is a slog, but it’s worth doing. The central premise is teaching the reader to convey their message as clearly as possible. Whilst some of the meanings and grammar cited in the book have moved on (as Gowers tells us language does) many of the bad habits identified are just as relevant now in modern email ‘etiquette’.
But funnily enough, the real value of this book to me is connected to a technology problem Gowers could never have imagined.
This book’s focus on clear messaging and instructions without embellishment or meandering structures have dramatically improved my use of generative AI and ability to craft good prompts. The Complete Plain Words has helped me consider what the reader is taking from my words, not just what I’m trying to share.
But funnily enough, the real value of this book to me is connected to a technology problem Gowers could never have imagined.
This book’s focus on clear messaging and instructions without embellishment or meandering structures have dramatically improved my use of generative AI and ability to craft good prompts. The Complete Plain Words has helped me consider what the reader is taking from my words, not just what I’m trying to share.
October 1, 2020
Highly recommend this book for all times. An absolute saver for any kind of writing in English. It gives solid advice on, as the title suggests, expressing oneself with 'plain words', which nowadays it's probably even harder to find, as every writer seems to use a lot more descriptive and nuisance words and phrases than necessary to explain certain topics. Gowers offers suggestions for precision, and in a way I think, suggests to us that we probably should declutter our thoughts, and what we want to say before putting them down as sentences.
September 21, 2017
A bit dry and hard going, but that's to be expected in a book like this, where you have to think about every sentence the author writes. This book provides an excellent guide to common errors English writers often make, especially government officials. It made me think about my own writing and how I could simplify and improve it. Unlike some books on written English it follows common sense and doesn't get caught up by pedantic rules, relying mostly on common usage to determine what is correct.
September 24, 2021
Plain Words is less readable, cover to cover, than other books on writing, but it's an excellent reference book. I see myself dipping into it for specific advice. The preface offered the most entertainment, along with this ambiguous sentence that made me laugh:
If the baby does not thrive on raw milk, boil it.
June 3, 2025
An awesome book with heaps of character! Sir Ernest Gowers takes what is essentially the most boring possible subject matter and somehow makes it engaging. While the book is dated, I strongly believe it's still worth the read especially if you're a writer, in any sense.
I feel like the book could be summarized with K.I.S.S.
Keep it simple stupid. But Gowler says it in a much more elegant way.
I feel like the book could be summarized with K.I.S.S.
Keep it simple stupid. But Gowler says it in a much more elegant way.
December 18, 2021
Fully love this book! It goes into the details of how to write clearly and concisely, with suggestions and examples. I have learnt that my writing has much to improve on and this book has helped me develop a mindset of assessing whether my writing is delivering my thoughts through clearly.
September 13, 2018
Good overall advice in the essays, but the pile of comments on individual words are better structured in usage dictionaries like Modern English Usage.
June 29, 2019
Definitive guide to use of English for 'officials' written immediately post war, adapted and edited by Rebecca Gowers. Excellent advice for clear English, and sympathetically edited.
July 5, 2023
A riveting call to clean up my speech and writing.
December 3, 2025
Old-school guide on the use of the English language. The occasional droll humour, especially in the examples given, reminds me of 'Yes Minister''s Sir Humphrey.
October 3, 2011
The theme of "The Complete Plain Words" is "English is already capable of precisely communicating your message without the need of added jargon or atrocious grammar."
Yes, I giggled when I read "I have no doubt that if anyone should read this book in fifty years' time he would find current objections to the use of certain words in certain senses as curious as we now find Swift's denunciation of mob" (chapter 4). The advice given is still good, if stilted. And, frankly, the examples of poor grammar, poor writing, or unneeded words are still hilarious more than fifty years after the book's publication.
I read the book after reading Dijkstra's critiques of the proposals to the DOD's Ironman programming language contest ( http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/transcr... ). Both Dijkstra and Gowers considered poor writing a symptom of muddled thinking, and I now agree with them. Some of the rules from "The Complete Plain Words" will be hard for me to apply, but I expect the reward to be worth the effort.
Yes, I giggled when I read "I have no doubt that if anyone should read this book in fifty years' time he would find current objections to the use of certain words in certain senses as curious as we now find Swift's denunciation of mob" (chapter 4). The advice given is still good, if stilted. And, frankly, the examples of poor grammar, poor writing, or unneeded words are still hilarious more than fifty years after the book's publication.
I read the book after reading Dijkstra's critiques of the proposals to the DOD's Ironman programming language contest ( http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/transcr... ). Both Dijkstra and Gowers considered poor writing a symptom of muddled thinking, and I now agree with them. Some of the rules from "The Complete Plain Words" will be hard for me to apply, but I expect the reward to be worth the effort.
October 4, 2014
First, nothing beats Strunk and White's Elements of Style.
This book is also dated: some of the unforgivable sins mentioned against the English language have now become regular, everyday English. As a guide to everyday English use, this book is a bit excessive; as a historic work, however, it is enlightening and witty.
The book has also taught me that mob is a contraction of the Latin mobile vulgus; it has taught me that dependant is a word; and it has taught me that autarchy pertains to absolute sovereignty against autarky, which is self-sufficiency.
Also, the proper way of using dilemma is only in the presence of two undesirable alternatives, and not with three or more (on the horns of a dilemma is the longer idiom). The book offers a lot more insight on the use (not usage) of words, and is also a great read.
It's just not as good as Elements of Style. :)
This book is also dated: some of the unforgivable sins mentioned against the English language have now become regular, everyday English. As a guide to everyday English use, this book is a bit excessive; as a historic work, however, it is enlightening and witty.
The book has also taught me that mob is a contraction of the Latin mobile vulgus; it has taught me that dependant is a word; and it has taught me that autarchy pertains to absolute sovereignty against autarky, which is self-sufficiency.
Also, the proper way of using dilemma is only in the presence of two undesirable alternatives, and not with three or more (on the horns of a dilemma is the longer idiom). The book offers a lot more insight on the use (not usage) of words, and is also a great read.
It's just not as good as Elements of Style. :)
June 7, 2013
Gowers’ Plain Words is a fascinating book, full of good (although sometimes dated) advice, and a great pleasure to dip into - both for its sensible, and never pedantic, advice, and for the glimpses it gives of another time and another language.
The book is, it seems to me, an important document of its era: the period or reconstruction and democratisation of the UK after World War II, when civil servants at all levels were building a new vision of society (a vision which is now under threat), and a new language of plain and open communication was called for. Gowers was a senior civil servant under the Attlee government, and though he has no political agenda as such, his book is a kind of adaptation of the principles behind Orwell’s ‘Politics and the English Language’ into practical textbook format, for everyday use. It is an impressive and lucid document.
The book is, it seems to me, an important document of its era: the period or reconstruction and democratisation of the UK after World War II, when civil servants at all levels were building a new vision of society (a vision which is now under threat), and a new language of plain and open communication was called for. Gowers was a senior civil servant under the Attlee government, and though he has no political agenda as such, his book is a kind of adaptation of the principles behind Orwell’s ‘Politics and the English Language’ into practical textbook format, for everyday use. It is an impressive and lucid document.
December 12, 2012
It's probably fair to say that we now spend more time writing than ever before, in e-mails, text messages, Powerpoint presentations, Facebook updates, tweets and so on. Good grammar should therefore be seen as a calling card for young people trying to make their way in the professional world.
Sir Ernest Gowers’ book, The Complete Plain Words, remains a superb guide to clear communication nearly 60 years after it was first published. The aim of writing, he said, should be to affect your readers in the way you wish them to be affected.
Sir Ernest Gowers’ book, The Complete Plain Words, remains a superb guide to clear communication nearly 60 years after it was first published. The aim of writing, he said, should be to affect your readers in the way you wish them to be affected.
January 5, 2014
On my reading list as an undergraduate, it has proved to be a valuable guide over the years; in fact, it should be read by the new generation. Albeit a bit dated, one of the beauties of language is its fluidity, to change and adapt and English is a great exemplar of this, however Gower’s premise that the art is to communicate with ease still holds true and that English is sufficiently rich and versatile enough to do it with clarity. Must read for anybody who has to produce written communication for a living.
June 22, 2015
Egetabu eke nabo kerabe ekegotu, korende inkebwate obosemia obuya. Omoriki agotosemia igoro y'enchera emenwa egoonchoka kera engaki. Omoriki oyio naende agotoegereri igoro y'echinchera toranyare koigwana ase ogotarika togotumia amang'ana amange.
Orocherere oromo korwa egetabu "Kera ring'ana ndigwenerete ase rire, rigana rinde rionsi indiyo riragwenere abwo, kera ring'ana indibwate oborito bwaye, riinde indiyo rirarusigwe aroro"
Orocherere oromo korwa egetabu "Kera ring'ana ndigwenerete ase rire, rigana rinde rionsi indiyo riragwenere abwo, kera ring'ana indibwate oborito bwaye, riinde indiyo rirarusigwe aroro"
Read
May 25, 2011Found this in the second-hand section of the local Barnes & Noble (is it common for Barnes & Noble stores to sell second-hand books? I haven't seen that before. My research has not been exhaustive.). Also found a limited, letterpress edition of a play about Fort Ross performed by the Bohemian Club at the Bohemian Grove. Funny.
August 22, 2010
"The writer who wants to present his ideas clearly and with force by eschewing jargon and sticking to plain words should first read Gowers."
— Jacques Barzun and Henry F. Graff, The Modern Researcher
— Jacques Barzun and Henry F. Graff, The Modern Researcher
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