Do you often think that too many people write in a flowery or inflated way, using a lot of lengthy and unnecessary words? If you do, you are certainly not alone. Plain English is something most of us would prefer to use when we read or write, especially when it concerns important or complex documents. In such situations, it's best to keep things simple! There is little point in padding out your writing with jargon when you are dealing with business documents. The clearer your text is the better. Here is a list of 25 fancy terms that could very easily be replaced by plain English:

"as a means of" - to

"by virtue of" - because of

"in addition to" - besides

"in connection with" - with, about, concerning

"in lieu of" - instead of

"at the present time" - now

"in the absence of" - without

"on the occasion of" - on

"on the part of" - by

"with the exception of" - except for

"concerning the matter of" - concerning

"as a consequence of" - because of

"inasmuch as" - considering that, since

"notwithstanding" - despite

"antecedent to" - before

"in the vicinity of" - near

"at the present time" - now

"with regard to" - concerning, about

"until such a time" - until

"is authorized to" - can

"with the object of" - to, for

"it is probable that" - probably

"adequate number of" - enough

"in the course of" - during

"in receipt of" - have

Some people might argue that using plain English can be patronizing as it implies that the reader is lacking in intelligence. This is very far from the truth. Readers, especially in this fast-paced world, appreciate English that is written clearly and concisely. We are not talking about a text that over-simplifies or omits words; plain English is about using words effectively and precisely to explain even the most complex ideas in a straightforward way. Using unnecessary terms can get in the way, especially in business.

So, the next time you have an important text to write, consider what is more important: being clearly understood or astounding the reader with your vast knowledge of vocabulary or wordy phrases? The choice is yours.

KJ Hutchings is the founder of KJ Language Services, offering editing, writing and proofreading services and advice on how you can make your English language documents the very best they can be. For more information, visit http://www.kjlanguageservices.com/.