Blog
This is our archive of older items. For more recent items, please visit our blog page.
Dictionaries: an indispensable guide for writing and style
Dictionaries are about so much more than spelling and definitions. They also provide guidance on pronunciation, hyphenation, capitalisation and Australian language usage.
15 February 2024
The basics of plain language
Writing in plain language makes your content accessible to more people. Get started by learning 4 basic elements of plain language.
25 August 2023
Plain language – the choice is clear
There are barriers to implementing plain language; understanding these barriers will help you to explain the benefits.
25 May 2023
Accessibility of quotation marks
Double quotation marks or single quotation marks – is one more accessible than the other?
9 February 2023
This is how we do it
Style Manual content is user-focused, descriptive and evidence-based. We explain what this means and how it shapes the way we work.
8 November 2022
Transitive and intransitive verbs
Knowing about transitivity can help you to write more clearly. A transitive verb should be close to the direct object for a sentence to make sense.
8 August 2022
‘Whole-of-government’, a whole can of worms …
‘Whole-of-government’ is jargon. Take care to use ‘whole-of-government’ only when it makes your content clearer.
4 March 2022
On the level with readability
Readability guidelines make your writing more accessible, but this means more than relying on a readability score.
30 November 2021
Making our content easier to find
We’ve changed the structure of the Style Manual to make it easier to find information
7 September 2021
Infrequently asked questions about FAQ pages
Four problems with FAQ pages in government content – and tips for risk-managing them.
22 June 2021