The key idea
Choose what to explain, simplify or emphasize for each reader while preserving the original meaning.
What is it for?
Learn to present the same information to different readers. Choose the right level of detail, language and structure for each audience.
What you need to know
- Identify what readers already know, need and believe about the subject.
- Choose words and details that suit each reader's knowledge and purpose.
- Explain technical terms accurately when readers may not know them.
- Change the structure when the text type or purpose changes.
- Keep the facts and main message consistent across all versions.
1. Start with the reader
Before rewriting, decide who will read the text and why. Consider three things: their knowledge, their needs and their attitude. A manager may need costs and results. A new employee may need clear steps. A worried customer may need reassurance and honest facts.
- Knowledge: What does the reader already understand?
- Needs: What must the reader know or do?
- Attitude: Is the reader curious, doubtful, busy or worried?
- Purpose: Must the text inform, explain, persuade or guide?
For a technician: The device records ambient humidity.
The reader probably knows the technical term.
For a customer: The device measures moisture in the air.
The second version explains the same fact more clearly.
2. Adjust technical language and detail
Experts often need exact terms and compact explanations. New learners need definitions, examples and clear links between ideas. Do not remove details that change the meaning. Explain difficult words when they matter, and remove details that do not help the reader.
- Keep technical terms when readers need them.
- Define an unfamiliar term at its first important use.
- Replace specialist language with familiar words when possible.
- Use an everyday example to explain a difficult process.
- Keep important limits, risks and numbers accurate.
Technical: The filter reduces particulate matter by 80%.
This version gives a precise technical result.
General: The filter removes most tiny particles from the air, reducing them by 80%.
The explanation keeps the important number.
3. Mediate without distorting
Mediation means making information easier for another reader to use. You may explain, shorten or reorganize the original text. You must not change its facts or make uncertain results sound certain. Simple language should improve understanding, not remove important meaning.
- Find the main claim before changing the wording.
- Keep essential figures, conditions and limits.
- Explain causes and results in a clear order.
- Use examples only when they support the original facts.
- Check that the new version makes no stronger claim.
Original: The test may reduce waiting times during busy periods.
The result is possible, not guaranteed.
Adapted: The test could help people wait less when the service is busy.
The new version keeps the uncertainty.
4. Change the text type when needed
Different readers often need different forms of the same information. A report may present evidence, methods and results. A news item usually leads with the main event. A short guide gives steps in the order readers need them. Change the structure, not the facts.
- Report: organize findings, evidence and recommendations.
- News item: present the main event first, then useful details.
- Guide: arrange actions in a practical order.
- Email: put the purpose and required action near the start.
- Check that the new form serves the reader's main need.
Report: The library's new booking system reduced average waiting time from 18 minutes to 11 minutes.
The report emphasizes measured results.
News item: Library visitors now wait seven minutes less on average after a new booking system was introduced.
The news item leads with the change that affects visitors.
5. Compare versions and preserve the core
A strong adaptation changes the presentation without changing the message. Compare both versions sentence by sentence. Check the facts, tone, detail and order. Remove repeated information, but keep anything readers need to understand the result.
- Underline the facts that both versions must retain.
- Mark words that need explanation or replacement.
- Move information to match the reader's purpose.
- Read the new version without looking at the original.
- Compare both versions again for missing or altered facts.
Before: The trial involved 240 households over six weeks.
This gives the size and length of the trial.
After: Researchers tested the service with 240 households for six weeks.
The wording is more direct, but both key facts remain.
How to do it, step by step
- Identify the reader, the purpose and the original message.
- Mark essential facts, figures, limits and conclusions.
- Choose the right register, detail level and text type.
- Rewrite the text using suitable terms, examples and structure.
- Compare both versions and correct any changes in meaning.
Formulas and key language
| Use it for | Example | Another example |
|---|---|---|
| For readers familiar with [subject], ... | For readers familiar with water treatment, the report presents removal rates. | For readers familiar with budgeting, the note compares monthly costs. |
| In simple terms, [technical idea] means ... | In simple terms, data encryption means protecting information with a code. | In simple terms, a deposit is money paid before a service begins. |
| [Term], which means [plain explanation], ... | A heat sensor, which detects temperature changes, triggers the warning. | A payment deadline, which marks the final day to pay, appears on the bill. |
| The main finding is that ... | The main finding is that shorter forms reduce completion time. | The main finding is that clear labels help customers choose correctly. |
| The results suggest that ..., but they do not prove that ... | The results suggest that reminders help, but they do not prove that every user benefits. | The results suggest that prices affect demand, but they do not prove that price is the only cause. |
| For example, ... | For example, a lower bill may reflect reduced use. | For example, a shorter queue may result from adding another cashier. |
| Unlike [version A], this version ... | Unlike the technical report, this version explains each specialist term. | Unlike the news item, this version lists every step. |
| The wording changes, but [essential fact] remains the same. | The wording changes, but the measured reduction remains the same. | The structure changes, but the deadline remains the same. |
| This version focuses on [reader's need] rather than [other detail]. | This version focuses on the repair steps rather than the test method. | This version focuses on household savings rather than laboratory results. |
UK / US: Some terms differ between British and American English. For example, British English often uses 'postcode', while American English uses 'ZIP code'. Choose the form your readers expect.
Level up: Replace basic words (good, very, nice) with stronger ones. See our A2 to C2 upgrades page.
Model text
One Finding, Two Audiences
Original information
A fictional town tested smart water meters in 240 homes over six weeks. The meters sent readings automatically each day. During the trial, reported water use fell by 12% compared with the previous six weeks. The team warned that seasonal changes may have influenced the result. The trial did not establish whether the meters alone caused the reduction.
This section gives the shared facts and the main limit.
Version A: Technical report
The six-week trial covered 240 households using smart water meters. Daily automated readings supported more frequent monitoring of consumption. Reported water use declined by 12% compared with the previous six-week period. However, seasonal variation may have affected consumption, so the reduction cannot be attributed to the meters alone. Further testing across different seasons would help establish their independent effect.
This version uses precise terms and states the limits clearly. It also suggests a suitable next step.
Version B: Public news item
Homes in a fictional town used 12% less water during a six-week smart-meter trial. The project included 240 households, and each meter sent daily readings automatically. Town officials said the result was encouraging, but they cautioned against drawing firm conclusions. Water use can change with the seasons, so the trial cannot show that the meters caused the entire reduction. Another trial during a different season could provide clearer evidence.
This version leads with the result and explains its meaning. It keeps the same figures and uncertainty.
What changed
Both versions report the same trial, figures and limits. The technical report emphasizes monitoring, interpretation and future testing. The news item puts the result first and explains its limits in familiar language. Neither version claims that the meters caused the full reduction. That shared restraint protects the original meaning.
The final comparison shows how structure and language change while the facts remain stable.
Common mistakes
✗ The trial proved that the meters reduced water use.
✓ The trial found that reported water use fell by 12%.
The original result does not prove that the meters caused the change.
✗ The system uses telemetry to transmit readings.
✓ The system uses telemetry to send readings automatically.
The added explanation helps readers who do not know the technical term.
✗ The treatment removed all the particles.
✓ The treatment removed most of the particles.
Changing 'most' to 'all' makes the claim stronger than the evidence.
✗ The report are for technical staff.
✓ The report is for technical staff.
The subject is singular, so the verb must also be singular.
✗ Visitors can now wait less time, and the system guarantees faster service.
✓ Visitors can now wait less time, and the system may provide faster service.
The revised wording avoids promising a result that is not certain.
Plan it, then check it
Plan
- Name the reader and the reason for reading.
- List the facts that must stay unchanged.
- Choose the right level of detail and text type.
- Decide which terms need definitions or examples.
- Write a first version, then compare it with the original.
Check
- Does the text meet this reader's needs?
- Are technical terms explained when necessary?
- Have I kept every essential fact and limit?
- Does the structure suit the purpose?
- Does the new version avoid stronger or weaker claims?
Practice
Choose the best version
Choose the version that best suits the named reader.
1.A new customer needs to understand automatic payments.
The second version explains the process in familiar words.
2.A group of engineers needs the exact test result.
The first version gives a precise result and its conditions.
3.Readers of a short news item need the main result first.
The third version presents the main result immediately.
4.A beginner needs to understand the term 'insulation'.
The second version explains the term with familiar words.
5.A manager needs a brief summary of a long report.
The third version gives the result, the remaining problem and the next step.
6.A public notice must explain a possible service delay accurately.
The first version is clear and does not promise an unknown finish time.
Match readers with suitable features
Match each reader with the most suitable text feature.
1.Technical specialists
2.First-time users
3.Busy managers
4.General news readers
5.Worried customers
6.New staff members
Explain a technical term
Complete each sentence with a clear explanation of the term.
1.A deposit is money paid before a service begins. It is paid in advance, the final payment.
A deposit is paid before the remaining amount is due.
2.A heat sensor detects changes in temperature. In simple terms, it notices when something becomes warmer or .
Cooler is the opposite of warmer in this context.
3.Data encryption protects information by changing it into a coded form. Without the correct key, the information is difficult to .
Reading the original information is the purpose of the correct key.
4.A deadline is the final time or date for completing something. After it passes, the task may be considered .
Late describes a task completed after its deadline.
5.A water filter removes unwanted material from water. For example, it can trap small particles before the water reaches the .
The tap is the everyday point where people receive the filtered water.
6.A pilot study is a small early test. It helps researchers find problems before they begin a study.
A pilot study helps prepare for a larger investigation.
Improve the wording
Correct the single mistake in each sentence.
1.The device measures ambient humidity, which means the amount of moisture in the air.
Removing the unnecessary specialist word makes the explanation easier for general readers.
2.The new filter removes all tiny particles from the air, but the test only measured a 70% reduction.
Replacing 'all' with 'most' avoids a claim that the test does not support.
3.The system guarantees shorter waiting times, although the trial only suggests a possible reduction.
Replacing 'guarantees' with 'may provide' preserves the uncertainty.
4.The device sends telemetry, which means it sends readings automatically to another location.
The simpler term helps general readers understand the sentence.
5.The report found a reduction of 12%, so water use fell by 20%.
The final figure must match the result reported in the first clause.
Now write
Your task
Rewrite the technical paragraph below for a general reader in 100-140 words. Keep every important fact and limit. Explain technical terms when needed. Use a clear order and familiar words. Do not add facts that the paragraph does not provide. Technical paragraph to adapt: A fictional community centre installed occupancy sensors in four meeting rooms. These sensors detected movement and adjusted the lighting automatically. During a four-week trial, electricity use for room lighting fell by 16% compared with the previous four weeks. The centre recorded no major equipment failures. However, the trial took place during a period when room bookings were lower than usual. The results therefore suggest a possible saving, but they do not establish how much of the reduction came directly from the sensors. The centre plans to repeat the trial during a busier period before deciding whether to install the system throughout the building.
Word bank
occupancy sensordetect movementadjust automaticallylightingelectricity usefour-week trial16% reductionmeeting roomequipment failureroom bookingslower than usualpossible savingdirect causerepeat the trialwider installation
Sentence starters
- A community centre tested ...
- The sensors worked by ...
- During the four-week trial, ...
- The centre reported ...
- The results suggest ...
- Before installing the system everywhere, ...