EU Clear English Tips for Translators

✨ FREE eBook: EU Clear English Tips for Translators by Nicolae Sfetcu 📘

Make your English crystal clear—just like the EU wants it!

Are you a translator, content writer, editor, or EU professional navigating the complexities of multilingual communication? This free, expert-backed guide is your shortcut to mastering Clear English in EU contexts.

🔍 What’s Inside?

This guide is an independent adaptation of the European Commission’s official tips on Clear English—specifically tailored for translators. Whether you’re a non-native speaker or a native writer looking for reminders, this book helps you:

✅ Write simply, concisely, and concretely
✅ Avoid awkward calques and false friends
✅ Cut through archaic legalese and EU jargon
✅ Improve flow by reducing passive voice and convoluted phrasing
✅ Replace clunky expressions with clean, modern English
✅ Use grammar and syntax that works naturally in English

“English prefers to be simple, concise and concrete.”
— EU Clear English Tips for Translators

📚 Perfect For:

• EU document translators
• Legal and administrative writers
• Multilingual professionals and language students
• Anyone working with international English

🎯 Key Topics Covered:

• Use of simple words over complex jargon
• Replacing abstract nouns with dynamic verbs
• Avoiding unnecessary verbiage and overused passive voice
• Understanding English syntax for clarity
• Tips on grammar, gender neutrality, and common translation pitfalls
• The do’s and don’ts of EU-style English

📥 Get Your Free Copy Now!

🔗 Download the eBook (PDF, EPUB, MOBI) https://www.telework.ro/en/e-books/eu-clear-english-tips-translators/
No sign-up required. Instant download. Totally free.

👤 About the Author

Nicolae Sfetcu is a multilingual publishing expert, physicist engineer, and a seasoned contributor to European language policy and digital content. He brings his expertise in translation, telework, and publishing to this clear and actionable resource.

🔗 Learn more about Nicolae https://www.telework.ro/en/nicolae-sfetcu-en/

📣 Share This Resource

If you work in translation or know someone who does, share this guide and help make official English clearer across Europe!
🔗 #ClearEnglish #EUtranslation #FreeEbook

 

Here are some tips to help translators avoid copying structure and wording from other languages that would be awkward in English.

They should be useful to non-native speakers, but may serve as handy reminders for native speakers too.

CONTENTS:

English prefers to be simple, concise and concrete.
– Use simple words where appropriate.
– – This means avoiding archaic legalese.
– Leave out unnecessary words
– – This includes unnecessary initial phrases.
– Prefer a verb to an abstract noun
– – This includes lists.
– – Particularly avoid chains of abstract nouns.
– Prefer a gerund to an abstract noun
– Prefer participles to relative clauses
– – And eliminate participles entirely if appropriate.
– Use the passive voice sparingly
– – Inanimate subjects with animate verbs are fine.
– – The passive is appropriate in these sentences:
– Consider replacing negatives with positives
– Consider short forms and pronouns to avoid repeating full names …
– – … and instead of foreign or ad hoc abbreviations.
– Express conditions, including hidden ones, with ‘if’ …
– – … entitlement with ‘may’…
– – … and exceptions with ‘unless’ or ‘however’ (or ‘subject to’).
– In general, cut out extra verbiage.
English prefers straightforward syntax
– Keep the subject close to the beginning of the sentence
– Avoid splitting up subjects, modals, verbs and direct objects
– If a sentence is too long, pull information out into separate sentences.
– – But don’t change sentence boundaries in legislation.
– Use topic-introducing phrases sparingly.
English may use different number, articles, gender or words from other languages
– Keep uncountable nouns in the singular.
– Use ‘a’ rather than ‘the’ for members of a class.
– – If appropriate, use the singular for members of a class to avoid confusion.
– – Use ‘the’ rather than ‘this’ to refer back to a document.
– Do not use gender pronouns for entities.
– Consider alternatives to ‘of’.
– Finally, avoid ‘false friends’ in translation.
Sources
About the author
– Nicolae Sfetcu
– – Contact
Publishing House
– MultiMedia Publishing