Example: separating two conditions
Consider this fictional shop instruction: 'Following confirmation, order contents may be amended prior to picking. Address changes are processed through customer support.' A useful explanation must preserve both conditions rather than merely replace the longest words.
You can change what's in your order before staff start putting it together. To change the address, contact customer support.
- What you can change: the contents of the order.
- When: before staff start picking the items.
- How to change the address: through support.
- What's still unknown: whether you can add an item, how payment changes and how long support takes.
A simpler explanation keeps the qualifications. Missing information stays a question; it should not become an invented rule.
Get an explanation that fits your question
Plain language needn't be childish. You can ask for an adult tone, retain precise terms and skip analogies that don't help.
- Share the passage or name the term. Include nearby sentences if they affect its meaning.
- Explain your goal: completing a form, learning a concept or discussing a document.
- Choose a format: a short explanation, an example, numbered steps or definitions of the unfamiliar words.
- Point out what's still unclear: 'I understand the idea, but not this condition'.
Explaining, shortening and summarising serve different goals
You can change the format as you go: explore a term first, then try explaining it in your own words. For important decisions, check the original and take unresolved points to the appropriate professional.
| Your goal | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Understand the meaning | Explain the term and show it in an example |
| Remove excess wording | Shorten it while keeping the conditions and important details |
| Find the main points | Summarise the ideas and how they connect |