Here's a best practice guide to help you write for Smart. You can use it as a checklist if you'd like, or just as a general guide to give you an idea of what to consider before, during and after you write.
1. Check the style guide
Make sure you're familiar with the principles for writing for Smart, and have read our voice and tone guidelines.
2. Think about who, what and why
Who are you writing this for? What is it that you're writing about? Why are you writing it?
3. Is there a strong case for writing this?
Is there a strong user, business, compliance or legal case for it? If not, is now the best time to publish this content?
4. Gather all the information you need to write your content
Make sure any facts, numbers or stats are completely up to date.
5. Find out what needs to happen once you've written your content
For example, is it going to a Content Designer or a stakeholder for review? Is there a sign-off process you need to put it through? Can it be published straight away?
1. Only write what the user needs to know
Don't be tempted to add extra information to pad your content out or soften a message as this will confuse the reader.
2. Make sure you include the most important information first
Put your main points at the beginning of your content. Put the key information in each paragraph or sentence at the beginning of that paragraph or sentence.
3. Refer to our principles and tone of voice as you write
Make sure you're keeping them in mind as you're writing.
4. Keep checking your work against the grammar and formatting guide and list of standard terms
Make sure you're using words and phrases that are consistent with the rest of Smart's content.
5. If it helps, read what you're writing in your head as you write it
This will help your grammar and punctuation flow well, and should help you avoid complex language.
1. Read your writing back and edit it
If you have time, leave your content for a while or overnight and come back to it with "fresh eyes". When you read it back, you might find errors you missed or language that could be tightened up. Be sure to cut out any unnecessary adjectives and adverbs and complex language. You can use Hemingway Editor – an online editor that highlights language which is difficult to read – to help with this.
2. Compare your content with the style guide
Check there are no big inconsistencies and double check for the big no-no's, like anything from our list of words to avoid, or other bits like passive voice and nominalization.
4. Pass your content to whoever is dealing with the next step
Whether that's further editing, sign off or publishing. If you know no one else will be reviewing your content once it's published, double check it's accurate and correct.
5. Consider giving it to someone else to look at
A fresh pair of eyes and a final common sense check can be invaluable.
6. Assign someone to "own" it
Once the content is published, someone needs to be responsible for the ongoing governance of the content you wrote. This might not always be you.
1. Does it need review points?
The person who "owns" the content needs to check if and when it will be reviewed.
2. Set up reminders
The owner should set up reminders to check on and update the content when the time comes for the review.
3. Confirm the process
Decide whether the updated content needs to go back through sign off.
People read differently online than they do in print. Most of us will read as little as 20% of the words on a web page, so it's important to be clear and concise. Format your content well and to get straight to the point.
If you're not used to writing for the web, take a look at the following resources, or get in touch with one of the Smart content designers.
Write the first instance out in full, with the abbreviation in brackets. Then use the abbreviation for all other instances on the page.
Examples:
Abbreviations, such as Doctor (Dr), or London Drive (London Dr).
Acronyms such as for your information (FYI).
Initialisms, such as Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
This is an accessibility guideline, meeting Success Criterion 3.1.4 Abbreviations, level AAA.
We use active voice most of the time. This is where the agent, or 'doer', comes before the verb. For example:
Sometimes, the passive voice can make your content read more naturally, so there's no need to avoid it every time. It can also be used in error messages caused by user error, as it's less accusatory. For example, "your password was entered incorrectly" is in the passive voice, but it's friendlier and less accusatory than "you entered an incorrect password".
A good rule of thumb to help you identify passive voice is to add the phrase "by monkeys" to the end of your clause ("Your account will be closed... by monkeys"). If it still makes sense, you're probably writing in the passive voice.
We format addresses and label data entry fields as follows
Address line 1
Address line 2
Town
County (optional)
Postcode
We don't use them, unless they're part of a brand name, like Legal & General.
If you're replying to a tricky letter or a complaint, or are dealing with a difficult problem, put yourself in the reader's shoes. Be professional, not emotional.
You may have to give a firm, unwelcome answer, but be as helpful and polite as possible. If you are going to apologise, do so early. If the problem is your fault, say so.
Apologise completely and concisely, sympathetically and sincerely. And whether it is your fault or not, try to emphasise what you can do for the other person.
With content that’s audio-only, like podcasts and voice-only presentations, we need to include a link to the transcript of the recording.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded), level A.
"Back" and not "Previous" or "Go back".
Use to indicate actions/buttons in instructional content. For example, "press Continue".
You can also use bold sparingly to emphasise important information.
Stick to British English – avoid Americanisms.
You can use bullet points to make text easier to read.
There are two ways to format bullet points. Avoid switching between these two ways of formatting within one page or document.
Short list bullets
When you're listing short information, you can use a bulleted list like this. Make sure that:
Full sentence bullets
This in an alternative way of formatting bullets, for when you're listing longer points.
Buttons should be simple and direct "Start now", "Continue" and "Back" are the standard buttons for our transactional user journeys.
More specific button text should be used when you're asking a user to complete a single action. Customise this text to describe the action as accurately as possible. The resulting label should complete the sentence “I want to…” from the user’s perspective.
People find capital letters harder to read. Always use sentence case – even for titles and headings – except when using brand or product names (for example, "Smart Pension", "Legal & General", "MacBook Pro").
Don't use title case in URLs (smartpension.co.uk, not SmartPension.co.uk). The only exception to this is when you're referring to the Smart Pension Master Trust – as this is the official name of the trust.
It's not commonplace to use capital letters in email addresses, and we don't do it.
We avoid writing anything in all caps, as it's not accessible and doesn't fit in with our tone of voice.
Only use to introduce bulleted lists, or to introduce examples which include numbers.
A good rule of thumb is – if you want to use a colon, use a dash instead.
We don't use Oxford commas, also known as serial commas. An Oxford comma is when you use a comma in a list before the word "and".
For example, it should be: "I went to the beach with my dog, Auntie Jill and David". Not "I went to the beach with my dog, Auntie Jill, and David".
You can use a comma before "and" if the context isn't a list, and it will introduce a new clause or break up a long sentence.
A conjunction is a "joining word", that links different parts of a sentence together – such as "and" or "but". And they can be used to start sentences.
Should say "Continue" rather than "Next" or "Proceed".
Use "Continue" where it's not necessary to explain to the user exactly what the button does. For example, if the button submits the information they've entered and takes them to the next step in an application, "Continue" is better than "Submit details and continue".
A contraction is a shortened version of two words, written as one word. Often, they use apostrophes to signify missing letters ("didn't", "can't", "shouldn't")
Use these to make your content informal and friendly, but don't overdo it. Too many contractions can make content hard to read.
Dashes work well when used in place of colons. Use en dashes (–), not em dashes (—). A hyphen doesn't count as a dash – it's a hyphen.
On a Mac, type an en dash by selecting the Option + Minus keys at the same time.
Don't use dashes in lists or tables of numbers or financial information, as they can look like a minus sign.
Don't use these – use "For example," instead.
Use "Edit" and not "Change" or "Amend".
Should be all lower case for readability. For example:
We use two types of error messages – alerts (boxes that pop up out of the form or page) and inline errors (error messages that appear by the incorrectly filled form field).
Alerts
Alerts should lead in with a simple statement of fact, followed by a broad description of the options available on the page. For example, "It looks like your income could run out when you're 78.”
If you want your income to last longer, you could lower your monthly income or move more money into this pot".
Avoid stating whether an alert is positive or negative. In the example above, it would be wrong to say "There's a problem - your money might run out when you're 78. To fix this, (...)" – as it's impossible to know the user's future plans or overall financial situation.
Inline errors
Unlike regular error messages/alerts, inline error messages don't necessarily need to explain what went wrong. Telling the user the solution is often enough to prompt them to correct the error, especially in simple forms. For example, "Please enter your name" is enough to prompt a user to fill in a form field they accidentally missed.
Explaining the error can make the message unnecessarily long and harder to read. For example, "You didn't enter your name. Please enter your name" is overkill for a simple to understand and easy to fix error.
Don't use it. If you find yourself in a situation that calls for the use of something like this use "and more" instead.
Use them sparingly – they may be useful in specific cases (such as celebration moments) when there is less need to be formal!
Use "Quit". Can be more specific, like "Quit transaction".
We have a "no-FAQs" rule. Our existing content and products should be written and structured in a way that the user does not have to ask questions in order to find out what they need to know or complete a task.
If there is no other solution than to use a question as a subheading, write the question in the first person.
Use upper-case when referring to file extensions in body copy. For example, "PDF" and not "pdf".
If a link opens a file, then tell the user by specifying the file extension in brackets after the CTA copy. Use lower-case and a stop before the file extension. For example, "Download statement (.pdf)".
Two words, no hyphen. Use "first name" rather than "forename", etc. Only capitalise if at the beginning of a sentence.
You should follow the VID (Visual Identity) design guidelines on which fonts to use and how to present them.
Use normally in sentences and paragraphs. Don't use them to end headers.
The exception to this is error messages, which should have a full stop at the end of the header. If there are two sentences to the error message, use to end the first sentence.
Where there is a sentence that ends with something in quote marks, the full stop should go "outside the quotation marks like this". It's the other way around for US English.
Don't use full stops:
We never ask a user for their sex or gender unless it is absolutely essential. If we do have to ask for it, we must tell them why we need the information.
The main case for asking for a user's gender is when we have to ask a member for their legally recognised gender. This is because it is a requirement from the government on any RTI (real time information) data that's submitted to do with PAYE. More information can be found here on the government website.
Where we must ask for the member's gender for this reason, we say:
"Select your legally recognised gender. HMRC uses this for tax services."
Or, if the information was already supplied by their employer:
"Your employer told us your legally recognised gender when you joined Smart Pension. HMRC uses this for tax services."
All external emails should start with "Hi [first name]" and end with "The Smart Pension Team" (or whatever team is most appropriate)
All page titles, headings and subheadings should be written in sentence case (not Title Case).
Use a heading that is specific enough to tell the user exactly what the page or form field does. For example, "Reset your password" not “I don’t know my password”.
People reading just the header, subheader, label or page title should know what to expect.
If the page is part of a collection of pages, we should also make that clear from the title.
Where there is only one action a user can take in a section, use the format "[Verb] the [noun]" or "[Verb] your [noun]".
Where a user can take multiple actions on a page, or for section headers and landing page headers, use a noun that covers all of the actions where possible. For example, "Contributions".
For platform content, we do not use questions as subheadings. Where it is completely unavoidable we use the first person for questions.
Text content should be organised with headings, wherever possible, to make it easier to navigate. For example in long form content, information articles and content that can be organised, like a ‘Setting’ menus.
Some bits of content, like long letters, may not be suitable.
We should also use headings in the right way if we have control over them. For example, if there are sub-topics, we should use H3s under the relevant H2 and so on.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterions 2.4.2 Page Titled, level A, 2.4.6 Headings and Labels, level AA, and 2.4.10 Section Headings, level AAA.
Use when creating compound adjectives. For example, "long-term investment".
When you're using content like images, charts, graphs, or thumbnails, these need to have text alternatives.
For simpler content, like images or thumbnails, you must write a short caption that describes what it is. You must also use the alt text feature of the content management system (CMS) you’re using, This should be a descriptive sentence explaining the information conveyed in the image as the alt text. Alt text is what appears on a page if the content does not load. It is also what screen readers read.
For example, your caption could be ‘Andrew Evans and Will Wynne opening the Smart Building office’. Your alt text could be ‘Andrew Evans and Will Wynne surrounded by Smart colleagues on the ground floor celebrating the opening of the new Smart Building office’.
With content that’s more complicated, like graphs or diagrams, it’s not possible to give the same experience with just a short description. There needs to be more information.
There must be both a short description and a long description. The aim is to create the same experience with your text as you get from the content.
The long description should be on the same page, and close to the content it is detailing.
For example, a graph showing Smart’s growth could say “This graph shows Smart’s growth”.
The long description could say ‘This graph shows that since 2019 Smart has grown almost 2,000%, with growth accelerating. In 2019 growth was 200%, 2020 growth was 250% and growth in 2021 was 330%’.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content, level A.
Two words, no hyphen. Use "last name" rather than "surname". Only capitalise if at the beginning of a sentence.
Use the phrase "learn more" rather than "find out more" or anything else. "Learn more" should usually be followed by "about...". For example, "Learn more about tax".
Links should be followed by a full stop if they appear at the end of a full sentence, but the full stop should be outside of the link.
If the link appears in isolation, no full stop is necessary.
Links are used for navigating to a new page or going to an external page or document.
You should use buttons where the action causes a change to a page, for example submitting a form or opening a pop-up or panel on a page.
Use links in body text, but not in titles, summaries or subheadings. Use a full stop after a link if the link ends a sentence. For links that lead a user to a screen where they can start an action, start your link with a verb.
For links that lead to an information page, put the link in context. You can do this by using the title of the destination page. If the page title does not give context, describe where the link goes.
Tell the user if you’re linking to an external website. For example, "Pension Wise has more information on the lifetime allowance”. Generally avoid using generic links like "Click here”. Generic links don’t make sense out of context and don’t tell a user where the link will take them. Remember, one word links can be hard for users with reduced mobility to use.
Links should be followed by a full stop if they appear at the end of a full sentence, but the full stop should be outside of the link.
If the link appears in isolation, no full stop is necessary.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context), level A.
A nominalisation is where you turn a verb (process, technique, emotion) into an abstract noun.
For example:
Like passive verbs, too many of them make writing very dull and heavy-going. Avoid them.
Sentence case – not Participation Agreement.
Avoid the passive voice – it's wordy, difficult to follow, and often alienates us from our reader.
You can easily move most instances into the active voice.
A good rule of thumb to help you identify passive voice is to add the phrase "by monkeys" to the end of your clause ("Your account will be closed... by monkeys"). If it still makes sense, you're probably writing in the passive voice.
Find more details on the passive voice and how to spot and avoid it on the Smart names page.
Always style with upper case P and S, including in the acronym (as above).
We want to make sure we're always being inclusive when talking to or about our users. This means using appropriate pronouns.
When talking to a user always use second-person pronouns. When talking about Smart always use first person pronouns. For example, "We'll send you an email".
When talking about a user, always use they/them pronouns unless you know their pronouns.
Never address anyone by or refer to anyone by she/he pronouns unless you definitely know which ones they use.
Use single quotes when paraphrasing something. Use double quotes in all other instances.
Where there is a sentence that ends with something in quote marks, the full stop should go "outside the quotation marks, like this". For US English, it's the other way round and the full stop should go "inside the quotation marks, like this."
Don't use them. Ever.
You can capitalise the words "team", "practice" or "discipline" if it forms part of a name. For example, Team Awesome, the Design Practice, or the Marketing Team.
You shouldn't capitalise it if it doesn't form part of a name. For example:
We capitalise PEG names as though they are proper nouns. For example, the Savings and Administration PEG. Or the Retirement and Member Payments (RAMP) PEG.
For any online content (on the platforms, in emails, on websites), avoid URLs – link with some descriptive anchor text (Read about the annual allowance on the Pension Wise website, not www.pensionwise.gov.uk). The exception to this is PDFs, where you need to write the URL out.
When you do need to write a URL out, always use www. at the beginning. Don't use title case in URLs (www.smartpension.co.uk, not www.SmartPension.co.uk), as this makes them harder to read.
Whenever we hyperlink text, there must be a description of what the link is or where it goes. The simplest way to do this is to describe the purpose of the link in the hyperlinked text or using the page title. We can also use icons (pdf icon describes the type of document), and alt text.
For example, visit our support site to find out how to sign in on our How do I sign in article.
On the platform, we will use aria tags, due to space limitations.
This is an accessibility guideline, meeting Success Criterion 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only), level AAA.
Unusual words and difficult words, including idioms and jargon, need to have definitions, so users know what they mean. An unusual word is one that’s not used in everyday conversation,
The first time an unusual word or phrase is used we should write an inline definition.
If the word or phrase has multiple meanings in the same page, then we should write an inline definition each time there is a new meaning.
This is an accessibility guideline, meeting Success Criterion 3.1.3 Unusual Words, level AAA.
For video-only content, like silent movies, silent demos and animations, there needs to be a text description that describes what’s happening on screen.
The aim is to create the same experience with your text as you get from the video.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded), level A.
For videos that have dialogue, there needs to be accurate and complete captions. These can be always on (open captions) or hideable (closed captions).
Using YouTube’s automatic captions isn’t enough as the accuracy can’t be guaranteed.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded), level A.
If the video is a live webcast or broadcast, we can use real-time text translation in captions, such as on YouTube.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.4 Captions (Live), level AA.
Videos also need to have a specific audio track that includes audio descriptions. Users must be able to select whether to use this audio track or not. You can do this by having a separate video that includes only the audio description soundtrack.
Live videos do not need audio descriptions.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded), level AA.
We adapt our tone depending on whether the situation is positive, negative, or neutral. Here are some examples:
You've successfully uploaded your PAPDIS file. Take a look below at what's been imported.
You're just a few clicks away from launching your new pension scheme.
You've updated your contribution percentage. Take a look at how much you already have in your pot.
You've finished everything on your checklist. Let's get started with your first upload.
Your PAPDIS upload was successful!
Your email address has been updated. Good job!
You've uploaded your PAPDIS file. Smart's just helped you keep your employees happy.
Your password has been updated securely thanks to Smart's innovative security technology.
Smart products are built with the latest technology and security, so you can set up your pension scheme quickly and securely.
Thanks for your email. We typically respond within 3 working days.
You can change how much you put into your pension each month. To do this, sign into your account and click on 'contributions', then adjust the slider.
We use the best technology for our Keystone platform to make us faster and more secure than anyone else.
Thanks for your email. We typically respond within 3 working days. Please note that in some exceptional circumstances it may take up to 7 days for an initial response, and then a further 5 working days for a full response if consultation is required from elsewhere in the company.
As per your request, please find instructions on how to change your password within this email.
We weren't able to import your PAPDIS file. This is because the 'contribution' column is blank.
We're sorry we sent your employers a postponement letter by mistake. We’ve identified what caused this to happen, and have taken steps to rectify it and ensure that it doesn't happen again.
We've cancelled your invoice payment due to a problem with your account details. Sign into your account to edit your details and we'll retry the payment shortly.
Your account is disabled. Don't worry, it's only temporary.
Error 2394 - Invalid line item 'GQE'.
You've failed to meet the eligibility criteria for enrolment in this pension scheme. To be eligible you must be in reckonable service with gross qualifying earnings of over £XX,XXX per annum.
You've uploaded your PAPDIS file with missing data.
Your payment has failed because you haven't updated your account details.
You've entered your password incorrectly.
Here are some examples of our tone of voice in action:
Field 'Date of Birth' is invalid.
Please enter a valid date of birth.
Whoops! Looks like that date of birth isn't quite right.
Invalid password entered. Try again.
Your password is incorrect. Please try again.
Oh dear! That password doesn't seem to match what we've got here. Let's have another go.
You are now registered with Smart Pension
Your account is activated. Log in to evaluate and alter your current monthly contribution levels. You may also use the navigation tools to review the latest valuation of your pension funds.
Welcome to Smart Pension
Get started by checking on how much you're contributing to your pension. Don't forget to check back often and see how your savings are growing.
Yay! You're all signed up
Come on over to the website now to check how much cash is going into your pot and see how it's doing.
This is to notify you of changes to your company pension scheme.
<Company name> has made some changes to your pension scheme.
Heads up! There's some new stuff happening.
We're contacting you to notify you that your password has been changed. If you did not request this change please contact us.
Your password has been changed. If this wasn't you, let us know.
You've got a shiny new password. If you didn't choose it, drop us a line and tell us.
Employee Engagement is acknowledged as crucial to success in modern companies.
Keeping your employees happy and engaged is key to the success of your company.
No one likes a grumpy employee. To be successful you need to keep all the folks in your company happy.
No results. Please try a different search.
If there's something you think should be included, email us (this could be to a new content guild email address, or possibly to an email that notified the #writesmart slack channel. OR just have this encourage people to talk in the slack channel).
Instead of using the term extremity use the term limit instead
Instead of using the term fabricate use the term make, make up instead
Instead of using the term facilitate use the term help, make possible instead
Instead of using the term factor use the term reason instead
Instead of using the term failure to use the term if you do not instead
Instead of using the term finalise use the term end, finish instead
Instead of using the term following use the term after instead
Instead of using the term for the duration of use the term during, while instead
Instead of using the term for the purpose of use the term to, for instead
Instead of using the term for the reason that use the term because instead
Instead of using the term formulate use the term plan, devise instead
Instead of using the term forthwith use the term now, at once instead
Instead of using the term forward use the term send instead
Instead of using the term frequently use the term often instead
Instead of using the term furnish use the term give instead
Instead of using the term further to use the term after, following instead
Instead of using the term furthermore use the term then, also, and instead
Instead of using the term generate use the term produce, give, make instead
Instead of using the term give consideration to use the term consider, think about instead
Instead of using the term grant use the term give instead
Instead of using the term henceforth use the term from now on, from today instead
Instead of using the term hereby use the term now, by this (or edit out) instead
Instead of using the term herein use the term here (or edit out) instead
Instead of using the term hereinafter use the term after this (or edit out) instead
Instead of using the term hereof use the term of this instead
Instead of using the term hereto use the term to this instead
Instead of using the term heretofore use the term until now, previously instead
Instead of using the term hereunder use the term below instead
Instead of using the term herewith use the term with this (or edit out) instead
Instead of using the term hitherto use the term until now instead
Instead of using the term hold in use the term abeyance wait, postpone instead
Instead of using the term hope and trust use the term hope, trust (but not both) instead
Instead of using the term if and when use the term if, when (but not both) instead
Instead of using the term illustrate use the term show, explain instead
Instead of using the term immediately use the term at once, now instead
Instead of using the term implement use the term carry out, do instead
Instead of using the term imply use the term suggest, hint at instead
Instead of using the term in a number of cases use the term some (or say how many) instead
Instead of using the term in accordance with use the term as under, in line with, because of instead
Instead of using the term in addition (to) use the term and, as well as, also instead
Instead of using the term in advance use the term before instead
Instead of using the term in case of use the term if instead
Instead of using the term in conjunction with use the term and, with instead
Instead of using the term in connection with use the term for, about instead
Instead of using the term in consequence use the term because, as a result instead
Instead of using the term in excess of use the term more than instead
Instead of using the term in lieu of use the term instead of instead
Instead of using the term in order that use the term so that instead
Instead of using the term in receipt of use the term get, have, receive instead
Instead of using the term in relation to use the term about instead
Instead of using the term in respect of use the term about, for instead
Instead of using the term in the absence of use the term without instead
Instead of using the term in the course of use the term while, during instead
Instead of using the term in the event of/that use the term if instead
Instead of using the term in the majority of instances use the term most, mostly instead
Instead of using the term in the near future use the term soon instead
Instead of using the term in the neighbourhood of use the term about, around instead
Instead of using the term in view of the fact that use the term as, because instead
Instead of using the term inappropriate use the term wrong, unsuitable instead
Instead of using the term inception use the term start, beginning instead
Instead of using the term incorporating use the term which includes instead
Instead of using the term incurred use the term have to pay, owe instead
Instead of using the term indicate use the term show, suggest instead
Instead of using the term inform use the term tell instead
Instead of using the term initially use the term at first instead
Instead of using the term initiate use the term begin, start instead
Instead of using the term insert use the term put in instead
Instead of using the term instances use the term cases instead
Instead of using the term intend to use the term will instead
Instead of using the term intimate use the term say, hint instead
Instead of using the term irrespective of use the term despite, even if instead
Instead of using the term is in accordance with use the term agrees with, follows instead
Instead of using the term is of the opinion use the term thinks instead
Instead of using the term issue use the term give, send instead
Instead of using the term it is known that use the term I/we know that instead
Instead of using the term jeopardise use the term risk, threaten instead
Instead of using the term locality use the term place, area instead
Instead of using the term locate use the term find, put instead
Instead of using the term magnitude use the term size instead
Instead of using the term manner use the term way instead
Instead of using the term manufacture use the term make instead
Instead of using the term marginal use the term small, slight instead
Instead of using the term material use the term relevant instead
Instead of using the term materialise use the term happen, occur instead
Instead of using the term may in the future use the term may, might, could instead
Instead of using the term merchandise use the term goods instead
Instead of using the term mislay use the term lose instead
Instead of using the term modification use the term change instead
Instead of using the term moreover use the term and, also, as well instead
Instead of using the term negligible use the term very small instead
Instead of using the term nevertheless use the term but, however, even so instead
Instead of using the term notify use the term tell, let us/you know instead
Instead of using the term notwithstanding use the term even if, despite, still, yet instead
Instead of using the term numerous use the term many (or say how many) instead
Instead of using the term objective use the term aim, goal instead
Instead of using the term obtain use the term get, receive instead
Instead of using the term occasioned by use the term caused by, because of instead
Instead of using the term on behalf of use the term for instead
Instead of using the term on numerous occasions use the term often instead
Instead of using the term on receipt of use the term when we/you get instead
