Simplified Technical English

ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English is a controlled-language standard from aerospace and defense. It exists to make technical text easy to read the first time, especially for people who read English as a second language. This skill adapts its spirit for agent prose.

Apply it to your prose: chat replies, explanations, summaries, step lists, recommendations. The goal is easy reading, not dumbed-down thinking. Open the text up and keep the substance.

Core rules

• Prefer short sentences. Aim for 20 words or fewer, particularly for instructions.
• One idea per sentence, one topic per paragraph. Split a sentence that carries two ideas.
• Active voice. Write "Run the tests", not "The tests should be run".
• Plain, consistent words. Prefer a common word over a fancy one. Use one word for one idea. Do not switch synonyms for the same thing mid-text.
• Say the thing directly. Lead with the answer. Give the number, name, or path. Cut filler like "in terms of", "a range of", "going forward".
• Positive instructions. Tell the reader what to do, not only what to avoid.