Example Acrolinx Language Analysis

4/9/2014 Scorecard

http://206.80.38.129:8031/output/en/index_html_Kath_022225e57935afbe_3_report.xml 1/12

Quality 74

Categories

94 1 issue

79 4 issues

100 0 issues

24 48 issues

Voice

81

48

73

Document Information index.html

• Kath Straub

• Wed Apr 09 09:51:47 EDT 2014

• Plain_English

• 1131 words / 173 sentences

• 6.5 words is the average sentence length

• 0 issues found in read-only sections

Administrative Information

Checking Information

Scorecard index.html

SEO

Terminology

Spelling

Grammar

Style

Reuse

Readability

Informality

Liveliness

1

Terminology 1 issue

Deprecated

Admitted

1

4

0

48

Scorecard

SEO

Terminology

Spelling

Grammar

Style

Reuse

Readability

Informality

Liveliness

Term Term Set Suggestion Context

such

(1 occurrence)

Plain_English Look for red flags, such as:

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21Valid

Term Term Set Suggestion Context

You did not choose the option to check for admitted terms.

Term Term Set Context

opportunity(1 occurrence)

Plain_English American consumers should have theopportunity to use credit to build a better futurefor themselves and their loved ones.

opportunities(1 occurrence)

Plain_English Credit discrimination prevents people from havingaccess to these opportunities, and can makecredit more expensive.

Opportunity(3 occurences)

Plain_English The Equal Credit Opportunity Act makes it illegalfor a creditor to discriminate in any aspect of credittransaction based on certain characteristics.

practices(1 occurrence)

Plain_English In addition, the Fair Housing Act makes manydiscrimination practices in home financing illegal.


Plain_English The Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity

communications(1 occurrence)

Plain_English Walking away and continuing the discussion later,if you so choose, is a good way to controlcommunications with the lender.

Information(2 occurences)

Plain_English Additional Information.


Plain_English Additional Information.

information(2 occurences)

Plain_English Below you will find links to additional informationabout your fair lending rights:


Plain_English Below you will find links to additional informationabout your fair lending rights:


Plain_English For more information on credit discrimination,download our brochure.


Plain_English For more information on credit discrimination,download our brochure.

Department(2 occurences)

Plain_English Department of Housing and Urban Development:

Development(1 occurrence)

Plain_English Department of Housing and Urban Development:

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New

Spelling 4 issues

Issue Suggestion Context

fairer(2 occurences)

airer,pairer,Pairer

You can help us protect consumers and create afairer marketplace even if you don’t want to file acomplaint.

fairer(2 occurences)

airer,pairer,Pairer

Help inform how we protect consumers & create afairer marketplace.

nuestro(1 occurrence)

Visite nuestro sitio web en español

sitio(1 occurrence)

Visite nuestro sitio web en español

Order by: Rule | OccurrenceGrammar 0 issues


Plain_English More about the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (yen español).

Department(2 occurences)

Plain_English Department of Justice:


Plain_English Information for:


Plain_English Information for:

calendar(1 occurrence)

Plain_English Leadership calendar

Administrative(1 occurrence)

Plain_English Administrative adjudication

adjudication(1 occurrence)

Plain_English Administrative adjudication

Term Context

You did not choose the option to check for new terms.

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Issue Suggestion

Order by: Rule | OccurrenceStyle 48 issues

Issue Suggestion

complex or long word

What protections do I have against credit

discrimination?

avoid noun cluster

> Consumer Financial Protection Bureau



discrimination?



discrimination?

avoid modal verbs

American consumers should have the opportunity touse credit to build a better future for themselves and

their loved ones.


Credit discrimination prevents people from havingaccess to these opportunities, and can make credit

more expensive.


What is credit discrimination?


The Equal Credit Opportunity Act makes it illegal for

a creditor to discriminate in any aspect of credittransaction based on certain characteristics.


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The Equal Credit Opportunity Act makes it illegal fora creditor to discriminate in any aspect of credittransaction based on certain characteristics.


In addition, the Fair Housing Act makes manydiscrimination practices in home financing illegal.


What is credit discrimination?


How I can protect myself from credit discrimination


Offer you credit on terms that are less favorable, likea higher interest rate, than terms offered to someonewith similar qualifications

simplify word

On the basis of: From: Based on: By:


How can I protect myself from credit discrimination?


Credit discrimination is often hidden or evenunintentional, which makes it hard to spot.


Credit discrimination is often hidden or evenunintentional, which makes it hard to spot.

use bulleted list

You hear the lender make negative commentsabout race, national origin, sex, or other protectedgroups.

avoid complex sentences

You are denied credit, but not given a reason why ortold how to find out why.

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use complementizer

If you believe a lender has discriminated againstyou for any reason, you can file a complaint.

If you believe that a lenderhas discriminated againstyou for any reason, you canfile a complaint.


If you believe a lender has discriminated againstyou for any reason, you can file a complaint.

Sentence too long: 30 words

Learn more about what factors lenders can considerin deciding whether to lend money and deciding whatfeatures to offer, like the interest rate or the term of theloan.


Learn more about what factors lenders can considerin deciding whether to lend money and decidingwhat features to offer, like the interest rate or the termof the loan.

avoid hidden verbs

Creditors will make decisions based on your credithistory.

use complementizer

Be sure there are no mistakes or missing items inyour credit reports.

Be sure that there are nomistakes or missing items inyour credit reports.

use complementizer

Be sure you understand the rates and fees you willpay over the long run.

Be sure that youunderstand the rates andfees you will pay over thelong run.

Sentence too long: 29 words

Ask whether the rates and fees quoted to you by yourlender are set, or if there are any circumstances inwhich the quoted rates and fees could change.


Ask whether the rates and fees quoted to you by

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your lender are set, or if there are any circumstancesin which the quoted rates and fees could change.


Ask whether the rates and fees quoted to you by your

lender are set, or if there are any circumstances inwhich the quoted rates and fees could change.

use "this/that/these/those" with noun

If a creditor does not want to answer your questions,

this could be a bad sign.

avoid modal verbs

Your lender shouldn’t make you feel rushed, orunnecessarily delay action on your application.


Your lender shouldn’t make you feel rushed, or

unnecessarily delay action on your application.

avoid modal verbs

Remember, the product that works for you today maynot work for you down the road.

avoid needless word

To learn more about the Office of Fair Lending and

CFPB’s fair lending efforts, please read our recentreport to Congress or our recent blog posts.


Within the consumer bureau, the Office of Fair

Lending works to ensure fair, equitable, and

nondiscriminatory access to credit for bothindividuals and communities through:

avoid noun cluster

Enforcement and oversight of Federal fair lendinglaws;; and

avoid complex coordination

Promotion of fair lending compliance and educationamong industry, fair lending, civil rights, andconsumer and community advocates.

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use bulleted list

Promotion of fair lending compliance and educationamong industry, fair lending, civil rights, andconsumer and community advocates.

avoid noun cluster

Assistant Director Patrice Alexander Ficklin leadsthe Office of Fair Lending.

avoid noun cluster

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:


For more information on credit discrimination,download our brochure.


Helpful tools to protect yourself from discrimination(y en español).


Housing and Civil Enforcement Section, which alsoenforces antidiscrimination laws.


Protections against credit discrimination

avoid noun cluster

Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Database


Regulatory implementation


Confidentially report any wrongdoing you haveobserved.


Accessibility

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readability

Readable text is easy to read and understand. Readability is important when you want to communicate a

complex technical concept in a simple way.

For example, suppose that you are writing release notes for a new product release. One of the new features

is quite complex. You must explain what the feature can do and help the reader to understand the main

benefits. You do this by writing in a simple style that is easy to read.

Your goal is to ensure that your readability score is appropriate for your content.

If you're not happy with your readability score, use the following guidelines and explanations to improve the

readability of your text:

Guideline Explanation

Use activevoice

When you use active voice it is clearer who performs the action in the

sentence. Compared to the passive voice, the active voice reduces the

ambiguity in a sentence.

Compare the following examples:

The server must be shut down during the module installationprocedure.

Before you install the module, shut down the server.

Use a simplesubject-verb-objectsentencestructure

A simple subject-verb-object structure makes it clear to the reader what

is happening in the sentence. When it is clear which words are the

subject, verb, and object, the sentence is easier to understand.


The server must be shut down by your administrator.

Your administrator must shut down the server.

Shorten youraveragesentencelength

Shorter sentences increase readability and liveliness. Text is more

enjoyable to read when the reader doesn't have to concentrate too

hard to understand it. Shorter sentences are much easier to

understand than longer ones.

Use fewerembeddedsentences

Embedded sentences are fragments of text in a sentence that you

could easily separate out into another sentence.


Check for errors in the logging window that appears after yourestart the server that was terminated unexpectedly.

Restart the server that terminated unexpectedly. In the loggingwindow that appears, check for errors.

Use fewercomplex words

Complex words are generally longer than simple words and are less

familiar to readers. Complex words slow readers down can force a

reader to read the text twice.

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Recurring diagnostic procedures facilitate efficient utilization ofserver resources.

Regular health checks help you to use your server resourcesmore efficiently.

Remove nounclusters

Noun clusters occur when writers use several nouns to modify another

noun. It becomes difficult for the reader to tell which nouns are

functioning as adjectives


Review our network access cost optimization proposal to find outhow you can save costs.

To find out how you can save costs, review our proposal on howto optimize costs for your network access.

informality

An informal writing style sounds a lot like how we speak. It is relaxed and colloquial. You can use an informal

voice to reduce the distance between yourself and your readers. You build more of a personal bond with

your reader.

For example, suppose that you're writing an internal memo that describes a new business strategy to

everyone in the company. You want people to feel that you understand their concerns. That they can

approach you if they have any questions. Your readers are more likely to feel this way when you use an

informal voice rather than a formal one.

On the other hand, a really informal voice might not be appropriate for a quarterly report to external

shareholders.

Your goal is to ensure that your content has the appropriate level of informality for your target audience.

If you're not happy with your informality score, use the following guidelines and explanations to change the

informality of your text:


Use first andsecondpronouns

First and second person pronouns help to give the sense that you are

one person in a private conversation with another person. First person

pronouns like "our" give the feeling of inclusiveness, and help the

reader to feel like they are part of the group.


It is common knowledge in the organization, that manydepartments have been preoccupied with planning the upcomingrelease.

As you all know, preparations and discussions for the upcomingrelease have kept many of us really busy.

If you're communicating on behalf of an organization, you'll want to use

the plural pronoun "we". The "we" gives the idea that you're

representing a group of people who all want to help the reader meet

their goals.


Due to a significant amount of user feedback, the interface hasbeen updated to automatically store the settings from the

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previous session.

We've listened to your feedback. It was loud and clear. So we've

updated our product to give you what you asked for. Now, when

you log in, you get your settings from the last time that you were

logged in.

Usecontractions

Contractions shorten a sentence and make the sentence sound morelike a conversation. In spoken conversation, we usually usecontractions rather than the full form.


If you have a problem with your installation, do not hesitate to

contact us. We are ready for your call.

If you've got a problem with your installation, don't hesitate to

contact us. We're ready for your call.

Use discoursemarkers

Discourse markers are words that let you know that a speaker wants toengage you in a discussion.

When we have a discussion, we say things like "so anyway, we thinkthat..." or "on the other hand, you might want to..." or "The thing is, weshould really...".

These kinds of expressions are discourse markers. Discourse markersengage the reader and make it sound like you're having a privatediscussion with them.


If you look at how the industry is changing, you'll notice a few

interesting trends. People are relying more on community-

created content. But how much of it is high quality?

Now, if you look at how the industry is changing, you'll notice a

few interesting trends. First off, people are relying more on

community-created content. How much of it is high quality

though?

livelinessLively text is exciting and compelling to read. Liveliness is important when you want to convince the readerand inspire confidence.

For example, a promotional brochure about your products should engage the reader and convince them thatyour product can meet their needs. Liveliness might not be as important for other types of text such assystem requirements.

Your goal is to ensure that your content has the appropriate level of liveliness for your target audience.

If you're not happy with your liveliness score, use the following guidelines and explanations to improve theliveliness of your text:


Use incompletesentencesoccasionally

Incomplete sentences create a sense of suspense. Compare thefollowing examples

4/9/2014 Scorecard


When processes work efficiently, customers get results and

employees are more productive - both of which are beneficial for

business.

When your processes work efficiently, everyone benefits.

Customers get results. Employees are more productive.

Vary yoursentencelength

Like incomplete sentences, varied sentence lengths make your textmore exciting to read. When the rhythm of a text is less predicable,readers pay more attention to what you are saying.

Shorten youraveragesentencelength

Shorter sentences increase readability and liveliness. Text is moreenjoyable to read when the reader doesn't have to concentrate toohard to understand it. Shorter sentences are much easier tounderstand than longer ones.

Use an activevoice

When you address the reader directly, the user feels more engaged.


The Business Dashboard supports market-leading applications,

includes technologies that facilitate business growth and can be

deployed on the platform of your choice.

Our systems and applications work with yours. And because the

Dashboard is so reliable, you can count on it to work when

you’re working.

Ask the readerquestionsoccasionally

When you ask the reader questions, they are encouraged to readfurther and search for the answers to the question.

Example Acrolinx Language Analysis

Government & Nonprofit

492014 scorecard

unnecessarily

fair lending

home financing

credit transaction

fair lending

processes

avoid complex