1. Paul Mundy www.mamud.com Readability

2. Counts  3800 words  113 paragraphs  150 sentences Averages  2 sentences/paragraph  24 words/sentence  5.4 characters/word

3. Readability Passive sentences = 18%  Keep low! Flesch Reading Ease = 24.4  90-100: easy for 11-year-old  60-70: easy for 13-15-year old  0-30: university graduates Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level = 15.6  Need 15.6 years of formal education to understand

4. Readability statistics in Microsoft Word Make sure Grammar Checking is turned on:  Tools > Options > Spelling and Grammar > Check grammar with spelling and Show readability statistics Run Spelling and Grammar check  Tools > Spelling and Grammar…

5. Readability statistics Are helpful, but are a guide only Aim for Flesch-Kincaid score of (say) 10 If you end up with high score, edit the text to:  Cut paragraphs into two  Reduce the length of sentences  Use simpler words Readability stats work in other languages too!

6. Try editing this Drought weakens people’s immune systems because of lack of food, thus exposing them to other illnesses due to HIV and AIDS. HIV in turn worsens the effects of drought because households with one or two persons weakened by HIV and AIDS would not be able to cope with the effects of drought. Moreover, HIV and IADS increases the number of orphans who are not able to engage in any meaningful economic activity. Therefore the weak and dependent persons must be considered when planning ways to lessen the effects of drought. Grade level: 11.2 

7. How about this? If people can’t get enough food during a drought, they get weak and ill. If they already have HIV or AIDS, they may get other illnesses too. HIV also makes the effects of drought worse. If someone in the family has HIV, he or she may not be able to work. The rest of the family will have to work even harder to support their ill relatives. The parents may die because of AIDS, leaving their children as orphans. So it is especially important to take care of them during a drought. Grade level: 5.5