Prosty język w urzędzie – największe wyzwania. Z czym (nie) radzą sobie twórcy tekstów

The paper aims at pointing out the principles of plain language that are the most and the least effectively implemented in official texts. The author analyses fourteen texts that represent different forms and topics, drafted at the Social Insurance Institution and the National Revenue Administration. The analysis consists in categorizing the texts by specific principles of plain language and evaluating whether a given principle has been applied. Consequently, a collection of about 100 examples has emerged. The article presents selected examples, representing the three pillars of plain language: layout and composition, syntax, and lexis. In the examined examples, most commonly and fully embraced are plain language principles of layout and composition. Yet, the rules regarding syntax and lexis are only partially applied: in these categories the number of simplified and non-simplified examples is similar. This leads to the conclusion that the quality of plain language in official texts is determined by extralinguistic factors. It is not possible to indicate linguistic features that would be implemented in texts much more or less effectively than others.