Some people think that using long words makes you sound more authoritative. In fact the opposite is true, as a recent study demonstrated. Being able to express yourself clearly and succinctly will always be more impressive than padding your writing with fancy-sounding words. Here’s an example of how to make a straightforward story needlessly complicated and boring by using jargon. (If you didn’t grow up with the source tale, this might help.)

George Orwell’s classic essay puts the importance of clear writing in a political context, as well as giving some basic rules for good writing.

Here is a more detailed list of common problems with formal writing.