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Agent skill

Plain English Content

by OpenHands in OpenHands/extensions

This skill should be used when the user asks to "write in plain English", "make this easier to read", "rewrite guidance", "improve report clarity", or produce accessible public-facing prose.

MITAuto-check passedWriting & Content

Install Plain English Content

skills CLI
$ npx skills add OpenHands/extensions --skill plain-english-content -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install OpenHands/extensions plain-english-content --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/OpenHands/extensions.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/plain-english-content .claude/skills/plain-english-content && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
plain-english-content
GitHub stars
158
Token cost
~1.5k tokens
SKILL.md length
887 words
Files
5
Skills in repo
78
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

This skill should be used when the user asks to "write in plain English", "make this easier to read", "rewrite guidance", "improve report clarity", or produce accessible public-facing prose.

  • Asks to write in plain English
  • SKILL.md covers Content design principles, Plain English, Formatting and Before finishing: self-check, plus 2 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
  • Make this easier to read

What it does

Plain English Content is an agent skill from OpenHands/extensions. This skill should be used when the user asks to "write in plain English", "make this easier to read", "rewrite guidance", "improve report clarity", or produce accessible public-facing prose. It applies plain English content design principles: active voice, front-loaded content, sentence case, and no bold or italics for emphasis.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 5 other files (for example `.plugin/plugin.json` and `README.md`).

It sits in Writing & Content, covering Plain language and style rules. The repository describes itself as: Public registry for OpenHands extensions. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Asks to write in plain English
  • Make this easier to read
  • Rewrite guidance
  • Improve report clarity

Example prompts

  • “write in plain English”
  • “make this easier to read”
  • “rewrite guidance”
  • “/plain-english-content”

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit d008b81. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • gist.github.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Plain English Content loads about 1.5k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 88 tokens; SKILL.md has 887 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~88
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.5k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from OpenHands/extensions at commit d008b81, republished under its MIT licence (© OpenHands). 887 words, ~1,505 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/plain-english-content/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 4 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
plain-english-content
description
This skill should be used when the user asks to "write in plain English", "make this easier to read", "rewrite guidance", "improve report clarity", or produce accessible public-facing prose. It applies plain English content design principles: active voice, front-loaded content, sentence case, and no bold or italics for emphasis.
license
MIT
triggers
plain English

Open content up so anyone can understand it the first time they read it, without losing substance, nuance or precision. Aim to open up, not dumb down. Apply the GOV.UK style guide approach: plain English, user needs first, active voice, front-loaded structure and accessible formatting.

Use this skill for reports, research write-ups, guidance, documentation, summaries, and public-facing prose where clarity and accessibility matter. When writing a report, default to this style. When briefing a research agent, pass this skill so the report follows the same style.

Content design principles

  • Start from the user need. Write what the reader needs to know to do or decide something, not what the writer wants to say.
  • Front-load everything. Put the most important point first in the document, each section, each paragraph and each sentence. Use the inverted pyramid: conclusion first, then detail, then background.
  • Keep one idea per sentence and one topic per paragraph. Split sentences that contain more than one idea.
  • Be specific and concrete. Give the number, name and date. Cut vague abstractions like "a range of", "going forward" and "in terms of".
  • Cut everything that does not add meaning. Shorter is clearer. Remove duplication.

Plain English

  • Open content up, do not dumb it down. Keep the substance, nuance and precision. Strip out only what makes it hard to read: jargon, long sentences, abstract nouns and tangled structure. Make the content clear enough for a non-specialist and precise enough for an expert.
  • Use the active voice. Say who does what. Write "We reviewed the data", not "The data was reviewed".
  • Keep sentences short: about 15 to 20 words, and rarely more than 25. Keep paragraphs short.
  • Use everyday words. Replace jargon and formal wording with plain alternatives:
    • use, not utilise or leverage
    • help, not facilitate or empower
    • work with, not collaborate, liaise or engage with
    • make or provide, not deliver
    • about, not in relation to or with regard to
    • so, not in order to
    • start, not commence
    • end, not terminate
    • buy, not purchase
    • enough, not sufficient
    • solve, fix or deal with, not tackle or combat
    • effect on, not impact on
  • Do not use impact as a verb.
  • Avoid metaphors and cliches: drive, unlock, deep dive, robust, key, ring-fence, hub, portal, landscape, ecosystem and going forward.
  • Address the reader as "you". Write about the organisation as "we". Use "they", "them" and "their" rather than gendered pronouns. Write "disabled people", not "the disabled".
  • Use contractions for a warmer tone when appropriate, such as "we'll" and "you'll". Avoid negative contractions: write "cannot", not "can't". Avoid "should've", "could've" and "would've".
Show full SKILL.md (462 more words)Show less

Formatting

  • Do not use bold or italics for emphasis. Plain words and good structure carry the meaning. Use bold only for a literal interface element in an instruction, for example: select Save. Use single quotation marks for the titles of schemes or documents, not italics.
  • Use sentence case everywhere: headings, titles and table headers. Capitalise only proper nouns.
  • Front-load headings, keep them under about 65 characters, and make them unique and descriptive. Do not use a full stop, dash, slash or question mark in headings. Use headings to help readers skim.
  • Introduce bullet lists with a lead-in line that ends in a colon. Start each bullet lowercase. Keep each bullet to one idea. Do not put "and" or "or" after each bullet. Do not use semicolons. Do not use a full stop after the last bullet unless the bullet is a full sentence.
  • Use a numbered list only for steps readers must follow in order. Write steps as full sentences that end with a full stop. Do not use a lead-in colon.
  • Use descriptive link text that says where the link goes and front-loads the key words. Never write "click here" or "read more". Make link text understandable out of context.
  • Do not use Latin abbreviations. Write "for example" not "eg", "that is" not "ie", and "and so on" or "such as" not "etc". Latin abbreviations confuse some readers and screen readers.
  • Write "and", not "&", except in a registered name or logo.
  • Write "one", but use numerals from 2 upwards. Use the % symbol with numerals, such as 50%. Use £ with no decimals unless there are pence: £75, £75.50. Spell out millions and billions, such as £5 million. Write ranges with "to", not a hyphen: 10 to 20, Monday to Friday.
  • Write dates as "4 June 2026" with no comma or ordinal suffix. Use "to" for ranges, such as "4 to 8 June". Write times as "10am to 11.30am". Use "midday" and "midnight".
  • Do not use FAQs when the content can meet the user need directly. Do not use exclamation marks. Do not use all caps for emphasis.

Before finishing: self-check

  • Is the single most important thing first?
  • Could a non-expert understand every sentence on first read?
  • Is every sentence active, short and focused on one idea?
  • Have all bold or italic emphasis, jargon, Latin abbreviations and marketing language been removed?
  • Is everything in sentence case, with descriptive headings and links?
  • Can any more words be cut without losing meaning? If yes, cut them.

Scope note

The no-bold and formatting rules apply to produced prose, such as reports, guidance and summaries. Keep the conventions of code, data tables and direct quotations. Markdown headings and lists are acceptable because they provide structure, not emphasis.

Source

Imported and adapted from the public gist at https://gist.github.com/fofr/505e225f9bf5e839d30c12ba6bfa0be2.

© OpenHands, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 4 other files in skills/plain-english-content of OpenHands/extensions.

  • SKILL.md
  • .claude-plugin
  • .codex-plugin
  • .plugin/plugin.json
  • README.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit d008b81

Compare with similar skills

Plain English Content next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Plain English Content compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Plain English Content this skillOpenHands/extensions158—~1.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Asd Ste100danyuchn/asd-ste100-skill4k—~4.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Simple Issue Descriptionevery-app/open-seo23k1 repos~1.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Ponytail AuditDietrichGebert/ponytail158k—~1.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Technical Writing Standardcursor/plugins10k10 repos~2.4kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Natural Japanese Business Writingcoji/natural-japanese1.9k—~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Plain English Content

What does Plain English Content do?

This skill should be used when the user asks to "write in plain English", "make this easier to read", "rewrite guidance", "improve report clarity", or produce accessible public-facing prose. Plain English Content is an agent skill from OpenHands/extensions. This skill should be used when the user asks to "write in plain English", "make this easier to read", "rewrite guidance", "improve report clarity", or produce accessible public-facing prose.

When should I use Plain English Content?

Plain English Content fits situations like: asks to write in plain English; make this easier to read; rewrite guidance; improve report clarity.

How do I install Plain English Content in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add OpenHands/extensions --skill plain-english-content -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/plain-english-content in OpenHands/extensions) into .claude/skills/plain-english-content in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Plain English Content in Codex?

Run `npx skills add OpenHands/extensions --skill plain-english-content -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/plain-english-content in OpenHands/extensions) into .agents/skills/plain-english-content in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Plain English Content in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add OpenHands/extensions --skill plain-english-content -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/plain-english-content, .gemini/skills/plain-english-content, .github/skills/plain-english-content and .opencode/skills/plain-english-content in your project.

What does Plain English Content need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Plain English Content is instructions for the agent only.

Does Plain English Content access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. As links in the text: gist.github.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Plain English Content safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Plain English Content use?

Plain English Content is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Plain English Content use?

About 1.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Plain English Content?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Plain English Content: Asd Ste100 (danyuchn/asd-ste100-skill, 4k stars), Simple Issue Description (every-app/open-seo, 23k stars), Ponytail Audit (DietrichGebert/ponytail, 158k stars) and Technical Writing Standard (cursor/plugins, 10k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Plain English Content?

OpenHands (a GitHub organization) maintains it in OpenHands/extensions, which has 158 GitHub stars. The repository holds 78 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: OpenHands/extensions on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.