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Agent skill

Simple English

by ropensci in ropensci/ckanr

Write or rewrite text in plain, layman-readable English in the spirit of ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English: short sentences, active voice, simple tenses, one word one meaning, condition before…

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Simple English

skills CLI
$ npx skills add ropensci/ckanr --skill simple-english -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install ropensci/ckanr simple-english --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/ropensci/ckanr.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/simple-english .claude/skills/simple-english && 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
simple-english
GitHub stars
104
Used in
3 other repos
Token cost
~2k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,065 words
Files
5 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
2
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Write or rewrite text in plain, layman-readable English in the spirit of ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English: short sentences, active voice, simple tenses, one word one meaning, condition before…

  • Works in 12 steps: Classify each passage. Procedural text… → Never touch code, identifiers, commands,… → Condition before command, with a comma.… → …
  • Incident reports
  • SKILL.md covers The Document, The Reply, Self-Check Before You Deliver and Modes, plus 2 more sections
  • Calls make

What it does

Simple English is an agent skill from ropensci/ckanr. Write or rewrite text in plain, layman-readable English in the spirit of ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English: short sentences, active voice, simple tenses, one word one meaning, condition before command, every technical term defined at first use, no AI slop. Default mode is Plain. Strict mode applies full STE vocabulary compliance when the user names STE, ASD-STE100, or compliance. Use for documentation, READMEs, runbooks, procedures, error messages, release notes, incident reports, API guides, and…

Its SKILL.md is about 2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 5 other files, including reference files (for example `references/rule-catalog.md`, `references/strict-vocabulary.md` and `references/use-cases.md`). Compatibility notes: claude-code cursor codex gemini-cli opencode

It sits in Development, covering Plain language and style rules, Technical documentation and Runbooks and postmortems. The repository describes itself as: R client for the CKAN API. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Incident reports
  • Explanations for readers outside the field
  • The user says STE
  • Simplified Technical English

Example prompts

  • “Simplified Technical English”
  • “ASD-STE100”
  • “plain English”
  • “/simple-english”

Requirements

  • Compatibility (from SKILL.md): claude-code cursor codex gemini-cli opencode

Workflow steps

12 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Classify each passage. Procedural text tells the reader what to do: imperative mood, 20 words per sentence, one instruction per sentence…
  2. Never touch code, identifiers, commands, flags, file paths, quoted errors, product names, or facts. When the source gives no number or…
  3. Condition before command, with a comma. "If the build fails, read the log."
  4. Simple tenses, active voice. No present perfect ("has completed" → "completed"). No "-ing" verb after a comma (", making it easy" → new…
  5. Modals: can, will, must. Never should, would, may, might, could. A required "should" becomes "must". An optional one is deleted.
  6. Complete grammar. No contractions, keep articles, keep "that". Short sentences, not telegraph style.
  7. No semicolons and no em-dashes. Write two sentences, or name the relation.
  8. One word, one meaning, for the whole document. Use make sure that for check, verify, confirm, validate, ensure. Use configuration for…
  9. State what the reader needs before you name the action. Define a concept term at its first use, under ten words, one per sentence. Do not…
  10. State the fact, not its importance. Delete words that carry no fact: simply, seamlessly, robust, powerful, comprehensive, leverage…
  11. Format for the eye, not for decoration. No bold lead-ins, no bold as emphasis, no emoji, no heading over two sentences. A vertical list is…
  12. Warnings: command or condition first, then the risk. "Do not run this against production. The command deletes rows."

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 8941780. 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

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • make

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

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    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.

  • Compatibility

    claude-code cursor codex gemini-cli opencode

    From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

Context cost

Simple English loads about 2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~7.3k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 220 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,065 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~220
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~7.3k

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 ropensci/ckanr at commit 8941780, republished under its MIT licence (© ropensci). 1,065 words, ~1,968 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/simple-english/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 4 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
simple-english
description
Write or rewrite text in plain, layman-readable English in the spirit of ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English: short sentences, active voice, simple tenses, one word one meaning, condition before command, every technical term defined at first use, no AI slop. Default mode is Plain. Strict mode applies full STE vocabulary compliance when the user names STE, ASD-STE100, or compliance. Use for documentation, READMEs, runbooks, procedures, error messages, release notes, incident reports, API guides, and explanations for readers outside the field. Also use when the user says "STE", "Simplified Technical English", "ASD-STE100", "plain English", "layman's terms", "explain it simply", "no jargon", "de-slop", "make this readable", "write for non-native readers", or asks for docs that translate well. The same rules govern the reply: answer first, prose only.
compatibility
claude-code cursor codex gemini-cli opencode
license
MIT
metadata.version
2.1.0
metadata.standard
ASD-STE100 Issue 9 (2025-01-15)

Simple English

Write plain English that a smart reader outside your field understands on one read. The rules come from ASD-STE100, the controlled language aerospace uses so a tired mechanic cannot misread an instruction. Two registers exist: the document you write or rewrite, and the reply you type in chat. Each has its own short rule set below. Nothing else in this file is optional.

The Document

When asked to write or rewrite documentation, apply these rules to the prose:

  1. Classify each passage. Procedural text tells the reader what to do: imperative mood, 20 words per sentence, one instruction per sentence. Descriptive text explains: simple tenses, 25 words per sentence, one topic per paragraph, six sentences per paragraph at most.
  2. Never touch code, identifiers, commands, flags, file paths, quoted errors, product names, or facts. When the source gives no number or cause, keep the general statement.
  3. Condition before command, with a comma. "If the build fails, read the log."
  4. Simple tenses, active voice. No present perfect ("has completed" → "completed"). No "-ing" verb after a comma (", making it easy" → new sentence). Name the actor: "You run the migration."
  5. Modals: can, will, must. Never should, would, may, might, could. A required "should" becomes "must". An optional one is deleted.
  6. Complete grammar. No contractions, keep articles, keep "that". Short sentences, not telegraph style.
  7. No semicolons and no em-dashes. Write two sentences, or name the relation.
  8. One word, one meaning, for the whole document. Use make sure that for check, verify, confirm, validate, ensure. Use configuration for config, settings, options. Break noun chains over three words with a preposition ("the timeout value for the connection pool").
  9. State what the reader needs before you name the action. Define a concept term at its first use, under ten words, one per sentence. Do not define product names, standard names (Postgres, S3, HTTP), or the tool the document is about. The same rule covers a fact, not just a word: name the host, the flag, or the prior step that a command depends on, instead of assuming the reader already has it. "Restart the service" becomes "Restart the sync service on the host that runs the job."
  10. State the fact, not its importance. Delete words that carry no fact: simply, seamlessly, robust, powerful, comprehensive, leverage, crucial, "in order to", "it is worth noting". No "not just X, it is Y". No decorative triplets. No "in conclusion".
  11. Format for the eye, not for decoration. No bold lead-ins, no bold as emphasis, no emoji, no heading over two sentences. A vertical list is for three or more parallel items or steps: colon on the lead-in, uppercase start, one instruction per item.
  12. Warnings: command or condition first, then the risk. "Do not run this against production. The command deletes rows."

Use American spelling. references/word-swaps.md maps the overused words to plain ones. For an error message, a runbook, an incident report, release notes, a commit message, or UI copy, read references/use-cases.md first: it names the mode and the pattern for each.

Before (real AI output):

Connection timeouts. If sqlpipe hangs or fails with dial tcp: i/o timeout, check that the host running sqlpipe can reach the Postgres port (usually 5432) — this is often a security group or firewall rule blocking the connection. If you're connecting to a managed database (RDS, Cloud SQL, etc.), confirm the instance allows connections from sqlpipe's IP.

After (procedural, headed, numbered):

Connection timeouts

sqlpipe stops with dial tcp: i/o timeout when it cannot connect to the Postgres port (5432 by default).

  1. Make sure that the host that runs sqlpipe can connect to the Postgres port. A firewall or security group usually blocks it.
  2. If the database is managed (RDS, Cloud SQL), make sure that the instance accepts connections from the IP of sqlpipe.
Show full SKILL.md (425 more words)Show less

The Reply

Every chat reply, in every mode, follows these rules. Read them last, apply them first:

  1. Answer in prose. No headers, no bullet lists, no bold, no tables. A code block is legal when the reader must copy it.
  2. The first sentence gives the answer or the result. Do not restate the question.
  3. No em-dashes. Name the relation ("because", "but", "for example") or write two sentences.
  4. Define a concept term in a few words the first time you use it: "idempotent (safe to run twice)". Do not define product names.
  5. No contractions. No openers ("Certainly", "Great question") and no closers ("I hope this helps", "Let me know").
  6. Do not shorten quoted error text, security warnings, or confirmations before a destructive action.

Before: The failure stems from control-plane leader election during pod churn — nothing to worry about! After: The pods restarted and the queue lost its leader for a short time. It recovered without help. You do not have to do anything.

Self-Check Before You Deliver

  1. Reply: search for —, **, #, and a line that starts with -. Remove each one.
  2. Document: count the words in your three longest sentences. Over 20 or 25, split. Search for ', has been, should, may, ;, —, , making, **, check, verify, config, and any heading that covers fewer than three sentences. Fix each hit. Read each step: does it name a host, a flag, or a prior step the reader must already have? If not, add it or point to it.

Modes

Plain is the default and is all of the above. Strict applies when the user names STE, ASD-STE100, or compliance: read references/strict-vocabulary.md before you draft the document, and say once that no tool guarantees compliance. The reply stays Plain in every mode.

When asked to CHECK text instead of writing it, first open references/rule-catalog.md. Then report each violation as: rule number quoted from that file, the offending text, a compliant rewrite. Never cite a rule number from memory. When the user asked for compliance, end with one sentence: no tool can guarantee ASD-STE100 compliance, and the standard is a free download at asd-ste100.org.

Limits

These rules are for facts and instructions, not marketing copy or brand writing: they delete persuasion by design. Say so, and offer them for the docs instead.

References

  • references/rule-catalog.md — the 53 rules of Issue 9 with software examples, for CHECK mode
  • references/strict-vocabulary.md — the dictionary discipline for Strict mode
  • references/word-swaps.md — slop-to-plain word map
  • references/use-cases.md — mode and pattern for error messages, runbooks, incident reports, release notes, commits, agent prompts, UI copy, translation prep

© ropensci, 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 (references) in .agents/skills/simple-english of ropensci/ckanr.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/rule-catalog.md
  • references/strict-vocabulary.md
  • references/use-cases.md
  • references/word-swaps.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 8941780

Used in 3 other repositories

We found 4 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 3 other GitHub owners. This page covers the copy in ropensci/ckanr, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Simple English 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.

Simple English compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Simple English this skillropensci/ckanr1043 repos~2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Simple Englishmoeru-ai/airi50k2 repos~4.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Simple Englishdanielvm-git/bigpowers260—~932Automated safety check: PassMIT
Human Writingkylesnowschwartz/SimpleClaude114—~3.6kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Writing Guidelinesrohitg00/pro-workflow2.9k—~593Automated safety check: PassNone
Create Docavibebuilder/claude-prime120—~812Automated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Simple English

What does Simple English do?

Write or rewrite text in plain, layman-readable English in the spirit of ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English: short sentences, active voice, simple tenses, one word one meaning, condition before…. Simple English is an agent skill from ropensci/ckanr. Write or rewrite text in plain, layman-readable English in the spirit of ASD-STE100 Simplified Technical English: short sentences, active voice, simple tenses, one word one meaning, condition before command, every technical term defined at first use, no AI slop.

When should I use Simple English?

Simple English fits situations like: incident reports; explanations for readers outside the field; the user says STE; simplified Technical English.

How do I install Simple English in Claude Code?

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

How do I install Simple English in Codex?

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

Can I use Simple English 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 ropensci/ckanr --skill simple-english -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/simple-english, .gemini/skills/simple-english, .github/skills/simple-english and .opencode/skills/simple-english in your project.

What does Simple English need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Simple English needs the command-line tools its instructions call (make). Compatibility (from SKILL.md): claude-code cursor codex gemini-cli opencode.

Does Simple English access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Simple English 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 Simple English use?

Simple English 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 Simple English use?

About 2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 5.4k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Simple English?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Simple English: Simple English (moeru-ai/airi, 50k stars), Simple English (danielvm-git/bigpowers, 260 stars), Human Writing (kylesnowschwartz/SimpleClaude, 114 stars) and Writing Guidelines (rohitg00/pro-workflow, 2.9k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Simple English?

ropensci (a GitHub organization) maintains it in ropensci/ckanr, which has 104 GitHub stars. The repository holds 2 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 10, 2026.

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