For all tasks, keep in mind the ability and education level of the client, the expectations of university instructors and the standards of ST. All submissions need to employ plain language strategies. Do not assume that clients will understand the significance of concepts, ideas, problems, subtle cultural references, or connotative language. Writers must recognize that basic, intermediate, and advanced tasks are distinct as are high school, undergraduate, and graduate level tasks.

Basic level tasks are not simplistic, and many writers find them more difficult to write than advanced tasks.

• Strive for clear, organized, and consistent prose.
• Place the main subject and verb close together in the beginning of sentences and reduce complex clauses, qualifiers, and modifiers.
• Avoid idiomatic expressions, colloquialisms, phrasal verbs, and high-level vocabulary unless these are technical words used in the field.
• Use literal instead of figurative language.
• Write in short and medium-length sentences averaging twenty words, using direct, active language while minimizing passive voice.

Intermediate tasks must also adhere to the elements of plain language writing, although sentences can be longer and more complex. Use higher level vocabulary and more complex sentence structures, yet keep in mind that the prose still needs to be comprehendible and appropriate for non-native English speakers.

Advanced tasks are an opportunity for you to unleash your creative muse.

• High-level vocabulary can be employed as long as it is accurate and natural. Do not try to impress anyone with your linguistic panache.
• Complex sentences using multiple modifiers and a range of clauses are acceptable as long as they are complete and subject-verb agreements are maintained.

High School tasks typically do not require much original analysis.

• Instructions may ask for an opinion on a topic, to summarize a reading, or give short responses to questions from a textbook or study guide.
• It may be acceptable to use reputable websites or popular magazines but do not use online encyclopedias or websites such as Cliff’s Notes or SparkNotes unless otherwise specified by the order requirements.

Undergraduate tasks require more in the way of original analysis.

• Unless the instructions state otherwise, submissions should have a strong thesis. Every paragraph in the submission should support the thesis of the writing and provide evidence to back claims.
• Use books published by academic presses and articles from scholarly journals. If websites are permitted, use only reputable sites with content written by authors with appropriate credentials.

Graduate level tasks are characterized by a high level of original analysis and the use of scholarly sources. Graduate level tasks should not provide a broad overview of a topic or summarize sources without providing original ideas.

• These tasks should contain a substantial number of in-text citations (or footnotes). It is not unusual for a graduate level task to contain four or five in-text citations in one paragraph.
• Use high-quality sources that are appropriate for the graduate/professional level of education, such as scholarly articles and books published by academic presses.

Remember that your main objective is to write in a way that minimizes superfluous language and maximizes comprehension for non-native speakers. For further context you can view these examples.