Fog Index References

FOG INDEX How High is Your Fog Index? 1. Find the average number of words you use per sentence. Take a fair sample of 5 to 8 sentences. Count clearly independent clauses as separate sentences. Example: "By and by I ran; I jumped; I hid." This counts as three sentences. 2. Calculate the percentage of words that are three syllables or more. Don't count proper names. Don't count verbs that make three syllables or adding -es or -ed. 3. Add these two figures. Example: if your average number of words per sentence was was 15, and the percentage of words three syllables or more was 12%, you would add 15 and 12 to get 27. 4. Multiply that sum by 0.4. The resulting number is your Fog Index, a rough measure of how many years of schooling it would take to understand what you have written. In our example, multiplying 27 by 0.4 equals a Fog Index of 10.8. The Bible, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and TV Guide all have Fog Indexes of about 6. Time, Newsweek, and the Wall St. Journal average about 11. If you find your Index soaring into the teens (or higher!) --- beware --- you've lost most of your audience in the dense fog. Copyright 1983. Hawkhill Associates, Inc. 125 E. Gilman St., Madison, WI 53703. http://tech-head.com/fog.htm

Fog Index The Fog Index is a proven method of analyzing written material to see how easy it is to read and understand. The steps you can use to calculate the Fog Index are outlined below. The numbers in the right column are based on this paragraph. When using these steps to analyze your writing, choose a sample that contains at least one hundred words. The "ideal" Fog Index level is 7 or 8. A level above 12 indicates the writing sample is too hard for most people to read. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Count the number of words in the sample Count the number of sentences Count the number of big words (3 or more syllables) Calculate the average sentence length. Divide the number of sentences into the number of words Calculate the percentage of big words. Divide the number of words into the number of big words Add the avg sentence length to the % of big words Multiply the result by .4 Fog Index

88 6 6 88/6 = 14 6/88 = 7% 7 + 14 = 21 21 x .4 = 8.4

Fog Index - Policy Sample This policy addresses access to and data residing in computerized administrative systems (hereafter referred to as the systems and the data) supported by Administrative Information Services (AIS). This includes but is not limited to Financial and Student systems. It does not include institutional reporting databases (i.e., FRDB, RRDB, SDRDB, etc.), departmental systems, hard-copy files, or systems or databases maintained by any unit other than AIS. It does not supersede applicable statutes that guarantee either the protection or accessibility of data. The intent of this policy is to (a) maximize the strategic value of the systems and the data by promoting its effective use in management decisions, daily operations, and analyses being conducted by faculty, staff, and students, (b) provide clear assignment of responsibility for protection against unauthorized use, and (c) promote security measures for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the systems and the data. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Count the number of words in the sample Count the number of sentences Count the number of big words (3 or more syllables) Calculate the average sentence length. Divide the number of sentences into the number of words Calculate the percentage of big words. Divide the number of words into the number of big words Add the avg sentence length to the % of big words Multiply the result by .4 Fog Index

148 13 33 148/13 = 11 33/148=22% 11 + 22 = 33 33 x .4 = 13.2

Fog Index - Other Tools Under the TOOLS Menu, Microsoft Word contains a word counter, grammar checker and thesaurus you can use to help simplify your writing style. The grammar checker doesn't use the Fog Index. It uses three Flesch tools to analyze style: 1. Flesch Reading Ease (100 = easiest, 70-80 = average) 2. Flesch Grade Level (Assigns a grade level reader must have to understand your writing, 6 = average) 3. Flesch Kincaid (Another formula for determining reader grade level) The grammar checker will also report the percentage of sentences written in the passive voice. Acceptable percentages are zero, nothing, zip, nada or nil. The grammar checker will also find typos that spell checkers miss, like transpositions, capitalization errors and double words. You can use the Thesaurus to find simpler words or use it when you find yourself using the same words over and over and over and over. The grammar checker reported the following for the policy sample on the previous page: % passive - 14% Flesch Reading Ease - 26.8 Flesch Grade Level - 17 Flesch Kincaid - 14.9

Fog Index Worksheet Use Microsoft Word - Tools - Word Count for items 1 and 2 below. 1. Count the number of words in the sample 2. Count the number of sentences 3. Count the number of big words (3 or more syllables) (automatically calculated) (automatically 5. Calculate the percentage of big words. Divide the number of words into the number of big words calculated) (automatically 6. Add the avg sentence length to the % of big words calculated) (automatically 7. Multiply the result by .4 calculated) (automatically Fog Index calculated) 4. Calculate the average sentence length. Divide the number of sentences into the number of words

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Keep It Simple Don't use long words when short substitutes will do. Don't Use---Use accomplish---do attempt---try utilize---use construct---build deficiency---lack equitable---fair infrequent---rare occurrence---event terminate---end requisite---required Don't use words with extra or "padded" syllables. Don't Use---Use administrate---administer discontentment---discontent experimentalize---experiment irregardless---regardless orientated---oriented preventative---preventive

Use compact substitutes for wordy phrases. Don't Use---Use on the order of magnitude of---about in the nature of---like in view of the fact that---since give encouragement to---encourage make an adjustment in---adjust is equipped with---has avail yourself---use a majority of---most take into consideration---consider Large number of---many Avoid tautology - the use of words that duplicate the meaning of a word or words already used. Don't Use---Use basic principles---principles hollow tube---tube mutual cooperation---cooperation personal opinion---opinion exactly equal---equal consensus of opinion---consensus past history---history ask the question---ask still continues---continues http://www.fpd.finop.umn.edu/groups/ppd/documents/information/writing_tips.cfm