The Slippery Truth about Grammar Checkers

The Slippery Truth about Grammar Checkers

Reader Comments (7)

  1. My memory of using a grammar checker is kind of vague. I probably have used one in the past and I think it was the “Hemingway app”. After I tried it, I thought I was going crazy with half my content getting marked as grammatically incorrect.

    But I wasn’t one that will take things without finding out more. So I hit the net and saw many people (mostly editors like you) dissing the app. After that event, I never think about them when it’s time to edit new content.

    Thank you for making it even clearer now!

  2. Writing millions of words helped me become a clearer writer Stefanie, and the clearer I became with my own writing style the more I attracted readers who vibed with my style. Poor grammar and all 🙂 If you are ESL, grammar tools provide you with a valued service. Native speakers should practice writing like the dickens. Then as you get clearer on your writing style, either go the grammatically correct route or the informal route. Either way, your clarity allows your audience to find you.

    Ryan

    • My vote would be for informal/conversational and (mostly) grammatically correct. 😉

      If English isn’t your first language, I think grammar tools could be useful … if someone takes the time to reflect on the suggestions and use them as a way to learn the rules — so they don’t make the same mistakes in the future.

      It goes back to taking the time to learn, rather than mindlessly relying on suggestions from software.

  3. I totally agree! I like using grammar checkers just to catch any double spaces, repeat words or unnecessary commas that may have snuck in there. These programs can’t always understand context or best practices for blogging. I end up ignoring a lot of the suggested fixes.

  4. Okay, this is all true of course. But I make a thousand errors typing that Grammarly is fantastic in helping me eliminate. I cannot, for example, write the word “your” without typing “you”.

    I’m not knocking the article but it is a little bit of a straw man arguing that anyone thinking Grammarly and its progeny is the elixir to get to great content.

  5. This is a powerful article on grammar and I have to agree that there’s no substitute for “writing” sophisticated content that reflects a good connection with others.

    Grammar alone can’t fix that.

    Grammar checkers won’t fix it either and focusing on grammar doesn’t deepen or enhance the benefits of truly investing in developing the “craft” of writing as there truly are no shortcuts.

    While I think it goes without saying that grammar checkers and similar tools are purposeful almost as a clean up crew or maybe just part of that clean up team, the real business of writing is in paying attention to development of your own voice, your writing style and connection to those you’re trying to connect with.

    I don’t think that you can focus on one thing.

    A singular focus just kills other aspects of the connection(s) that you’re trying to make.

    Additionally, I couldn’t agree more in the statement that “sophisticated content is priceless”.

    Writing is sophisticated and there are many moving pieces and parts to it in order to get it right. While grammar is just one part of it, there are too many examples of content where you can tell the sophistication, enjoyment and effort isn’t there.

    I feel this is applicable whether you blog casually or professionally or you’re in the business of content generation or marketing, I believe this remains true.

    Nevertheless, I cross my fingers and hope with all good intentions that more writers or those who develop content will come to understand this and put it into practice if they haven’t already.

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