Grammarly Review

So, I've been writing professionally since the mid-1990s. It all started with this crazy idea to write a book. Then I did it again. Then I began to write lots of online articles. All technical. I always hated English Composition classes in high school. But, the more I wrote, the better I got at it. So good, in fact, that I started to copy edit other people's work. If you're not familiar with copy editing, it is taking someone's completed article and checking it for grammar and spelling issues, checking for consistency and accuracy of the text.

Not everyone can be their own copy editor, let alone for other people. That's where Grammarly comes into play. Grammarly is a website or browser plugin that helps you write better on the web. With the plugin, Grammarly checks as you write up messages in Gmail, Facebook, etc. With the website, you copy and check a whole article at a time. Grammarly will then report on word choices that could benefit from some editing.

Just grabbing a sample from this article shows the errors of my ways when writing. I can choose to correct or ignore the problems.

While you can consistently rely on Grammarly to tell you what's wrong and have it help you fix the problem, a better thing is to learn from your mistakes. If you click on the icon next to some of the problems, a window pops up and tells you why something is wrong. By reading these mini-reports, you try to stop making the same mistakes, and the next article shouldn't have the same problem in it.

At the end of each week, you use the tool, you get a report about your writings where it tells you your top three grammar mistakes. This is yet another way for you to learn and avoid the same problems in the future.

While I've been writing for a long time now, I still use the tool and nearly always find errors in my writing. Sometimes, the wording isn't necessarily wrong but can be expressed in a better way. In the case of a blog, or perhaps a review on Amazon, you want the writing clean, as it is easier for a reader. I know when I'm reading a review on Amazon and the grammar is horrible, I'll typically stop reading it and go onto the next review. It is the same thing with a blog. You don't want articles full of spelling and grammar mistakes. Ditto for Facebook and emails, too. This is a total turnoff for readers.  With Grammarly, you can let it be your proofreader before you send your email or make your post. You'll be amazed at how much more seriously your writing will be taken when spelling and grammar are improved.

It is important to point out that you shouldn't blindly accept all of Grammarly's suggestions. Not all of them are right for the context of your article. The tool should primarily be used to identify areas of your writing which require a second look. After reading more closely, only then should you consider accepting their suggestion. Nobody is perfect with their writing, but Grammarly will help you write better in the long run.