Grammarly, the Best Grammar Checker
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How long has it been since you have taken a course in grammar? How secure do you feel in your grammar skills? Have they gotten a little rusty over the years, or maybe you have always been a little rusty, never quite catching on to all those silly little rules? I have always thought my grammar skills were okay, and that I could write a concise statement that made sense to most people. In addition, I found that by reading my work out loud, I was able to detect many errors before others had the pleasure of pointing them out to me, or even worse, to each other.
Now that I am actively pursuing a career in writing, and since it has been over 30 years since I have taken any kind of English coursework, I wanted to know that what I was writing was up to par with what the experts expected. I wanted to be competitive with writers who had a lot more writing experience than I did.
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I Decided to Check Out the Grammar Checker
A fellow hubber, davenmidtown, mentioned that he used a grammar checker, Grammarly. I decided to check it out. When you go to their website, they make some pretty hefty claims, stating that they are the “world’s most accurate grammar checker”. That’s saying a whole lot considering that the world is a pretty large place.
On their home page, they describe themselves as being “an automated proofreader and personal grammar coach”. They also state that they can examine many different aspects of my writing, including not just grammar, but punctuation and contextual spelling as well. Some of the other key product benefits stated were that it would immediately proofread and correct over 150 types of errors! It is also able to check for plagiarism. The evaluation and feedback given is almost instantaneous considering the details that are addressed.
Free 7 Day Trial
I decided to give it a try, and signed up for their free seven day trial. After the trial is over you can continue with the service for between $8 -$20 per month depending on the subscription level you want: monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Grammarly can be used as an online grammar checker or as a plug-in to be used with Microsoft® Word directly on your computer.
Using Grammarly is as easy as typing the text directly into their text box, or cutting and pasting it from Microsoft® Word or HubPages into their text box. It then checks your work and makes suggestions for improvement.
It also makes suggestions for words to improve vocabulary usage. I like this one. It spices up my writing because I’m not using the same words all the time. Sometimes the words that were suggested better illustrate what I was actually trying to say anyway.
When you are ready for it to check your document, you are able to choose the type of analysis you would like to have done. Your choices are general, business, academic, technical, creative and casual. This allows you to focus your grammar check on the needs of your intended audience.
When I had done writing in the past, I relied on Microsoft® Word to check my work. How many times have you done a spell check and the word should have been “they’re” and you typed “there”, or“wood” and you meant “would”? The Microsoft® Word software does not detect these typo’s because they are actual words. Grammarly does a contextual spelling check and identifies these errors.
Other grammar issues that Grammarly addresses that Microsoft® Word was not designed to address are:
- quantifier usage (words like less and more)
- commonly confusedwords (words like insure versus ensure)
- squinting modifiers (making sure that it is clear what clause is being modified by a word)
- preposition misuse
- all comma usage
I made my decision. I subscribed to Grammarly. Now you decide whether it is right for you. Are you ready to take your writing to the next level? Are you ready to make your writing error-free?
Note: I do not receive any type of compensation should you decide to use Grammarly.
The video below is davenmidtown's demo of Grammarly. It is this video, which I stumbled across in youtube, that introduced me to Grammarly.
Below is a writing school's introduction of Grammarly to its students. You can skip the first 1:30 and the last :30 seconds where the writing school issues are addressed.
Are you going to try Grammarly free for 7 days?
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Copyright © 2011 Cindy Murdoch (homesteadbound)
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Comments: "Grammarly, the Best Grammar Checker"Loading...
Victoria Lynn - I did think of you while writing this. I do still look forward to more of your grammar hubs, to see if I can beat the checker! Thanks for stoppin' in!
Nice hub, voted up and interesting! I'm usually a bit of a grammar freak, but I'm not sure that the red sign about the train has any particular grammatical failings. "An historic" is fine. My only gripes are that it's quite wordy and clumsy sounding. It repeats the word exhibit, where it doesn't necessarily need to, and I would have used "it" instead of "this" in the middle line. But perhaps I'm missing something!
Moon Daisy - The photographer and I both felt that "an historic" was not grammatically correct, that it should be "a historic" since "historic" begins with a consonant and a consonant sound. I checked the statement on Grammarly, and it also suggested changing it to "a historic". Maybe Victoria Lynn could give us a clarification on this ...
I do thank you for stopping by and sharing your opinion.
I'm flattered, homesteadbound. You're right. If the "h" is silent, use "an," as in "an hour." Since "historic" is not pronounced "istoric," then "a" is correct. I wonder if other speakers--such as in England or Canada--don't pronounce the "h" and thus use "an historic."
I googled this, because I was curious as to different opinions, as I've heard the phrase "an historic event" used. The consensus is that there is quite a large minority that uses "an" with "historic" even though "a" is actually the correct word to use. Probably all of us hear both used with "historic" which might make us question the rule. But the rule does follow this one.
Interesting hub, homestead. You made us think about it. I love good discussions on grammar; I'm that much of a Grammar Geek! Yummy--makes me want to write another grammar hub. haha. Thank for the discussion, friends!
My understanding of it has always been that "an" before a silent or weakly enunciated "h" is the correct form. I've been told it's a holdover from Elizabethan English, which dropped the leading "h" more than we do today. You find it more commonly in the American South, the dialects of which are closer to colonial speech than other parts of the country.
Victoria Lynn - Since you have a degree in English, it only makes sense to concede to the expert. I'm the one who had to buy Grammarly services. I thank you for all the effort your put forth to answer this question. Thank you for continuing to follow the discussion.
Attikos - It's interesting that you should say that. I shared with my husband this discussion we are having here, and he felt that it should be "an historic" also.
I am from the south but the only way that people typically figure it out is in my use of the word "y'all". I do not have an accent or a drawl, and my pronuciation of "historic" would include an enunciated "h". But that's just me.
Apparently it is said both ways. Again, I am not a grammar expert. I purchased the service to help me, and it recommended the use of "a historic".
I will bow to those who are less grammarly challenged than I. :)
Thank you so much for sharing your views.
If people hear things wrong enough, they will think it's correct. I think "an historic" has been said enough that people think it is correct. But, if we go by what "sounds" right, the people around me who make me cringe with "I seen" would also have an argument. Once, I corrected a student with "I saw," and he looked at me incredulously and asked where I was from? I promised him that "I saw" was the past tense no matter where you're from. He had evidently heard "I seen" so often that it was what sounded right to him.
And you're welcome. Following this hub is very interesting.
I saw davenmidtown's Grammarly info and meant to check it out. This must be my night to find hubs with important web stuff and such info that I need (and want) to check out. Thanks much for this overview to remind me!
Well, if someone hears something wrong long enough, they seem to think that it "sounds" right. I corrected a student once who said "I seen." He looked at me incredulously, asking where I was from. He had no sense of "I saw" as the correct past tense. I told him that it was the correct form no matter where you're from. He obviously had been surrounded by the wrong form all this life.
You're welcome re: my following this hub. I love following grammar. And this one got a great conversation started!
Victoria Lynn - I thank you for continuing with this conversation. It is true that if you have something presented to you often enough, you will soon think it's the norm and everything else is strange.
RTalloni - I'm glad that I was able to bring it back to your remembrance. I have used it a bit today and have been pleased with it. Thanks for stopping by!
Victoria Lynn and everyone else - I may be strange but I find this discussion very humorous. It is an article about grammar, and we are not discussing anything I wrote, but a picture I used as an example. That is humorous! Thank y'all!
hahaha. That's great! And sorry my last comment came through twice. I wrote it twice, because it wouldn't show up. I've been having trouble with that the last half hour or so. Weird stuff. Weird night. Great hub, though...and you make a great point!
Victoria Lynn - I have found that if my typing is not taking and I scroll up and then down, that it magically shows up. Hope this helps.
Well, it was all typed up, put then when I hit "post comment" it disappeared and never showed up on the person's page. Weird....This happened on about 4 different people's hubs. I'm thinking that tomorrow it will all be back to normal. We'll see....Just another glitch! I think I'd better call it a night. Good grammar talking with ya!
The typing takes, but then the comments disappear--on several different hubs. I'm going to bed. Going to try again tomorrow....Nite! Good talking grammar with ya!
This is an informative hub Homesteadbound. You did great with your research. Seems like this would be great for any writer. Voted up and take care.
Well I'm sorry that I took this discussion so off topic!! It is a great hub, and it wasn't my intention to drive the comments off in another direction!
I think that here in the UK we are used to hearing the "an" before words like historic, because that's what we hear on the news, and read in certain newspapers. Some people consider this to be the correct way of treating the word, (including the Times newspaper, apparently).
According to my rapid internet research, it seems to be a carry-over from when people used to drop the 'h's at the beginning of these words. So "a historic" and "an historic" are both considered correct. (Here anyway!)
Hi Homesteadbound, it's interesting to read the comments and opinions here! I was also under the impression that "an historic" was acceptable, so I was intrigued to read what Victoria Lynn had learned by Googling it. I think I will give grammerly a go. I would use it mostly to help improve vocabulary usage which is where I need the most help, I think! Thanks for sharing your findings; your hub made for a really interesting read!
Cloverleaf.
thelyricwriter - It is a very good software that I have enjoyed using. It has helped me see that I use passive voice every once in a while. Thanks for stopping by and for commenting.
Moon Daisy - Please don't think twice about bringing it up. I found it to be an interesting and lively conversation. I like it when commenters interact with each other.
It is also good to think about how language is used in other parts of the world. I mentioned to my husband that you were from the UK and he felt that maybe y'all don't pronounce your "h's" as hard as we might. What do you think?
And as Attikos stated, it could be a holdover from Elizabethan English, which dropped the leading "h" more than we do today.
So, I really want to thank you for taking a somewhat dry discussion and turning it into a lively conversation.
You can stop by and start a conversation any time you choose. Thanks!
Cloverleaf - Fortunately I discovered that my grammar was pretty good, but I have found great benefit from the suggested synonyms.
Since you are fom the UK you would find yourself in the same boat as Moon Daisy, where its use was acceptable. I am always intrigued by the way different languages use different words in different ways. I find it especially interesting to note the differences between the UK and the US. At one point in time, they would have been very similar, so it is interesting to hear the differences.
I was in on one of the forums I think it was, where someone said if I checked into a hotel in Britain that the clerk would ask me if I wanted to be knocked up. Well, after I finished my double take, and picked my jaw up off the floor, and stuttered a little, I would find that knocked up meant having a wake up knock on my door in the morning, rather than requesting a gigolo to come calling. LOL
Language is an interesting thing. I think you could write a very interesting hub about the differences between the UK and over here.
Thanks for stopping by!
This looks like a great service. Once your reader spots grammar mistakes, your authority goes out the window. Voted up!
stephaniedas - As a writer, it is critical that we use our words appropriately and well or we do lose authority. Thank you.
Thank you for your lovely reply homesteadbound! You're right, it is very interesting to see how we use the same language in a different way.
It has always fascinated me to learn about the different variations of English language spoken throughout the world. And when I was a French student I also enjoyed learning about differences in the French that is spoken in different countries!
Your husband makes an interesting point about the "h's". While people from different regions differ in how they pronounce certain sounds, I think that most people in the UK pronounce "h" quite strongly. Although the use of "an historic" probably does hail back to a time when people did drop their "h's" more, like Attikos said.
Most people in every day speech would probably say "a historic event" anyway, it's mainly on the news and in newspapers that they would use the "an".
And on that subject, I found yet another explanation for the "an", regarding BBC English, and concerning the first syllable, not just the first letter:
"It was my impression that the rule for "BBC English" is that if the initial syllable of the "h" word is unstressed (historical) one uses "an", whereas if it is stressed (history), one uses "a"."
[From the website http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jlawler/aue/a-an.ht]
I hope you still think this is a lively conversation, after this somewhat long post!!
Moon Daisy - Thank you for returning with some more good information to add to our discussion. I appreciate you time and efforts.
And I choose to enjoy the differences. Thank you
I like coming back to this conversation, and I'm glad I did, because I love the "knocked up" reference. hahaha. That must have floored you, homesteadbound!
Thank you.
...And back to the subject! Grammarly sounds like a very useful package, and it seems like it would be a really good way of improving one's writing and staying competitive. I'm glad that it worked for you, it sounds very clever. Thanks for reviewing this for us, and good luck with your writing.
Victoria Lynn - fortunately, it didn't happen to me. Unfortuantely, it didn't happen to me because I would like to get to the UK sometime and see the beautiful countryside. But when I read it in the forums, I did find it very amusing.
Moon Daisy - You are very gracious. Thanks for everything. Grammarly has been great!
Thanks for making this conversation better, thanks for the follow, and thanks for the fan mail!
I agree with stephaniedas, once your reader spots grammar mistakes you lose all authority.
A career in writing can be over before it's even started!
This grammar checker sounds like a great idea.
Thank you for sharing. MM
movie mzster - grammar is truly important. I sure would not want the writing career to be over even before it started. Thanks for stopping by.
I know several people that use Grammarly and they all swear by this program. I'm too cheap to purchase it, but I know many days I could sure use it.
Just Ask Susan - I really like it and it points out my biggest problem - writing in passive voice. Thanks so much for stopping by!
A great hub, very useful for writers and those leaning EFL ... as grammar is an area that often concerns them!
Thanks for SHARING.
I have used grammarly, the one-week free promo, but didn't purchase the monthly subscription since I find it too expensive. Anyway, I think it is very accurate in pointing out errors and I appreciate how the program suggests ways to improve your writing. I have learned a lot from the program, and one day, I will subscribe to them.
Brett.Tesol - Grammar is hard for those of us who find ourselves needing to use it daily. I can well imagine that it could be very difficult for someone who is using it as a second language. Thanks so much!
thearbiter0808 - It really is very good at finding grammar issues. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
Hey Cindy! This is awesome information about keeping writing up to date. I will definitely look into this. I feel like I am improving my grammar the more I write but it also helps to have another pair of eyes to help you clarify what needs improvement. Thank you for sharing this information!
I'd not heard of this before. Thanks for the heads-up. I think I'll give it a try. Voting this Up and Useful.
Alecia Murphy - I too also feel like I am improving my writing, as well as my grammar, as I continue to write. But you are so correct - it never hurts to have another pair of eyes looking at your even, or especially, if it is a computer. Thanks so much!
alocsin - I hope that you find this as beneficial as I do. Thanks so much for stopping by and being part of the many comments that has made this birthday truly memorable.
why hire grammarly when you can hire me????
Nice hub, Cindy :-)
If you could do it for the same price and the same convenience, I would definitely hire you! Thanks so much, Justin!
Victoria Lynn Level 8 Commenter 7 months ago
Their built???? How could nobody see that error? And that "To bad." Seems so natural to me to see those things. I love grammar and have written a few hubs myself giving some grammar lessons/reviews. I've never heard of Grammarly. I like the idea of it suggestion different word choices to use. Great hub! Very interesting!