Is Grammarly a Boon or a Bust?
Grammarly, a popular grammar checking program, offers a free version that provides basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checking across various platforms. This tool, available as browser extensions, desktop apps, mobile keyboard, and web app, offers real-time suggestions without any cost or trial limits [1][3][4].
However, the paid (Premium) version of Grammarly offers more advanced features. The free version does not catch or offer advanced style and vocabulary enhancements, plagiarism detection, detailed writing insights and reports, AI-powered writing assistance, sentence rewrites, or one-click full-screen suggestions [1][3].
Here's a comparison in a table format:
| Feature | Free Version | Paid Version (Premium) | |---------------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------------| | Grammar, spelling, punctuation | Yes | Yes | | Vocabulary enhancement | No | Yes | | Tone adjustment | No | Yes | | Plagiarism checker | No | Yes | | Writing insights/reports | No | Yes | | AI writing assistance | Limited/basic | Extensive | | Sentence rewrites/full-screen suggestions | No | Yes |
While Grammarly Free is a solid tool for basic error correction, it misses advanced stylistic, contextual, originality, and AI-driven features found in the paid version, which are valuable for professional and long-form writing [1][3].
The plug-in for Microsoft Office is one form of Grammarly. The free version catches possible punctuation errors, misspelled or wrong words, and various grammar mistakes. However, users should consider Grammarly's suggestions carefully before making changes, and the "ignore" option is useful for cases where the suggestion is incorrect.
The paid version of Grammarly catches further grammar mistakes, makes vocabulary suggestions, makes genre-specific checks, and searches other WebPages for plagiarism issues. Having a work professionally edited can significantly improve its quality, and Grammarly can help catch typos and errors, as demonstrated in the book "Descending."
Julianne Johnson, the author of the guest post, has written several books and maintains a blog. She has 3 cats, 4 ferrets, 1 goldfish, and one fiancé. The free version of Grammarly points out wordy sentences and incorrect pronouns.
It's essential to note that Grammarly is not a replacement for a professional editor. While it can help catch errors, it may not always understand the context or tone of your writing as well as a human editor would. Therefore, it's always a good idea to have your work professionally edited for the best results.
Grammarly can be found here. The tool has been improved from its earlier versions, and the plug-in for Microsoft Word can be used without owning Office. Grammarly catches punctuation mistakes that are often missed, such as commas after introductory phrases and incorrect dialogue tags.
In conclusion, Grammarly is a useful tool for basic error correction, but for advanced features, the paid version offers more comprehensive support, especially for professional and long-form writing.
References: [1] Grammarly. (n.d.). How Grammarly Works. Retrieved from https://www.grammarly.com/how-it-works [3] Grammarly. (n.d.). Grammarly vs. Grammarly Premium: Understanding the Differences. Retrieved from https://www.grammarly.com/blog/grammarly-vs-premium/ [4] Grammarly. (n.d.). Grammarly Free vs. Grammarly Premium: Which One Is Right for You? Retrieved from https://www.grammarly.com/blog/free-vs-premium/
Technology plays a crucial role in the writing process, as demonstrated by Grammarly, a popular grammar checking program. This technology, accessible across various platforms, offers real-time suggestions for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but its free version lacks advanced style and vocabulary enhancements, plagiarism detection, detailed writing insights, AI-powered writing assistance, sentence rewrites, and one-click full-screen suggestions found in the paid version.
