Skip to main content

Cornell University

The Bookshelf

Exploring EdTech and Cognitive Psychology

Eight Important Reasons to Use a Grammar Checker

Think you have a perfect grasp of the English language? Think again. Although many of us are proficient in writing, there is always room for improvement. A grammar checker can greatly enhance the quality of your content from essays to emails. It is a useful tool for anyone from a college student to a CEO. Here are eight compelling reasons to use a grammar checker.

Competency matters

Having perfect spelling and grammar may not be important in an email to a friend but it can greatly influence your image in the academic or professional field. When you write to colleagues or clients, your grasp of language indicates your competency. Others can easily lose trust and confidence in your capabilities when they receive correspondence full of spelling and grammatical errors. Worse of all, bad grammar can make you appear sloppy and lazy. Therefore, you should employ a grammar checker in all forms of professional communication.

Readability is important

An excellent idea needs good writing to be understood. Readability refers to the ease with which a person can read and comprehend a piece of writing. There are several contributing factors to a high readability score. One of them is that your content should be error-free. Another is that your sentences should be short and straightforward. You should avoid using overly complicated or overly informal terms. There are many other suggestions that a grammar checker can make about your writing to help you create a piece that is engaging yet easy to understand.

The English language can differ

You may be fluent in American English but the day may come when you need to apply to a university in the UK or draft a proposal for a company in Australia. There are several versions of the English language throughout the world with subtle differences in spelling, grammar rules, and punctuation usage. For instance, British English employs the irregular verb in the past tense ‘dreamt’ instead of the regular verb ‘dreamed’. You can change the language of a grammar checker to receive the appropriate recommendations.

Grammar checkers are convenient

Grammar checkers are so convenient and easy to use that there is no reason not to use them. You can simply cut and paste your content into an online grammar checker and receive corrections immediately. In addition, many reputable grammar checkers have integrations for popular office productivity programs such as Google Docs and Microsoft Office, ensuring that the documents you produce are of the best quality. There are also browser extensions that enable you to deliver your emails and chats with perfect proficiency.

Grammar checkers are affordable

Paying a professional editor or proofreader to refine your proposal or essay can cost several hundred dollars. Meanwhile, most grammar checkers offer the basic features for free. If you want more in-depth features such as readability reports, you can subscribe to a premium grammar checker for less than ten dollars a month. Furthermore, while a human editor could take days or even weeks to return your edited manuscript, a grammar checker can work with you to improve your piece in a matter of minutes.

Grammar checkers reduce your workload

Proofreading and editing are an essential part of writing, especially when it comes to long articles or essays. With a grammar checker, you can shorten the proofreading time between your drafts. Moreover, a grammar checker that is integrated into your word processing program will check your spelling and grammar as you write, reducing the number of errors that you have to deal with at the end. Instead of having to look up the correct spelling of words or whether you should hyphenate certain phrases, you can leave it to the intelligent grammar checker to make the right recommendations.

Grammar checkers foster independence

Writers can become dependent on family members, professors, or professional editors to correct their writing issues. This is because it is a real challenge to evaluate your own writing from an outsider’s perspective. By employing a grammar checker, you can have the benefit of a non-biased review of your work while maintaining full autonomy over the writing process. The autonomy is particularly valuable when you are writing confidential documents or compiling PhD-level research that you do not want to risk being released to the public.

Writing takes a lifetime to master

When you get to a certain age or level you can feel like there is nothing left to accomplish. Resting on your laurels is a surefire way to become obsolete. Grammar checkers remind you there that is always room for improvement. While we may not all aspire to be best-selling authors, writing is a fulfilling skill that can be developed throughout your life. An advanced grammar checker not only helps you to broaden your vocabulary but also provides insight into your common issues so you can hone your writing skills.

If the quality of your writing matters to you, utilize a grammar checker. Grammar checkers are convenient and affordable. They can help you to deliver accurate, engaging, and well-written content. Through excellent writing, you can demonstrate competency and achieve greater heights in your academic or professional career.