14 Reasons Why You Should Use Grammarly
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Ease Of Use
Grammarly doesn't make it too hard for customers to use it. It can be installed in browsers, namely Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, so it can automatically check any writing. For example, it can mark mistakes on emails and forms as users write in the browser.
Using the extension, people can fully enjoy the free services of Grammarly, including correction suggestions and word suggestions. They can also double-click a word on any webpage to see its definition.
For unsupported browsers, the grammar-checking software has a web editor where people can have their articles checked. All they have to do is register an account on app.grammarly.com. This is free as well.
Ease Of Use
Grammarly doesn't make it too hard for customers to use it. It can be installed in browsers, namely Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, so it can automatically check any writing. For example, it can mark mistakes on emails and forms as users write in the browser.
Using the extension, people can fully enjoy the free services of Grammarly, including correction suggestions and word suggestions. They can also double-click a word on any webpage to see its definition.
For unsupported browsers, the grammar-checking software has a web editor where people can have their articles checked. All they have to do is register an account on app.grammarly.com. This is free as well.
Native Apps
For more intensive checking, Grammarly can check for errors right on the user's desktop. The software has native apps for both Windows and Mac OS X. To use it, users simply have to drag the file that needs proofreading onto the app, and Grammarly will do its job. The app also automatically updates to the latest version.
Grammarly also integrates into Microsoft Word for real-time proofreading within the word processor. Unfortunately, Grammarly is not yet supported by MS Office on Mac OS X. The Windows version for MS Office, however, can be installed if the user is using Parallels, which allows Windows apps to run on a Mac.
Mobile Keyboard
For those who would want a personal editor on the go, Grammarly has a keyboard app for smartphones. It is available on Android and iOS, which makes it convenient, as many people use their phones to send emails and their iPads to write essays.
The best thing about it is that it's completely free. Anyone can have their documents and messages proofread anywhere with just the keyboard. It has the same services as the free version of the web editor, extension, and native apps, which means it can also fix grammatical and spelling errors while providing suggestions. Overall, it's a good app to have for basic proofreading.
English Dialects
Grammarly can also switch between American and British English, which allows it to accurately detect spelling mistakes. It also supports Canadian and Australian English. It's perfect for English speakers outside the USA who may be spelling "flavor" with a "u."
This also makes it easier for freelance writers who may be required to write in a different dialect by a client. All they have to do is to sign in to their Grammarly account and then go to the Profile tab. After which, they can click Select Language.
They can also change this setting on their browser extension by clicking the icon and then selecting from the drop-down menu in "I write in."
Article Enhancements
By correcting every mistake and giving suggestions on how the document can be improved, Grammarly can enhance the entire piece. This is great for students working on their thesis, writers working on their next novel, and even editors trying to edit the writers' work who did not use Grammarly.
However, it's important to note that Grammarly only works on the technical side. The quality of the flow and overall thought still depends on the writer itself. Still, catching simple errors and even the grave ones can improve the reading experience. It also makes it easy for people to correct mistakes by themselves.
Contextual Spelling Checker
Sometimes, a writer may use a word incorrectly, but it still has a correct spelling. Even so, Grammarly flags this as a mistake. For example, "to" and "too" are often confused with each other. Interchanging them by accident is also a common mistake, even among seasoned writers.
In these cases where a correctly spelled word does not fit the context, Grammarly is still capable of identifying and suggesting a fix for it. This is because Grammarly analyzes the context first before recognizing a spelling mistake. This applies to words such as "lose" and "loose," "affect" and "effect," "lie" and "lay," etc.
Affordable Premium Plans
If a user wants to maximize the full potential of Grammarly, it's recommended to go premium. According to Grammarly's statistics, the premium version helped 85 percent of users to improve their writing, 76 percent of users to find writing more enjoyable, and 99 percent of students to get better grades.
The software offers three plans: Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual. Users can choose the Monthly plan for $29.95 per month if they can't afford the other two, which will charge the user once. The Quarterly plan costs $59.95 for three months, making out the monthly charge to be $19.95. The best value for money is the Annual plan that makes out to be $11.66 per month, billed as $139.95.
Suggestions
Grammarly does not only highlight and fix mistakes, but it also offers suggestions on what the writer can substitute with a word in case of misuse, repetition, and such. However, this neat feature is available only on the paid service.
Furthermore, it's still up to the user if the suggested corrections are indeed correct. It does not automatically change what it deems as a mistake. Hence, it only offers suggestions. After all, it is still just a software. It can't identify word usages that might be placed for a creative reason. It's also not perfect, but it is still right most of the time.
Improved Vocabulary
When Grammarly offers suggestions, it lists synonyms of a word that it thinks needs replacement. This then helps writers learn new words and their meaning, expanding their vocabulary in the process.
Grammarly offers suggestions when it thinks the writer has misused a word, when the spelling is not quite right, or when the word is repetitive. As it scours the entire piece, it notes how many times one word is used. It then offers synonyms for a word that has been repeated too many times so that the writer can replace some of them.
This feature is only available in the premium version.
Passive Voice Misuse
Most writers frown upon the use of passive voice, but sometimes, it comes out naturally as they write a sentence. Grammarly notes the misuse of passive voice, allowing the writer to notice and revise the sentence as they see fit.
"In general, the active voice makes your writing stronger, more direct, and, you guessed it, more active," noted Grammarly.
"But the passive voice is not incorrect. In fact, there are times when it can come in handy."
Even if the app flags these sentences, they may not necessarily be incorrect. There are certain contexts in which a passive voice is better than an active voice, and helping writers identify these is a part of Grammarly's job.
Detailed Explanation
Unlike Microsoft Word, which also spots possible spelling and grammatical errors, Grammarly explains why a word or a phrase was flagged. It offers a reason why a word may be incorrectly used, or it can explain grammar rules.
This is especially helpful to budding writers. In a way, Grammarly is like a teacher that helps students fix their mistakes while simultaneously making sure that they learn why a mistake is a mistake.
The explanations are incredibly detailed, and it even makes the grammar lesson easier to understand by offering two example sentences: one that shows the incorrect usage of a word or grammatical rule and another that shows the correct one.
Hundreds Of Error Fixes
Grammarly was designed and built by linguists. Through it, they can offer their knowledge to help writers fix simple and complex writing errors. With every update, the software can more intelligently identify and fix more mistakes than before. Today, it can correct over 400 types of errors.
Of course, a user can only fully enjoy these benefits if they switch to premium. The paid Grammarly service can check writing style according to the genre, enhance the vocabulary, and check advanced errors such as in sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and context. Still, the free version already offers much of what these linguists have built.
Plagiarism Detector
One of the best features of the premium version is that it doubles as a plagiarism detector. It is a reliable tool that compares the content against 16 billion web pages and academic databases, making it the perfect all-in-one tool, especially for students.
This feature is available on the web editor and the native apps. Users have to enable it, though, by opening or creating a document first and then going to the navigation bar.
The enable option will appear when the user has subscribed to a premium plan. Otherwise, it will just show a button that takes the user to the upgrade page.
Grammarly Insights
Editing one's copy and recognizing one's own weaknesses is not easy. Writer's pride right? But Grammarly makes life easier. It sends a weekly report called Grammarly Insights. Users are given a clear picture of their "performance."
Grammarly tells you how you have been using unique words compared to other users. It also gives you an idea of how busy you've been with stats about one's writing streak, productivity, accuracy, and vocabulary. The numbers help push one to improve as Grammarly somehow compares user's performance against other users. The weekly report also highlights the most common mistakes such as punctuation errors, misused words, among others, and of course, teaches you more about these errors and how to avoid them in the future.
