Grammar Checkers Part 2

So, a while back I did a post about Grammar Checkers, like this Grammarly that I kept seeings ads for (Original Post).

My original opinion was that writers shouldn’t need a program to know the difference between your and you’re.

My original opinion still stands, however I have changed my mind a bit. As a writer, you should know the difference between you’re and your and its and it’s. However, it is so simple to make those silly little mistakes.

After typing furiously on a first draft, I was shocked at the number of little mistakes I made – mostly by typing too fast and not pausing to read as I wrote – I was in one of those hazy writer-dazes where my mind was going faster than my fingers could keep up.

Then, I realized, I use the grammar checker on Word all the time. I’ve come to rely on its thesaurus to see if I’m using the right word or not (remember the desert/dessert thing?) I do not want to repeat that kind of mistake. I’ve been double-checking any word that I think might have a word that’s spelled similarly.

So… I’ve changed my mind about grammar and spelling checkers. While it is important that you, as a writer, know your grammar and use your own style, having a second set of eyes finding those silly mistakes is a good idea. Because sometimes, even if we want to use pursue, sometimes we type peruse. Fun fact: Word doesn’t catch those kind of mistakes.