Why we love… writing app ‘Grammarly’
In our previous post we looked at a great little website that can help you improve your writings ‘Write and Improve‘. However, as we mentioned, it doesn’t really give you information about why your sentences and vocabulary are wrong. Also, we are using social networks to communicate more and more, but it can be difficult to check if our language is correct or not. One of the best ways to now check your written language is with a great tool called ‘Grammarly’.
What is ‘Grammarly’?
Grammarly is a free writing app that makes sure that everything you type is easy to read and is more mistake-free. By adding Grammarly to Chrome, all your spelling and grammar will be checked whenever you use Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, and pretty much anywhere else you write on the internet.
Why do we like it?
There are a number of reasons why we like it so much:
- It can spell check and even detect words used in the wrong context. It can even fix commonly confused words i.e., lose/loose, practise/practice, etc.
- It has a great grammar checking system that can fix hundreds of grammatical errors from the misuse of subject and verbs (e.g., “people are…” not “people is…”), to prepositional issues (“depends on…” not “depends of…”). It also gives very good explanations as to why your structures are wrong.
- It is an excellent tool that can help you improve your writing in general, especially for those studying in exam classes. The need to be accurate is really important for any exam class.
- Our students love it and any of them that use it generally report that they see big improvements in their writing.
- It sends you a weekly diagnostic report about how good your grammar is and what you need to work on.
How does it work?
Once you have logged in, you are ready to go. It’s as simple as that.
Looking at the image below, you can see that it registers your errors as you write on whatever social network platform you use. The number in the red circle shows you the amount of errors you have. If you click on that circle, it will take you to a new screen where you can see the your errors and their recommended corrections.
As you can see below, Grammarly gives you suggested corrections for each of the errors you make. If you click on the down arrow , you will be taken to the explanation of the correct grammar form.
Again, as you can see below, it will give you a detailed description of the correct answer.
Can I use Grammarly to correct texts and writings for school?
Yes, you can.
If you go the website: www.grammarly.com and are logged in, you will be given the option to upload texts and get them checked. Take a look at the example below.
What are the disadvantages?
One of the major issues with Grammarly is that there is no mobile version so you won’t be able to use it on your phone or tablet. Another issue is that to make sure it corrects all of your mistakes you will have to buy the premium version. However, if you don’t like the full version, they will give you your money back within 7 days of purchase.
In sum, if you are really serious about improving your writing, then this will be the perfect tool for you. Try out the free version, and then upgrade to the premium version if you think you might agree.
What else?
Who is it for?
It’s for everybody… even native speakers.
Is there an app?
Not yet.
Do I need to pay?
Not for the free version. But we do recommend trying the premium version.
Do I need to login?
Yes, you will need to login which you can do easily through facebook or by registering your email address.
What are other features?
It checks everything you write and gives you weekly progress reports. The premium version can also check your writing style for every situation whether it be formal or informal.
To get started, why not try these introductory tasks and see you writings greatly improve.
Give it a go!
To get started, why not try these introductory tasks. Get creating! Get exploring!
Task 1 – Sign up to Grammarly.
Task 2 –
Begin using writing emails and social media posts with Grammarly
.
Task 3 – Go to the website and depending on your level try to write a short or long piece of text.
Task 4 – Look at the reasons you made errors and make a record of them.
Task 5 – Test out the premium version to see what it’s capable of.
Other great learning tools are: