Writing with Grammarly

Though many of history’s greatest writers never had more than a typewriters, today’s writers so often produce their writing at a computer. As a result, those computers and word processing softwares have become ubiquitous. It is easier than ever to make on-the-fly revisions, edits, and structural changes. So it comes as no surprise that we are seeing more and more grammar-correction softwares like Grammarly. Grammarly, which was launched in 2009, provides an easy-to-use interface, enabling users to quickly identify potential grammatical errors in their writing. It can be used on a variety of platforms, ranging from desktop to mobile phone. Grammarly is in some ways targeted at students, who frequently find themselves writing long term papers, where scanning for grammar errors can be burdensome and time-consuming. Word processing programs are the typical writer’s comfort zone. What differentiates such programs from Grammarly is the intended use at various stages of the writing process. While the edit functions of word processors like Microsoft Word encourage edits at all stages of the writing process – from beginning to end – Grammarly is marketed more as a “last call” for writers.

While Grammarly highlights grammar issues that may otherwise have been looked over, anyone who writes knows that grammar is only a small part of the revision process. Beyond grammar, revising a written piece means shaping language, adding transitions, and shifting around ideas. While Grammar is an excellent foundation for any piece of writing; a full revision can never be done without the human eye.