Grammarly is one of the most popular proofreading tools. It has a clean interface and is easy to use. It also offers explanations for its corrections.
It is a great tool for businesses that want to ensure their employees’ writing is error-free. It can save time and money and improve productivity.
Features
Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that offers more than just spelling and grammatical checks. It also catches contextual errors and suggests corrections for things like tone and sentence structure. It can even help with citations and style guides. The software can be used as a browser extension, desktop app, or web browser plug-in. However, some features are only available with a paid subscription.
Whitesmoke and Grammarly both offer accuracy when it comes to detecting spelling and grammatical errors. They both can catch most mistakes, but they might miss a few. This is why it is important to consider the needs of your audience and your audience’s level of expertise when using a grammar checker.
For example, a student who has an extensive vocabulary might not notice a mistake that Grammarly flags as incorrect because the tool assumes they know what the word means. This is a common problem that can happen with any proofreading tool.
Another issue is that the software can be overzealous in identifying errors. It can suggest removing words that are commonly used in English, such as “just” and “really.” This can make your writing seem repetitive and lazy. Also, Grammarly can detect passive voice in your writing, which can weaken the clarity of your sentences.
Pricing
For students who need an extra set of eyes on their writing, Grammarly Premium is a great option. The software can help them improve their grades by fixing common spelling and grammatical errors. It can also detect plagiarism and recommend changes to make your writing more unique.
The software is user-friendly, and the explanations it provides for each error are helpful. It is also easy to navigate and doesn’t require any prior knowledge of English. However, the software has some drawbacks. For example, one participant in Koltovskaia’s study reported that Grammarly’s corrections reinforce a harmful notion of standard English that has earned its status through global white supremacy.
A month-to-month subscription to Grammarly Premium costs $30 per month. However, if you purchase an annual plan, you can save over 40%. Additionally, you can get a three-month subscription for $144.
For teams, the pricing is slightly higher. However, it is still cheaper than ProWritingAid’s team plan, which costs $25 per member each month. The pricing can be even lower if you opt for an annual plan, which is available for businesses with up to 150 members. In addition to being less expensive, the annual plan also comes with additional features that aren’t offered in the monthly subscription. These include the ability to customize settings and a team manager role.
Concluding Words
Grammarly has a lot going for it, but it’s not without its detractors. Much of the criticism centers on its inaccurate grammar corrections, and research supports this concern. Zhang, Ozer, and Bayazeed (2020) found that multilingual students were particularly irritated by the program’s errors, which had the potential to erode their belief in their ability to use English at work, persist towards a degree, and form social connections in their community.
Despite these limitations, Grammarly is still a great tool for improving your writing. It can help you spot errors that spell checkers miss and correct many grammatical mistakes. It also makes suggestions for style improvements that can improve your clarity and tone. The premium version of the program also offers additional features, such as sentence rewriting and vocabulary expansion.
Another popular option is Hemingway, which is less expensive than Grammarly and offers a variety of features. However, Hemingway is less focused on grammar than Grammarly and may not catch all of your errors. It is best used in conjunction with other editing programs, such as Grammarly or a human editor.