I have just started to use this to check grammar and noticed that it puts commas in different places to where Word 2016 grammar check puts them. I wondered what would be the most reliable grammar checker available to use?
I have just started to use this to check grammar and noticed that it puts commas in different places to where Word 2016 grammar check puts them. I wondered what would be the most reliable grammar checker available to use?
Thanks for the replies. Any advice is always gratefully received. I have just got to the stage of self-editing where I want to burn my book, and the cost of a professional service is always just beyond my budget. That's the tribble when you do it yourself, but I will klingon to the end.
Never rely upon Word for grammar, or you'll end up writing gibberish.
Write with your ear: sounds odd, but if you don't hear the words, you won't know where natural pauses come, or how long those pauses are.
Word is devised for office work, not for novel-writing. It will tell you you're writing fragments ('consider revising') or offer you corrections that take no account of colloquialisms or natural speech.
Commas are over-used and really aren't suitable half the time.
Try the Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation, by John Seely, which is pocket-sized and covers most things.
Try my blog, too: I discuss all sorts of punctuation, including commas, at wordsunderoneroof.wordpress.com
Lorraine
I can only add two things to Victoria's excellent advice, one as a Trekkie, one as a novice.
As a novice nothing beats reading your work aloud and listening to writers do the same. David Sedaris is a good example of his punctuation coming across in his voice (literally).
As a Trekkie I can confirm that Data was created, with his 'flaws' for exactly the reason Victoria says; to replace the more human 'Lore' (Datalore, S1 E13). Beware... creators often fear their creations capacity to exceed them...