Do You Really Need an Editor or Can You Just Use Grammarly?

.As a kid, one of my favorite movies was The Terminator.

The concept about robots taking over the future was a such cool and excited concept to me(even though I had no business watching such movies when I was six years old)

And now in 2022 we almost there...

Not killer robots, but Artificial Intelligence, AI, is here and can help authors like you to proofread your books so you can publish faster

If you've been on YouTube any point in the last 5 years you've seen an ad for Grammarly. 

It's touted as an AI assistant that can find and fix the spelling and grammar errors in any written work. 

Can it really make your writing better?

As a copyedit and proofreaders I'm actually NOT against you using a service like Grammarly at all. Today we're going to take an unbiased look at the pros and cons of using Grammarly to help you with your next project. 

Pros

1) Speed: Grammarly can quickly and efficiently check large amounts of text for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and other issues. This can be especially useful when working on tight deadlines or when you have a lot of writing to do.

2) Convenience: Grammarly is available as a browser extension, a desktop application, and a mobile app, making it easy to use no matter where you are or what device you are using.

3) Customization: Grammarly allows you to customize the types of errors and suggestions it displays, so you can focus on the issues that are most important to you.

Cons or Limitations to Using Grammarly

1) Limited Accuracy: While Grammarly is good at catching basic grammar and spelling mistakes, it may not always catch more complex errors or nuances in language. A human proofreader is more likely to catch these types of errors.

2) Limited Context: Grammarly does not have the ability to understand the context or purpose of your writing, so it may make suggestions that are not appropriate for your specific document. A human proofreader, on the other hand, can consider the purpose and audience of your writing and make more informed suggestions.

3) Dependence: Relying too heavily on Grammarly can lead to a lack of attention to detail and a decreased ability to catch errors on your own. It is important to not become overly reliant on any automated tool and to continue to practice and improve your own proofreading skills.

So is Grammarly bad for authors to use? No. 

It can be a useful tool for quickly and efficiently checking written work, it is important to consider its limitations and to supplement its use with human proofreading when necessary.