Grammarly Review: Should you use it?

Grammarly is something I've been aware of for a while, but I kept shrugging off trying it because I had beta readers and an editor. A post on Pinterest about it prompted me to finally sign up after getting curious enough to how it worked.

Now, I've only used the freebie version so far, but I like what it does. The free version checks for basic things like typos, missing words, and punctuation. It is especially good for the kind of typo that is correctly spelled, but the wrong word.

An example would be to, too, or two. We all know those are the bane of writers because our eyes will skim over the mistake and it ends up being a reader to find it.

You can install it on your desktop or use the Chrome extension. With the Chrome extension, it checks your Tweets and Facebook for typos. It also scans your email (at least for Gmail.) I find that useful when I want to send submissions. I don't have to worry about accidental typos or mistakes getting sent to a publication I'm trying to impress and get accepted by. The Chrome extension claims to check for Weebly, but I'm not seeing it. I have to manually copy and paste my text into Grammarly.

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It's not a foolproof method, though. I ran Leaves of Fall through it, and for some reason, it kept insisting I change the name Blaire to Claire. It was also confused on exaggerated words. There were also instances where my editor put in a comma, but Grammarly insisted it didn't belong. In those cases, I went with my editor. Err on the side of human.

The biggest downside I've encounter is I can only do 60 pages at a time. For long works, I have to cut it up and upload the bits. That makes it a bit more time-consuming. They promise they're working on it, so we'll see if that changes.

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You can pay and get more features for $11.99 per month. It checks proofreading, passive voice, and more. Of course, that's why I hire an editor, too, so I'm not sure it's worth spending the money. If you're looking to send an MS to an agent or publisher, you might want to shell out the $12 so you can send a more polished story and up your chances of getting accepted.
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Overall, I'm glad I finally checked it out. I ran a few stories through it, and it located missing words and typos that I, beta readers, and even editors missed. It also flagged when I used British English instead of American English. If you're curious, you can sign up here. (I'll get a small kick back with that link.) If anything, it's worth the free version to catch typos and words our brains skim over because we've read the damn MS a million times and please don't make me read it again!

What about you? Have you tried Grammarly? Is there another program you use to catch those pesky correctly spelled typos or missing words?

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