Studying in the UK will throw-up a whole bunch of challenges and one of these will be writing in British English! If English isn’t your first language or you’ve been taught American English, you will have to adapt to different spelling and grammatical rules, which can add a whole level of stress when you are writing your essays.
Getting good marks on your essays is also about how you present your argument, being concise and easily understood also contributes to your final mark, so apart from hiring a proof-reader what can you do?
Well the solution is Grammarly – which is an online grammar checker and proofreading tool that has a free and a paid version. The latter even helps you to check your copy for plagiarism and helps you write compelling and easy to understand copy.
How does Grammarly work
You download Grammarly onto your phone, tablet, desktop and add it to your preferred browser so regardless of whether you are writing a social media post or an essay you will have a virtual assistance guiding you on how it can be improved line-by-line.
Do I need Grammarly if I have Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word will correct your spelling mistakes and some of your grammatical errors, but it will not help you make your copy more precise, help you make your copy read better nor will it help you check your text for plagiarism.
PROS | CONS |
Automatically corrects and provides suggestions – Grammarly runs in the background correcting your mistakes and making suggestions to improve the copy. | It does not work in Google docs – if you are trying to save money and don’t have Microsoft Word then be aware that Grammarly currently does not work in Google Docs. |
Accurate – Grammarly uses sophisticated AI technology to check for thousands of spelling and grammatical errors and word swaps. | The free version is limiting – Is restricted to correcting spelling and grammatical mistakes |
Switch from American English to British English – Grammarly will help you crack British grammar and spelling as you can set it to British English. | The pop-ups and suggestions are distracting – It may take you time to get used to all the colour coding and the fact that Grammarly makes changes to your text and gives you suggestions in real time can be distracting. |
Help you become a better writer – As well as correcting all your mistakes Grammarly provides you with explanations to help you better understand British English and thus help you improve your knowledge of British spelling and grammar. | Aggressive advertising – if you subscribe to the free version expect to get regular emails encouraging you to upgrade. |
Helps you save time – If you use words that aren’t in the Oxford dictionary you can add them to your dictionary so that Grammarly does not bring them up as mistakes in the future. | |
Protects you from Plagiarism – Grammarly highlights anything in your text that would be plagiarism and the premium version highlights passages where you need to give credit to the original source. | |
Easy to use – The installation is quick and easy and Grammarly is easy to use because it works in the background whether you are online or using your desktop. | |
Cost-effective – If English is your second language and you need help getting your essays to a good standard the annual fee for Grammarly is much cheaper than paying someone to proofread your essays. |
What is included in the premium version?
- Spelling and grammar checker
- Fluency and readability checker
- Alternative word checker
- Plagiarism detection
- Inclusive language
- Checks the tone of your copy and gives it a formality rating.
How much does the premium version cost?
Grammarly is an American company so you will be charged in dollars.
To find out if Grammarly is right for you our tip is to subscribe for a month for $29. Then you can opt for a quarterly plan which costs $19.98 per month but be aware you will have to pay for it as a one off payment of $59.95. There is also a annual plan which costs $11.66 per month which is also billed in advance and costs $139.95.
