Oneof the most important parts of freelancing is proofreading your work and makingsure that it is free of any grammatical mistakes. Turning in sloppy content isa quick way to lose credibility. If you create more work for your client bymaking them fix errors in your writing, they may not want to work with youagain. Giving them clean copy is essential to maintaining a good workingrelationship and keeping them coming back for your high quality material.
Butavoiding mistakes can be hard to do, especially when you’re in a hurry orwriting long-form pieces. After looking at your own work for so long, it can beeasy to overlook minor errors that are right in front of your eyes. Thankfully,writers are not alone when it comes to proofreading work. Many writers useGrammarly to double check what they’ve written and make sure grammaticalmistakes don’t slip through the cracks.
Grammarlyis an app that flags potential issues in a text, like errors in grammar,spelling, word usage, style, punctuation, and plagiarism. The app’s algorithmscatch these mistakes, and the app will explain the reasoning behind what it hasfound. It will also let you know how the issue can be fixed.
How to use Grammarly:
Install the extension: Users can start getting helpproofreading by installing Grammarly’s browser extension, which is free. You’llsee the green logo appear in the right hand corner. Once the app is installed,Grammarly will work to correct anything you type, no matter what site you’reusing.
Use the desktop app: Another way to use Grammarlyis to copy and paste text directly into the desktop app’s Editor space.
Choose a specific app or device touse Grammarly: If you’d like to only check your writing in specific areas, install theapp wherever you need it. Check your writing directly in Microsoft Office byusing Grammarly for Microsoft Office on Windows, or use Grammarly for MicrosoftWord on Mac. It can also be used on ipads, iOS, or android to check anythingyou text on mobile.
Take advantage of free advice: In addition to helpingwriters fix mistakes, Grammarly also offers free grammar tips and advicethrough social media, their blog, and weekly email reports. Find tips on thesite’s Facebook and Twitter pages to keep grammar rules fresh in your mind.There is also a Grammarly blog with helpful tools on grammar, writing style,and everything in between.
Finally,writers can benefit from statistics gathered by Grammarly. The app calculatesinformation based on what you have written, such as your weekly word count.You’ll get this information in a Weekly Writing Update email. The stats remainlinked to your account, and are updated continuously throughout the week as youwrite more content with Grammarly.
Decide if you need an upgradedversion of the app: The free version of Grammarly offers users plenty of help, but upgradingto Premium gives you access to over 400 types of checks and features. Thisversion checks for grammatical errors, provides vocabulary enhancementsuggestions, detects plagiarism, and provides citation suggestions. Start withthe free version and see if you think you could use a little more help. If youno longer need Premium after signing up, cancel at any time.
Writersof all levels can benefit from some extra help proofreading and making suretheir work is the best it can be. Even the best writer in the world might aswell use an easy, cheap resource to keep their writing sharp. Another set ofeyes on your work and learning along the way will make your writing as strongas it can be.
