Ukrainians Alex Shevchenko, Max Lytvyn, and Dmytro Lider introduced Grammarly in 2009. The trio understood the challenges many people face with grammar, punctuation, and clarity in their writing. They envisioned a tool that could provide real-time assistance, improving writing skills, and boosting confidence. Grammarly was launched and promoted as an online-enabled writing assistance. It has since been made available across different platforms to improve its accessibility. This article notes the pros and cons or advantages and disadvantages of Grammarly.
Improving Your Writing With Grammarly: Advantages and Disadvantages
Pros: Notable Grammarly Advantages and Use Cases
Grammarly is a cloud-based and online-enabled writing assistant that helps review spelling, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, construction, style, and engagement. It identifies errors and provides suggested corrections. The tool also has a plagiarism detector. The following are the advantages of using Grammarly:
1. Improves Writing
Grammarly is an automated proofreader. It effectively identifies and corrects grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, spelling errors, and improper word choices to enhance the overall quality of writing. It is ideal for polishing initial and final drafts. Some people can also learn from its provided suggestions to improve their independent writing capabilities.
2. Style Suggestions
It is also an automated editor. It offers suggestions to improve sentence structure and word choice and recommendations based on pre-defined tone, formality, and style to adapt writing to different audiences. Using this tool can lessen the time or cost for editing or hiring editors to edit writing based on desired styles and in consideration of pre-defined tone.
3. Fast and Efficient
The automated nature of this writing tool allows writers to save time during the proofreading and editing process. Error identification takes less than five minutes on documents with less than 2000 words. It also has a built-in plagiarism checker available on the premium and business versions to ensure content originality and prevent copyright infringement.
4. Wide Availability
Grammarly is available as a web-based app on almost all web browsers like Google Chrome and Safari, a keyboard for Android, iOS or iPhone, and iPadOS or iPad devices, a browser extension for Google Chrome that is optimized for Google Docs, and a plugin for Microsoft Word to expand its built-in spelling and grammar checking features.
5. Freemium Model
It is available in free and paid versions. The free version has standard proofreading and minor editing capabilities. The premium version costs USD 12.00 per month. It has more sophisticated capabilities and generative AI writing features. The business version has also the features of the premium version with business-focused functionalities.
6. Writing Use Cases
This tool benefits a wide range of writers. These include students across all levels, English as a second language or ESL or non-native English writers, academic writers or researchers, business and technical writers, speech writers, journalists, fiction and non-fiction writers, copywriters and marketers, and content creators like bloggers and social media creators.
Cons: Key Grammarly Disadvantages and Limitations
Some have criticized the tool for its supposed limitations and its generative artificial intelligence outputs. Others have noted that it does not provide a thorough review because it cannot replace real human proofreaders and editors. Some have also found it expensive. The following are the disadvantages of using Grammarly:
1. Overreliance Risk
Excessive dependence on automated writing assistants might hinder the development of independent writing and editing skills. These tools are efficient but can also prevent writers from learning and improving. It can leave writers unable to be critical of their own works or make them unable to write final drafts without using a writing assistant.
2. Limited Context
Another specific disadvantage of Grammarly is it can still struggle with context-specific and language-specific nuances. This is evident from its failure to understand idiomatic expressions or other figures of speech. It may also not recognize regional variations in the English language. This tool does not take into account the intentional styles of writers.
3. False Positive Results
It can flag correct grammar or writing style choices as errors. An inattentive writer or someone running a document written by another person might unintentionally change what the writer intends to write or the intended tone and style of the writer. This comes from its limited contextual understanding and its reliance on stringent pre-programmed rules.
4. Online Exclusivity
Remember that Grammarly is a cloud-based and online-enabled tool. It works exclusively with an internet connection. This limits accessibility and usability in environments or situations without internet access or during instances when either internet connection is poor or there are outages. This online-enabled dependence also raises security concerns.
5. Notable Alternatives
Microsoft Word has a built-in spelling and grammar checker. Chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini can be helpful writing assistants and even tools for learning a language. Note that Copilot, Galaxy AI, and Apple Intelligence have better built-in spelling and grammar checker features to natively integrate assistive writing in operating systems and devices.
6. Use Case Limitations
This tool has limited support for other languages. It is focused on English. It does not accurately capture desired tones and styles. This tool also struggles with domain-specific terminologies and language. The plagiarism checker is not foolproof. These limitations underscore the importance of human judgment and expertise in the writing process.