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Are software helpful while checking International Grammar. Can they be trusted 1005. I don't because without naming any I can say I have used a few and found them too robotic. In few tricky situations the software fails completely and throws up bookish meaning of a word which is completely irrelevant and deviates from the ongoing topic bringing in frustration to the writer.

The best editor and spelling verification is found between the ears. As you correctly say, editing software is not reliable.

Nothing substitutes for the author carefully searching the text for typos and other errors.

Softwares can help but not all the time. Softwares cannot do all the editing tasks that a human editor does in an efficient manner. So, what I do after writing is I review the whole stuff manually then run a software after it then read again for the final manual review.

It's "software" not "softwares", the word "software" similar to "deer" being both singular and plural.

Software can help with clear mechanical errors, such as "speling" or "misatke" and other typos. But English is too complex for any computer program which we can buy for our own PCs to ferret out all the small mistakes we can make. The only true way to fix all the errors is for the human author to read and read and again read the text until all errors are eliminated.

However, I do run a spellcheck with MS-Word on my writing to find obvious errors, like misspellings due to reversing letters when I type, typical mechanical mistakes. But style and higher level errors must be corrected by the mind of the author or perhaps a proofreader.

Software can help to a certain degree. These can find basic errors such as a misspelling. But there are some things that these won't do. For example, one of a writer's worse enemies, well it is mine passive voice. I think I make this error most of the time in my writing but other than telling me something is passive voice software programs don't come up with a solution to the issue. Here is a trick that I have learned when it comes to grammar, read your work out loud. If you find that it flows well odds are that the content is good, but if you find that there are areas where you stumble on the words, this is an indicator something needs to be fixed. If this happens fix the content than read it through yet again. Does, this mean that it's error free, probably not, grammar can be subjective but this can still be a good way know if the content flows well none the less.

You're correct. Software can help with the minimal things, such as tpyos (ha ha) and raw errors. But the best tool for finding problems is the grey matter between the author's ears.

And yes, reading aloud helps. Even if there are no errors, there are adjustments in the writing which can affect the timing, the pace, the rhythm of the text, and reading aloud is a great help for such small tweaks.

Regardless, the author must be the original spellchecker. Ultimate responsibility is the author's task.

uk8971 wrote:Are software helpful while checking International Grammar. Can they be trusted 1005. I don't because without naming any I can say I have used a few and found them too robotic. In few tricky situations the software fails completely and throws up bookish meaning of a word which is completely irrelevant and deviates from the ongoing topic bringing in frustration to the writer.

A suggestion:

I can almost guarantee you that trusting a computer program to check international grammar will result in errors. If you are serious about publishing a novel in which such concerns arise I would suggest taking your work to a university and meeting with a professor who teaches the language in question to ask if they could recommend a student to help you with your problem (for a fee of course). If the student gets into trouble they will almost undoubtably refer the question to the professor so you can be reasonably sure that the results will be accurate - or at least more accurate than a computer program. This method also serves to build contacts in academia which, as an author, may prove useful in other ways. I think this would be a far better way to invest your money.

When you say "international" grammar I'm a bit confused. Do you mean translating a book from, say, English to French or vice versa? Or are you referring to having your native language of, say, Swedish but you're writing a book in German?

I don't understand the term "international grammar". Sorry.

These software apps can sometimes miss something minor which can be noticed.

I always say that the most accurate proofreading and editing system is the grey matter between the ears. There's no substitute for knowing the English language and having the cognizance to fix all the mechanical errors in the manuscript. (or whichever original language is being used)

moderntimes wrote:I always say that the most accurate proofreading and editing system is the grey matter between the ears. There's no substitute for knowing the English language and having the cognizance to fix all the mechanical errors in the manuscript. (or whichever original language is being used)

Point well taken and there is no substitute for that. I noticed myself is spell check and different apps that there are grammar and spelling errors that are missed and the writer has to go over it themselves as well. As they say, the more pairs of eyes, the better.

Incidentally, right now I'm awaiting my publisher, who will be sending me the final galley proofs for my 3rd novel, and I'll be busy reviewing those galleys and making my final approval prior to the book going to press. So I'll be using those 2 eyes of mine and put my editor's hat on, to search for the potential final glitches. Hopefully they'll be minor and few.

But no spellcheck or other electronic means, just the ol' brain, bubbling along.

By the way, my final review of my own manuscript was sent to the publisher in MS-Word with "Track Changes" on, the edited version will use that Word feature, and therefore any editing final tweaks will show up on the screen with my option to accept or reject ("stet") and then the book's on its way to the printer.

When it comes down to it. Reading will help you with grammar.

Agree. Reading is the best way to learn good grammar. Software is no substitute for the human brain. But software is handy for finding "tpyos" and other small mechanical errors.

I was looking at the typos aspect since it is no longer allowed and all professional wok has to be a complete 100% error- free work.