Grammarly
I am a big fan of Grammarly. I mean this when I say it; if I had this program back when I started at Harvard, my life would have turned out much differently. There is a possibility I never would have left. The program is that good, and it has helped me immensely.
I often wonder how much Grammarly is influencing my writing style. I constantly clash with the program when it comes to specific sentence structures. I have a distinct style, and the software isn’t as hyped at the word order as I am. Consequently, I rarely see emptiness on the left side of my screen in the Grammarly panel. Usually, it identifies a dozen or so issues after a second draft. You don’t want to know how many issues there are after my first pass. I often state that my first drafts look like they were written by a junior high student whose first language is not English.
Some readers already know that I am The King of the Comma Splice. I think in comma splices, I really do. The lateral connections my brain makes are in comma splice form. Luckily, the software is excellent at spotting them and reminding me that there is such a thing as a semicolon and that it is OK to use them. Kurt Vonnegut thought that only a showoff would use a semicolon, but I find them very useful. And yes, I do have a basket full of degrees.
Should we be worried about programs like Grammarly? Is their influence going to grow much faster than their usefulness? I know people who are concerned about this. A built-in editor included with Microsoft Word has the power to influence generations of writers. Should a piece of software be that influential and powerful? I don’t know the answer to that, but I am all for anything that helps people write more clearly (especially if I am the one reading).
The main concern is that software is creating many writers who type similarly. Will individual style be stifled if everyone opts to follow Grammarly’s advice? Will every school paper or published essay be cookie-cutter in form? Questions like those are above my pay grade. I’ll leave it to the English professors to sort it all out.
I am glad about one thing, Grammarly does not care that I do not indent my paragraphs. I have always felt that is an unnecessary, and sort of strange, convention. I am not a Gertrude Stein wannabe (she thought question marks were redundant and unnecessary); I think that paragraphs are fine with no indentation. My brain is open if someone wishes to change my mind. I am not too concerned; I can’t believe that anyone out there cares enough to take issue with how I start my paragraphs.
And there it is, a short essay on Grammarly. The program says I am clean and ready to go. It told me to pat myself on the back because I must have been practicing. My only wish is that the next incarnation of the software can remind me to be compelling, engaging, and maybe even brilliant.
