Software that corrects grammar and spelling.

[Poynt]

www.gingersoftware.com I used this software last month and it was very effective! It helped me fix my grammars and stuff and it's not bad to use this. It will probably help you more on your journey on having a perfect grammar.

[Disinterested Cow]

There's so much software, the best advice is just to get several (free) versions and put whatever it is you care about through all of them. If you don't mind spending money do the same but with the paid versions of software, some (but not all) are better.

[LindaKay]

Grammarly.com is another option. It's a little costly, but they'll send you coupon offers and deals if you don't get a paid membership after your free trial. It is important not to get too dependent on these programs, though; they don't catch everything. They can be rather helpful, though.

[Denis Hard]

I agree with Lindakay. Spellcheckers can embarrass you especially in a situation where you use a homonym that makes no sense in the context it's used. For example a words like they're and their which are not used interchangeably might go by unobserved by a spell-checker though the usage might be wrong.

And in addition to that, the type of writing you're doing determines whether you'll use software that corrects your grammar and spelling [which can be very annoying if you're using old words that aren't used anymore].

I guess at the beginning they [spell checkers and such] are great but as you get to be more proficient in the language, you can get rid of them.

[Daimashin]

I only use spellcheckers and haven't tried any grammar tools before. I don't use grammar tools mainly because they are not correct every time.

[littlebelgianwriter]

In my view, this kind of software can be helpful.

Dependant on the software you use, it also provides some basic grammar rules at times.

As you read the rules, you are able to learn them by hard and apply them on the situation at hand.

That way, you can determine whether you really need to correct your text or not.

As pointed out before, grammar and spellcheckers sometimes point out mistakes that are not mistakes at all and sometimes real mistakes are overlooked because some words are not in the glossary.

In my view, it is always good to know the rules yourself and to apply them accordingly.

However, checkers may help you to find mistakes that you would otherwise overlook.

[Andrei Punte]

I usually just use spellcheck, and sometimes I google a word if i'm not sure how it's spelled. A good understanding of grammar would be ideal, but in time we/I might actually learn something from the grammar correcting software.

[SarahRTW]

I agree its not a good idea to "rely" on spellcheckers but there are some good ones that are helpful if used correctly, as part of a larger editing strategy.  I used Ginger but didn't find it that useful.  It only made one suggestion and that one didn't often make sense in the context.  I currently use Grammarly and like it quite a bit. Yes a monthly subscription is required, but the cost isn't too much and (in my opinion) worth it.  After the deadline is an app you can ad to browsers to check text boxers (such as this one)and is useful for that.

overall, use them as part of your editing and proofing strategy not as the enitre process.

[LivetoErr]

I've used a grammar checker before but I don't rely on one. It would be good practice to type out whatever you're trying to say and then run it though the grammar checker to view your mistakes. You can't rely on them 100% as that won't help you learn.

Spell check is a nice feature to have. If a word I've typed gets underlined I, normally, fix it myself. Sometimes, I have a complete brain fart and can't figure out what the correct spelling is so, I have to cheat. However, previous posters are right, spell checkers don't check if you're using the right word. They just make sure the word matches what's in the database. 

However, far too many students have become dependent on Spell check; which is unfortunate because, you don't always have one available (like on written exams).

[thekernel]

Software for grammar/spelling/translations is only improving, but your best bet is to double-check with someone who would be able to spot errors. It's great to see how far the technology has come but it's quite far away from being completely automated.

[pahagwl]

A lot of word processing software these days come in with a built-in spell checker. These are able to do all the required amount of checking which a normal person could require. But sometimes for a special set of users, these are not able to do the job quite up to the mark. For them there are a variety of spell checkers on the internet like Schaudin.com and TeXclipse's spell checker which cater to a set of specific needs.

[13vinylinfants]

I wouldn't trust any grammar checker as far as I could throw it. English grammar is so complicated that a sentence which looks incorrect read one way might actually be perfectly valid construed another way. I mean, I haven't actually used any of these apps, but I'd be really wary of it obfuscating what I was actually trying to say.

[Fluttershy]

I have tried using Grammarly, which seems really good but alas, it was for a seven day free-trial. It actually did a great job. It detects plagiarism, grammar, vocabulary use and you can choose what type of paper you are writing. For example, an essay, formal writing piece and so on. If you do not mind paying, I say go for Grammarly.  :grin:

[SmartPea85]

Spell-check is one thing, I would be careful of a computer program that corrects grammar. You might find based on the context of the sentence you are trying to say, the program will tell you you are wrong when you are actually right, or give you suggestions that are incorrect. I know even as a native English speaker, sometimes my computer's word document will alert me to fix a sentence that is already correct. As a non-native speaker, it might be even more confusing for a computer to try to predict what you want to say and in the context you are trying to say it in. Better to have a professor or native speaker check your work.

[fredkawig]

Yes. Grammar checkers are now on the internet unlike before, I haven't tried any of those softwares though, I hope it works well for you guys, I might try it in the future.