Never Make Grammar Mistakes Again–How to Use Grammarly

By: | January 5, 2016 | Tags: , , , , |

Grammarly helps writers and bloggersWould you show up dressed for a fancy party in dirty, wrinkled clothes?

Presenting yourself for the world to see in a disheveled outfit is the equivalent of presenting a blog post for the world to see full of grammar mistakes.

You don’t have to be a linguist or a grammarian to ensure your post is rid of grammar errors.

Fortunately, free tools exist today to help you. Grammarly is one of those tools.

Blogger Pat Flynn recommends Grammarly. He calls it The spell-check tool I use, on steroids. Through my browser, anything I write automatically goes through their database of spelling and grammatical checks to make sure I write properly.

I have invited guest author Sofie van Nierop to explain why she uses Grammarly, the value it holds for other bloggers, and how to use the site.

What Can Grammarly Do For You and Your Blog?

[Grammarly is] one simple plugin that can improve your writing drastically.

[Admin Blogger’s Note: You do not have to self-host to use Grammarly. You plug it in to your internet browser.]

Did you ever struggle with grammar, typos or spelling mistakes in your posts? As a blogger, I try to maintain a good quality of writing in every post. Unfortunately, I’m not the best at grammar or spelling. A bad grammar mistake can make your post unreadable or you will fail to get your point across.

Luckily, earlier this year I found an easy solution that made my writing a lot better. I found a simple and free program that not only checks your spelling in a way that your browser never could.

If you have Google Chrome as a browser, this is a really easy way to improve your blog quality.

 

About Grammarly:

 

Grammarly is a Google Chrome browser plugin. This means that you install the program in your Chrome browser. The program then works all across the web.

 

The browser version of Grammarly shows up whenever you are writing. This includes Gmail, Facebook, Twitter and WordPress. This is great not only for you blog but also for your social media. Never send a tweet with a spelling/grammar mistake again.

 

What You Can Do with Grammarly:

 

  • It checks if you have used the right word in the right context.
  • It checks actual grammar mistakes. (Like a and an and wrong tenses of verbs.)
  • It will give you the meaning/definition of words if you double click it.

 

The plugin has both a free version and a premium version you need to pay for. But personally, I think that with the free version alone you already have a big advantage. The free version has already all the features that I need to have better writing.

 

There is also a Windows version that works on your desktop. That version is great for when you want to edit bigger documents. You can simply import them into the program and edit them in the same way.

 

How to Install Grammarly:

 

Since Grammarly is a Chrome plugin, you start with opening Google Chrome. In the top right corner of your browser, there is a hamburger menu. Click it and go to more tools and then extensions.

 

It will bring you to all the currently installed extensions. At the bottom of that page, it has a link to the actual store. There it is easy to find the Grammarly plugin by just using the search option.

 

It should tell you there at the top of the description if this plugin is compatible with your device.

 

After that, you just have to download and install and you are done.

 

It comes with a personal webpage where you can log in and edit documents. It also has a tutorial document where you can try out Grammarly easily for the first time.

 

How to Use Grammarly:

After you have installed it, it will have a green button in the right corner of your browser.

Now, if you write in a text window you will get a button in the right bottom corner. It will be green when you have no mistakes. When it detects a mistake, the button will turn red and have a number on it for the number of mistakes.

 

Now you have two options:

 

  1. You can click the red underlined word and it will tell you why it is registered as a mistake. You can then either click the right option when given any, or it will say “correct in Grammarly” and a small red arrow.
  2. You can also open the editor from the beginning. (You do this by pressing the Grammarly button in the corner of your text box.) I love this feature for bigger texts like blog posts. It makes the blog posts so much easier to edit when I can see all the mistakes and then go through them one by one. After you are done, you can simply close the editor and the text will be edited in the original text field.

 

It is also very easy to check old blog posts, and I’m very happy that the editing process is so quick. My old blog posts were full of mistakes that this simple plugin fixes within minutes.

 

One little sidenote, though– even though this editor is great, it is still a computer program, so you should still check what you are writing. This program does not know if you mean feature or future, but both are correct words, so it will not register as a mistake.

 

Regardless, I love how much my writing has improved since I have started using this plugin. As someone whose first language is not English, making mistakes is easy, but this feature has not only made it easier to correct them but also taught me a lot about grammar.

 

With the report, I get every week I can see how much my writing is improved and what kind of mistakes I should watch for.

 

It is a simple and great feature. I highly recommend this extension to any blogger who wants to improve their blog through better writing.

Author Bio:

I’m Sofie van Nierop, and I am a young artist, blogger and entrepreneur. I blog mostly about art, blogging, starting my own business and my journey through all of it. When I am not blogging or painting, I like to read or go on hikes.

Admin Blogger’s Commentary:

After you make an account, Grammarly will send you updates on how your writing is progressing from week to week. Even when I forget to use Grammarly, the site alerts me that I forgot to check my grammar the week before.

Sofie did a great job explaining Grammarly’s value. The site is not just valuable for bloggers. It is valuable for everyone. Wherever you go on the Internet, Grammarly will be there with you making sure you leave grammar errors out of your writing.

Readers, please share, so other writers know the value of Grammarly.

Have you heard of Grammarly? Do you use it? If yes, would you recommend it to others? If not, how do you ensure your posts are error-free? Is there another tool you use and would recommend? I look forward to your views.

After you share and comment, go thank Sofie for the great job she did with this article by visiting her blog SofieDoesArt.com.

Related Posts:

30 Tools You Need to Create a Successful Blog

6 Ways You Can Save Time Blogging, Technology You Should Know

 

  1. Wandering Soul

    Thanks Janice. Have downloaded this , although i hope to only avoid typos using this.
    Would like to improve my grammar the conventional way. that way i’ll probably learn and retain better 🙂
    also, just to share .. it doesn’t work when you on Gtalk or commenting like i am right now 🙂
    Thanks for sharing 🙂

    • Sofie

      Hi! I’m really glad you liked this post!

      I feel like I should definitely work on my grammar the conventional way aswell. Plugins will never be 100% certain. Great idea!

      I don’t know about Gtalk but it should work when you are commenting! In the right upper corner, there is a green button, and if you click it it should tell you if it is turned on. 🙂

      I hope that helps.

      ~Sofie (Guest Author)

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Wandering Soul,
      Grammarly has a pretty good reputation which is why I asked Sofie to write about it. It’s possible as time goes on, the developers will make even more improvements.
      By seeing the corrections it suggests, you can learn grammar the “conventional way”.
      Janice

  2. The Experiment

    I’m happy I’ve found a believer. A lot of people tell me grammarly is not for them for one reason or another, but I love it.

    I’m also I. The top 99th percentile so it’s a nice ego boost 🙂

    Daniel

    • Sofie

      Thank you so much for reading Daniel! I am only more accurate than 33% so I know I have a long way to go. But I write more than 98% of Grammarly users so that is my ego boost! 🙂

      • Daniel Ndukwu

        Keep at it, you can only get better, or, in lieu of that, you can’t get much worse….
        🙂

        • Janice Wald

          Hi Daniel,
          I love it when people talk to each other on my blog. I thought it was funny what she wrote to you.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Daniel,
      I am very new to Grammarly. Since I haven’t really tested the waters with it yet, I asked Sofie to write the post. I love apps and things where they rate you. It really does increase your self-esteem. Thanks for bringing up this fun point!
      Thanks for writing and visiting as well.
      Janice

      • Janice Wald

        Hi Yvonne,
        I am happy to see you read the comments on my Grammarly post.
        People say reading comments is as enjoyable as reading the post, and I agree.
        I, too, am a believer. After reading the rave reviews of this tool, I started using it in earnest two days ago. I am loving it ever since.
        Thanks for the visit and for writing.
        Janice

      • Daniel Ndukwu

        Oh, you’re a boss Yvonne, and you write like a maniac, trust me, I know, because I write at least two novels a week to get into that 99th percentile.

  3. Keesha

    Wow, I have learned something new today. I have always thought that Grammarly was mainly for checking for plagiarism. I have never used it for checking grammar before. Thanks for sharing this!

    • Sofie

      Hi, Keesha! Thank you so much for reading! 🙂
      I did not know you could use it to check for plagiarism! That is definitely a great feature as well, I’ll check it out.

      ~Sofie

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Keesha!
      Thanks for commenting. You and Sofie each learned from each other. As a teacher, I’m happy with something that will help me check for plagiarism. Thanks for the tip!
      Janice

  4. Brenda P

    Great post on Grammarly! I’ve been using the premium version for quite some time and can’t be without it. It helps me in blog content, my short stories, and even at my full-time job. I love it!

    Highly recommend it!

    • Sofie

      Thank you so much for reading Brenda! I am excited to try out the premium version as well. 🙂

      ~ Sofie

  5. Leslie Handler

    This is awesome new information to have. Thank you for posting it! I always check for spelling. Now I can check for grammar too.

    • Sofie

      I’m really glad it was helpful! I hope it will work as great for you as it did for me.

      ~ Sofie

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Leslie,
      Thanks for writing and the visit today. I ask Siri how to spell (on my Iphone) if I am in doubt, LOL!
      I am glad you enjoyed the article and possibly found a new tool.
      Janice

  6. Mona AlvaradoFrazier

    I’ve used Grammarly for two years and it is one of those plug-ins that is invaluable to me. I also enjoy receiving a weekly and yearly report. The numbers show me if I’ve improved or not.
    The nice feature with Grammarly is you can upload any documents onto the editor and check your drafts. I’d like to see that improved though as you do lose formatting when you cut and paste the writing back on your document (or maybe I’m doing something wrong?).

    Thanks for sharing the info.

    • Sofie

      Hi! I really like those yearly reports as well! I just received my first one and it was a wonderful insight in the things I did this year.

      Thank you so much for reading and sharing your thoughts 🙂

      ~ Sofie

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Mona!
      A fan! I had a feeling there would be interest in this topic. Daniel, a commenter who came in before you suggested there are mixed reviews. However, the overwhelming majority is giving Grammarly rave reviews.
      Thanks for writing.
      Janice

    • Sofie

      Hi, Judy! Thank you so much for reading and I am really glad you agree. I would literally not know how to write decent without Grammarly now. It has really helped me a lot!

      ~Sofie

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Judy,
      Happy New Year to you! Thanks for checking in with your testimonial that using Grammarly is the way to go.
      Janice

  7. Jeanette Hall

    Followed your recommendation. Installed Grammarly on my laptop. Already arguing with it. Keeps my blood pumping getting into arguments (even with inanimate objects!).

    • Sofie

      Hi, Jaenette.

      Your comment really made me laugh. I know that feeling, I mostly like to whisper threats silently when inanimate objects don’t do what I want, but it has yet to have any effect.

      If you need any help I would be glad to try to help you!

      ~Sofie

      • Janice Wald

        HI Sofie,
        You have been incredible first writing an article that has clearly engaged the readers, then responding to comments, and now offering to help the commenters.
        You have been a pleasure to host.
        Janice

        • Sofie

          Hi Janice!

          It was such a pleasure to work with you and I think this was an amazing experience! Thank you for letting me write for you and your wonderful audience!

          ~ Sofie

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Jeanette,
      Your comment was really funny. Glad you tried Grammarly. I think it will be one of my New Year’s Resolutions to try to explore it more than I have. Thanks for the visit.
      Janice

  8. Rebecca Forstadt Olkowski

    I’m sure Grammarly is something I need. I’m going to give it a try. Thanks for all the info.

    • Sofie

      I’m glad it was helpful and I hope it works for you! Thank you so much for reading Rebecca!

      ~Sofie

  9. Carol Graham

    I have been using Grammarly for about a year and love it. It even corrects short facebook posts; it pops up everywhere! I like the feature to be able to upload any document and have it edited.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Carol,
      Great to hear from you. Thanks for the visit. That’s the beauty of it. It stays with you wherever you are on the Internet.
      Janice

    • Sofie

      Thank you so much for reading this!

      I really like that it pops up everywhere as well. If I think about all the mistakes I must have made before this plugin it makes me cringe a bit! (I’m not the best at grammar)

      ~Sofie

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Debby,
      From what I can tell it sounds like you are having fun in Arizona. It poured here today, but California needs the water.
      I am glad you liked the Grammarly article Sofie did a great job. We were fortunate to have her.
      Janice

    • Sofie

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it and thank you so much for reading! I’m really happy that this turned out as a good resource.

      ~Sofie

  10. Margaretha

    Thank you so much for this! Invaluable, as English is neither my first or second language.

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Margaretha! So glad you found the post helpful and the tool invaluable.
      We were lucky to have found Sofie to explain it to us.
      I know you speak French and English, what other language?
      Janice

    • Sofie

      I can imagine how hard it must be to be fluent in three languages. My third language is German and that grammar is just too hard for me. All the die, der and das rules and that is just the beginning.

      I think it is amazing when people speak so many languages!

      Thank you so much for reading and I really hope this will help!

      ~ Sofie

  11. Margaretha

    Since I have left my first comment till now, I have been writing a page for my blog and using Grammarly – it is amazing. I followed Sofie’s instructions and downloaded it – very easy. I already had a spell-checker, but Grammarly picked things up that I never even noticed! I’m definitely a fan. To answer your question, Janice, my mother tongue is Afrikaans, I also learnt Dutch and German when I was younger. Thanks again!

  12. Garry Rodgers

    Hi Janice and Sophie,

    This is a great post about a great app. I’ve been using Grammarly for five months and love it. I have a very active personal blog and am also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. The Huff expects perfectly edited submissions and Grammarly saves my butt before pressing the Huff upload button.

    One tip I can suggest is to write your piece in a Word.doc, or whatever program you’re using, so as to maintain your voice, then enable the Grammarly app when editing. I find if I write with Grammarly running it tends to make me “too careful” as if my school teacher is standing over my shoulder 🙂 There’s an old saying that it’s okay to break the rules as long as you know what the rules are and you do it on purpose 😉

    BTW, Grammarly is running as I write in this comment box… there’s the little green button with the circling arrow right off to my lower right >>>>>>>

    • Sofie

      Hi, Garry. Thank you so much for reading!

      That tip is so useful! I never noticed it but I do tend to avoid certain words because I know I spell them wrong. I will definitely try out writing in word first.

      I am really glad it works for you.

      ~Sofie

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Garry,
      As I indicated, I had just heard it was an effective tool although I know I opened it since Grammarly keeps reminding me to use it =). My inexperience with what I had heard was a helpful tool for bloggers motivated me to ask Sofie to write about it.
      Now I find out it is a helpful tool for everyone, a friend with them wherever they are on the Internet, helping them with their grammar.
      After reading all these wonderful testimonials, I will definitely add it to my browser and use it! Thanks for the inspiration.
      Janice

  13. susie

    Hi Sofia and Janice,
    I think I haven’t used Grammarly yet – I say” I think” because last year, while I used to make a living writing for others ( ghost writing), I have been introduced to Grammarly. Now I can’t remember if i ever used it. If it can be used as a plagiarism checker, then it is a bonus. We use Turnitin to check for plagiarism.
    Susie

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Susie,
      That’s what is so great about a blog–we all talk. People who knew it checked plagiarism found out it checked grammar, and the other way around. I’ve never been a huge fan of browser extensions, but after reading these testimonials, I am definitely going to use it.
      Janice

  14. Judy

    Thanks Janice and Sofie!
    I look forward to trying this plugin. I will use any help I can find to induce r my communication whether it’s through my blog or social media.

      • Janice Wald

        Been there! Someone found an error in my grammar the day I published the
        Grammarly article, so now I have to use it! Thanks for writing, Judy.

  15. rina

    Hi Sofie and Janice,
    Thanks for sharing this little cool plugin.
    I just tried it and surprisingly happy that it also checked things I typed in Canva, I thought it only for emails and wordpress.
    Does it have a downloadable version, btw?

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Rina,
      Great to see you! Happy New Year! I downloaded it and now it is on my browser. I think Sofie wrote it is just for Chrome. I’m sure you could search plugins, but the beauty of it being a browser extension is everyone can use it, not just self-hosted bloggers who can install plugins. Grammarly is helping me as I type to you. Fun! Thanks for writing and for the visit.
      Janice

    • Sofie

      Hi Rina!

      I’m so glad it works well for you! Grammarly does have a desktop version if you have windows. https://www.grammarly.com/native/windows
      You can import documents in the program and it will check them for you.
      Thank you so much for reading and I hope this helps!

      ~ Sofie

  16. Beckie Lindsey

    Janice, I’m delighted to connect with you. Your blog is a helpful tool. I will be checking out Grammarly soon. I’m grateful for the instructions. Many times I avoid things like this because it will take too long to figure it out!
    Blessings,
    Beckie

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Beckie,
      I am happy about our connection too. Thank you for the kind words about my blog. Like you, I am pressed for time and leery about trying new things. After reading all the great reviews about Grammarly in the comments section of this post, I downloaded it. It took no time at all. It’s easy and helps me all over the Internet.
      I sent you an invitation to pin to our Pinterest board. Thanks for the comments.
      Janice

  17. Robin khokhar

    Hi Janice,
    Got your blog through commentluv. And I am already using Grammarly and its really an amazing tool , it saves me from making many mistakes. And i must appreciate your skills of writing and also this post your has helped me to learn some extra things about grammarly.
    thanks

    Robin

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Robin,
      I’ve begun using Grammarly in earnest since I published the article. I already love it! Thank you for writing with your testimonial that it’s a good browser extention.
      Thanks also for telling me how you found my blog. I always wonder.
      I am glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for the visit. I am off to the dentist. When I return home, I will visit your blog.
      Janice

  18. Sarah - Craft Invaders

    This plugin sounds great – I often worry about making grammatical mistakes, this is exactly what I need!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Sarah,
      So happy to be able to help! I have finally started to use it in earnest the last day or two. I’m actually finding it fun, and it’s a grammar checker! It’s actually checking my grammar right now as I type to you. So far no errors! =) Thanks for coming by.
      I often have tutorials about how technology helps bloggers on my site.
      Thanks for the visit and for writing me.
      Janice

  19. Just Plain Marie

    I’ll confess that I only really know Grammarly from the really cute grammar memes they share on Facebook! “Let’s eat Grandma” vs “Let’s eat, Grandma” – grammar saves lives.

    I’ve never struggled with grammar or spelling, but I know that it’s very difficult for many people. It sounds like a very useful app. Plus, you know, really cute grammar memes. 🙂

    Thanks so much for sharing at The Blogger’s Pit Stop.
    – Marie, Blogger’s Pit Stop crew

  20. Maria Fernandes

    Hi! So useful! I make mistakes all the time! I learned English language in Highschool. I was good at it, one of the best students of my class! But after school there was not many opportunities to use it. A few years after university I used it as work language for international projects I had or in my trips abroad. As I started to sell my illustrations via POD services English proved to be indispensable. That’s when I started to blog also in English. I will install Grammarly right away! Thank you! #PitStop

  21. Maria Fernandes

    Tested it! OMG! How embarrassing! Grammarly spotted lots of errors! But it works very well. If I had money I would sign for Premium!;) Very useful post, Janice. Once again, thank you!

    • Janice Wald

      Thank you Maria! I have been using Grammarly for two days now and loving it!
      Janice

    • Sofie

      Hi Maria!

      Thank you so much for reading! The first time I installed it I noticed that I was writing “definitely” wrong all the time. I felt a little bit embarrassed by all my mistakes as well but this really helped me write better in the end.
      I hope you will enjoy this and that it helps!

      ~Sofie

  22. Lisa Orchard

    HI! I’m stopping over from Sits sharefest! Great post! I’m going to keep this program in mind! Thanks for sharing!

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Lisa,
      Thanks for the visit. I have been using Grammarly for a few days now since my guest author wrote about it. I am so pleased with it. Thanks for your comments.
      Janice

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  25. Chris Grammarly Discount

    Hello,
    Thanks a lot for this detailed post.
    I have been using Grammarly for a while now. So far it is good. Being a freelance writer, I need to ensure that my articles contain no mistakes. Manual proofreading kills time. So, Grammarly saves a lot of time.
    Plus, it has got a plagiarism checker. Wow, with that I am able to check for plagiarism.
    Thanks again.
    Regards,
    Chris

  26. Joyce K. Walters

    I found the article about Grammarly very interesting. This is the first time I have heard about this extension. I am definitely going to try it. I am interested in the version for Windows. I have a blog and am working on my second book. Surely wish that I would have known about this option a few years ago.
    Thanks.
    linesoflisteningblog

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Joyce,
      Thanks for writing me. I couldn’t get by without Grammarly, no exaggeration. I am a teacher; I have it in my classroom on all my computers for my yearbook students and in my house on all my computers for when I blog.
      Janice

  27. Muhammad Ammar Yasir

    Good Janice. Indeed Grammarly is the best choice and I also use Grammarly. But I have seen that most people can’t afford Grammarly, so they look for something efficient like Grammarly and its like software. I have seen this behavior of users, especially from Pakistan and India. They always ask for Grammarly in Facebook Groups because they can’t afford.

    But I have found a better solution for all those people and have recently collected all the best grammar checkers like Grammarly which are both cheap and qualitative at one place.

  28. Alex Marsh

    I totally agree with your point. A grammar mistake creates a bad impression to the reader also a write-up with a mistake gives a bad message. This information is quite helpful

    • Janice Wald

      Hi Alex,
      Thanks to Grammarly, there is no longer an excuse for grammar errors.
      Thanks for your comments.
      Janice

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