Grammarly Review: Is It Worth It?

Become A Writer Today
11 Jan 202319:05

TLDRBrian Collins' 2023 Grammarly review highlights the writing tool's features for improving English grammar and style. As a long-term premium user, Collins explains Grammarly's benefits, including its free basic version and premium features like plagiarism checks and AI-powered sentence rewrites. He also discusses the cost, comparing Grammarly to free alternatives and emphasizing its efficiency and learning potential for writers.

Takeaways

  • πŸ˜€ Grammarly is a widely used tool by millions of writers to improve their writing skills and check for grammar and spelling errors.
  • πŸ” Brian Collins, a Grammarly premium customer for over five years, uses it daily to review work and enhance English writing skills.
  • πŸ’‘ The basic version of Grammarly is free and includes a grammar, spelling, and punctuation checker, as well as tools for conciseness and tone detection.
  • πŸ’° The premium version, which Brian uses, costs about $30 per month and offers additional features such as word choice suggestions, sentence rewrites, and citation management.
  • πŸ”’ The premium feature of a plagiarism checker is particularly useful for professionals and those concerned with avoiding accidental plagiarism.
  • πŸ› οΈ Grammarly integrates with various platforms including Mac, Windows, browsers, and writing applications, enhancing its utility across different environments.
  • πŸ“ Grammarly provides a document score and individual reports on correctness, clarity, engagement, delivery, and style guide to help users improve their writing.
  • πŸ“š For learning purposes, Grammarly's premium feature offers explanations and examples alongside writing to help users understand and correct mistakes.
  • πŸ’‘ Grammarly's real-time suggestions and ability to apply changes quickly make it more efficient than traditional grammar and spelling checkers.
  • πŸ“ˆ Grammarly's AI writing assistant can provide multiple suggestions at once, allowing for quick review and application, though this can also be overwhelming.
  • 🌐 While Grammarly supports multiple English variations, there's a desire for support in more languages, which is reportedly in development.
  • πŸ”„ The citation manager and plagiarism checker in Grammarly are still in beta and have limitations, such as not working on all sites or with paywalled content.

Q & A

  • What is Grammarly and what does it offer to its users?

    -Grammarly is a writing assistant that provides a grammar and spelling checker, AI-powered suggestions for writing improvements, and helps users enhance their English writing skills. It works across various websites and apps and is available for free with basic features or as a premium subscription for advanced tools.

  • How long has Grammarly been around and what platforms does it support?

    -Grammarly has been around for over 10 years and supports over half a million websites and apps worldwide. It offers browser plugins, apps for Mac and Windows, and integration with writing applications like Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

  • What are the key features of Grammarly's premium subscription?

    -The premium subscription includes advanced features such as word choice suggestions, full sentence rewrites, citation management, and a plagiarism checker. It also provides additional context behind grammar issues to help users learn from their mistakes.

  • What is the cost of Grammarly's premium subscription and are there any discounts available?

    -The premium subscription typically costs around 30 dollars per month, but promotions may apply. The reviewer mentions a discount offer for viewers, which can be found in the video description.

  • How does Grammarly's plagiarism checker work and what are its limitations?

    -The plagiarism checker identifies instances where the user's text matches content from freely published online sources. However, it does not check behind paywalls or within academic journals, making it less suitable for academic plagiarism checks.

  • What is the reviewer's opinion on Grammarly's value for professional writers versus new writers?

    -The reviewer believes that professional writers may find the premium features of Grammarly worth the cost due to the time saved and writing improvements. However, for new writers, the free version might be more suitable due to the subscription cost.

  • How does Grammarly compare to other grammar and spelling checkers in terms of speed and efficiency?

    -Grammarly is considered faster and more efficient than traditional grammar and spelling checkers because it provides contextual suggestions and allows for quick editing and application of changes within the writing environment.

  • What additional features does the reviewer suggest Grammarly could improve or add for a better user experience?

    -The reviewer suggests improvements such as enhancing the citation manager for easier citation management, expanding support for more languages, and potentially offering more detailed comparisons with competitors like Turnitin for academic use.

  • How can Grammarly be integrated into a user's writing workflow, and what are the setup steps?

    -Grammarly can be added to a browser via a plugin, and users can set up an account to access more features. The app can be downloaded for various operating systems, and the reviewer provides tutorials for troubleshooting setup issues.

  • What are some of the time-saving features of Grammarly that can help users edit their work more quickly?

    -Grammarly's AI writing assistant can provide multiple suggestions at once, allowing users to review and apply changes efficiently. It also offers full-sentence rewrites and context behind grammar issues, streamlining the editing process.

  • How does Grammarly's user interface help users understand and learn from their writing mistakes?

    -Grammarly's interface provides a score for the document, individual reports for different aspects of writing, and a 'learn more' feature that offers additional context and examples for each flagged issue, aiding in learning and understanding.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ“ Introduction to Grammarly Review

Brian Collins introduces a 2023 review of Grammarly, a widely-used writing tool. He discusses his personal experience as a premium user for several years, explaining how Grammarly helps improve English writing skills and check for errors. The review will cover Grammarly's features, cost, and how it functions across different platforms and applications. Brian also mentions a plagiarism issue detected by Grammarly during the review and invites viewers to ask questions in the comments.

05:01

πŸ” Exploring Grammarly's Features and Pricing

The paragraph delves into the specifics of Grammarly's functionality, including its free and premium versions. The free version offers basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks, while the premium version, costing around $30 per month, provides additional tools such as word choice suggestions, sentence rewrites, citation management, and a plagiarism checker. Brian highlights the convenience of Grammarly's apps and browser plugins and compares the premium features with free alternatives, noting the potential cost barrier for new writers.

10:02

πŸŽ“ Demonstrating Grammarly's Correction and Learning Capabilities

Brian provides a live demonstration of Grammarly's capabilities by reviewing an article. He discusses the document scoring system, the focus on correctness, and the contextual learning provided by Grammarly's premium features. He emphasizes the tool's ability to identify and correct grammar and punctuation errors while educating users on their mistakes. Additionally, he compares Grammarly with other tools, like Hemingway editor, to illustrate its advantages in terms of speed, context, and comprehensiveness.

15:05

🌐 Comparing Grammarly with Hemingway Editor and Discussing Advanced Features

The paragraph compares Grammarly's functionality with Hemingway editor, noting differences in their approaches to readability and grammar checks. Brian points out that while Hemingway is free and useful, Grammarly offers more in-depth features, such as full sentence rewrites and tone adjustments. He also discusses Grammarly's AI writing assistant, which can apply multiple suggestions at once, and the customization options available to premium users, such as adding words to the dictionary and adjusting writing style rules.

πŸ“š Grammarly's Additional Features and Future Improvements

Brian outlines additional premium features of Grammarly, such as the citation manager and the plagiarism checker, which are in beta and already proving useful. He expresses a desire for future improvements, including better citation management and support for more languages. The paragraph also discusses the plagiarism checker's limitations and potential uses, comparing it with other tools like Turnitin, and concludes with Brian's overall positive endorsement of Grammarly as a valuable writing tool.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Grammarly

Grammarly is an online writing assistant tool that checks for grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, and plagiarism. It is central to the video's theme as the reviewer discusses its features and effectiveness in improving writing skills. For example, the script mentions that 'Grammarly is a grammar and spelling checker in one and it's also an AI-powered writing assistant.'

πŸ’‘Premium subscription

A premium subscription to Grammarly offers additional features beyond the free version, such as advanced grammar checks, sentence rewrites, and a plagiarism checker. The concept is integral to the video as the reviewer explains the benefits and costs associated with this service, stating 'the premium version is the version that I use that costs, approximately 30 dollars per month.'

πŸ’‘Writing skills

Writing skills refer to the ability to effectively communicate ideas in written form. The video emphasizes the role of Grammarly in enhancing these skills, as the reviewer shares personal experience with 'it's helped me improve my English writing skills.'

πŸ’‘Plagiarism Checker

The Plagiarism Checker is a feature within Grammarly's premium service that detects instances of copied content. It is highlighted in the script when the reviewer mentions 'one of my favorite premium features is the plagiarism Checker' and demonstrates its use in identifying duplicate text.

πŸ’‘Free version

The free version of Grammarly provides basic grammar and spelling checks. It is contrasted with the premium version in the video, where the reviewer suggests that new writers might start with the free version, as stated 'if you're new, when you're starting out then perhaps, it's better off to stick with the free version.'

πŸ’‘AI-powered

AI-powered refers to the use of artificial intelligence to enhance the functionality of a tool or service. In the context of the video, Grammarly's AI capabilities enable it to provide detailed writing suggestions and corrections, as mentioned in 'it's also an AI-powered writing assistant.'

πŸ’‘Contextual

Contextual relates to the provision of information or suggestions that are relevant to the specific circumstances or environment. The video praises Grammarly for offering contextual explanations for its suggestions, which helps users understand and learn from their mistakes, exemplified by 'it's given alongside your writing in other words it's contextual.'

πŸ’‘Tone

Tone in writing refers to the attitude or mood conveyed through the choice of words and style. The video script discusses how Grammarly can help manage the tone of writing, with a feature that 'will give you things that you can change relating to tone and so on.'

πŸ’‘Conciseness

Conciseness is the quality of being clear and brief in expression. The script mentions that Grammarly has tools for improving the conciseness of work, which is part of the free version's offerings, as the reviewer states 'tools for improving the conciseness of your work.'

πŸ’‘Proofreader

A proofreader is someone who checks written work for errors in grammar, spelling, and style. The video suggests that while Grammarly is useful, a human proofreader can catch additional contextual issues, as indicated by 'I would still recommend working with a human proofreader as well.'

Highlights

Millions of writers use Grammarly to improve their writing skills daily.

Grammarly offers a free version and a premium subscription for enhanced features.

The premium version provides advanced tools for word choice and sentence rewrites.

Grammarly's plagiarism checker helps avoid accidental plagiarism for professional writers.

Grammarly Business offers style guide tools and secure team account sharing.

Grammarly's premium service costs approximately $30 per month, with discounts available.

The free version of Grammarly includes basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks.

Grammarly works across various platforms including Mac, Windows, and browser plugins.

The premium subscription offers a plagiarism checker without the need for additional credits.

Grammarly provides a score for documents, assessing metrics like word and sentence structure.

Users can configure Grammarly settings to suit their writing style and preferences.

Grammarly's plagiarism checker scans articles against online sources for text matches.

Grammarly's AI writing assistant can apply multiple suggestions at once for efficiency.

The citation manager in Grammarly helps format and manage citations easily.

Grammarly's interface allows for easy correction and learning from grammar and spelling mistakes.

Grammarly's Hemingway app comparison shows differences in writing improvement features.

The tutorial demonstrates how Grammarly can be used in action to edit and improve articles.

Grammarly's premium features provide additional context and explanations for grammar issues.