Did you know you can turn on and off
each of 26 types
of grammar checks?
Word has four styles of grammar checking in addition to custom.
- Casual
- Standard
- Formal
- Technical
For the beginning writer, or when drafting an outline, Word will
flag an overwhelming number of errors. Selecting the most
appropriate one allows you to reduce frustration for
students or target specific errors
You can selectively pick the errors to
be flagged. For example:
- subject-verb agreement
- sentences beginning with And, But, or Hopefully
- use of first person
- run-on sentences
- passive voice
- capitalization
- contractions
Adjusting the Grammar Checker
In Word, go into Preferences, under Spelling and Grammar. Select Grammar and then select a Writing Style or select Custom and choose among the 26 options.
Classroom Use
Set the grammar checker to flag only one type of error during a single writing session:
- possesives and plurals
- commonly confused words
- sentence structure
- unclear phrasing
- jargon
- misused words
Fun with the Grammar Checker
Use an article or other electronic text selection and run each style of grammar checker on it. Discuss the different types of errors that are flagged.
Next Subtopic: Checking Readability
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