To err is human. We make mistakes all the time. And when it comes to writing, you must have noticed that we make grammatical mistakes, punctuation mistakes, and spelling errors as well.

Since there is no way we should submit or publish a text without checking it for grammatical and spelling issues, we either manually scan the text or take help from an online grammar checker tool.

A grammar checker tool is a software integrated into word processor that detects and often fixes the grammatical errors within a given text. Often a grammar checker software also detects spelling mistakes and punctuation-related issues.

Just like almost everything, grammar checker software has its own pros and cons. Let’s find out the pros first –

Pros of using an online grammar checker software

Saves lots of time

The best aspect of using a grammar checker tool is that it saves your time –lots of time- and energy as well.

When you have a long text that needs a grammar check, checking the entire text manually can get time-consuming. Another problem with manual grammar checking is that you might skip errors as it’s common in cases of checking long texts.

Better than the human eye

You might unintentionally skip the common grammatical errors in a text, but an active grammar checker software won’t do that. A grammar checker tool will detect and point out every common mistake that the human eye might skip.

Makes suggestions

One great thing about using an online grammar checker is that it not only detects spelling and grammar errors but also suggests the correct replacement. As a result, you don’t have to get confused about the proper replacement or search the dictionary for the correction.

Great for learning

When you use a grammar checker software, it points out where you made the mistakes and how to fix them with proper corrections. It helps you learn the correct spelling, and grammar while also fixing the mistakes.

Free software

While there are both free and paid grammar checkers out there online, you can get a free grammar checker tool and fix the common mistakes in your text easily.

Cons of using an online grammar checker software

Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound the same but have different meanings. So, if you know the sound of a word but not the correct spelling, you might write a similar-sounding but incorrect word in your text. Some examples of homonyms are piece-peace; site-sight; right-write.  As you can see, while the paired words sound almost the same, their meanings are quite different. And such words can change the meaning of a sentence if not used properly.

Over-dependency

Nowadays people have automatic grammar and spell checker extensions, plug-ins, etc. at their disposal, so they don’t pay much attention to grammar and spelling when they type on their computers. Now, smartphones and computers have auto-correct features that fix spelling mistakes. But because of this, people have become lazy and they don’t think it’s necessary to actually learn the correct spelling of words.

Confusion with proper nouns

Proper nouns are names of a specific place, person, or object. Many grammar checker tools either don’t capitalize the proper nouns or detect them as spelling mistakes.

Bottom Line

While you are deciding whether you should or should not use an online grammar checker tool, you should remember that it’s a helping hand, not a human replacement. In some ways, it’s better than the human brain, and in some ways, worst. The best thing you can do is to use a grammar and spell checker tool but stay conscious about your writing.