(TUI) Thematic Unit: Influences - More thoughts on Proofreading & Editing Lesson

Most of us have used the spell check and grammar check tools on the computer. However, writers should be careful not to trust these tools completely. For instance, you might type the wrong word in a sentence, but spell it correctly, which would not trigger an error with spell check.

See the corrected magazine cover on the right.

Here are some examples of what the spelling and grammar checkers might miss:

Usage Errors

I went to the store, and then I went home and eight dinner.
The spell checker did not pick up the fact that "eight" should be "ate." However, it did flag "dinner" and suggested "dinners," which would make the rest of the sentence sound strange.

 Spelling Errors

Here's an excellent example: when you misspell the word definitely as definitely, your spell check will give you a red line underneath the word. However, many times, the first choice for a correction is not the proper spelling, definitely--it's defiantly. This is a very different word with a very different meaning!

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION