Grammar and spelling: two things that often go overlooked in our information age. When messages can be composed and sent in a matter of seconds, it is all too easy to bang out a run-on sentence that gets the point across than to proofread, punctuate and conjugate. However sad this reality may be, it can also work to your advantage. A person who is able to communicate his thoughts with elegance through the written word is perceived as educated, intelligent, and successful. When writing e-mails, reports, and memos, especially in a professional environment, you should always strive for grammatical correctness and accurate spelling.
Rant aside, the point I am trying to make is this: grammar checking software, specifically Microsoft Word’s grammar checker, is not 100% accurate. It does a very good job of proofreading your work, but should not be considered infallible. When finished composing a document, you should always proofread your own work (or better, have someone else proofread it). If a grammar checker suggests a change that appears odd or out of place, do your own research before taking the software’s word for it.
Examples
I typed each one of these sentences into Microsoft Word 2004 for Mac. Each one is incorrect, but none of the mistakes were caught by Word.
- What is the whether going to be like today?
- I don’t know weather or not I should go.
- Were should I go?
Online grammar resources
If your grammar is a bit rusty, check out Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab for Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling.
Photo by ifindkarma.
