How to Avoid the Grammar Police

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are essentials of a quality education. It’s a fact of life that we are evaluated on the use of proper grammar. But how can you avoid getting caught by the grammar police?

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are essentials of a quality education. It's a fact of life that we are evaluated on the use of good grammar. But how can you avoid getting caught by the grammar police?This post was proofread by Grammarly

As home educators, we want to be seen as qualified teachers. We want to be esteemed as professionals. But, we’re just human–prone to make mistakes.

Whether it’s clumsy-thumbsy or a good, old-fashioned typo–we are all capable of grammatical errors. Autocorrect is often inclined to help us make new mistakes, too.

Good grammar is like personal hygiene. You can ignore it if you choose, but don’t be surprised when people draw their own conclusions.” ~Grammarly.com

I consider myself to be proficient with grammar. And yet, I have some common errors that stink up my writing. Especially this one: I know the difference between “your and you’re.” But, whenever I am saying “your,” I often omit the “r.” It’s a typo that I don’t catch. When I proofread, my mind glazes over that mistake.

For example: Bring you kids to the park this afternoon.

Spellcheck doesn’t catch it either. Because “you” is a word. It’s just not the right word in this particular sentence.

I’ve found a tool that catches this grammar glitch. Grammarly is a free browser extension. I love it.

Grammarly Writing Support

Wherever I go online, Grammarly is with me. On Facebook. On Gmail. Online forms and applications. Grammarly works to prevent most grammatical errors.

That’s how I avoid getting caught by the Grammar Police!

“Good grammar is essential, Robin. Now let’s get them.” ~Batman

The bonus outcome is that Grammarly helps our students too.

Whenever our students make mistakes, it is a reflection of our teaching. Whatever they can’t do, it must be because they were homeschooled. You know?
Grammarly Writing Support
My daughter mixes up “then” and “than.” I don’t know why. It’s surely not because I forgot to go over it. I did. To the point of nagging. When she proofreads, her mind just glosses over it.

But, Grammarly catches it!

Grammarly also has a paid version with more features–including checking for plagiarism. I think you’ll love it too. It’s an excellent proofreading tool to help you and your students write better.

What’s your most common grammar glitch?
Post it in the comments.

Instant Grammar Checker - Correct all grammar errors and enhance your writing.

About Kim Andrysczyk

Homeschool veteran, Association Director, coffee addict, sarcasm expert, and accidental blogger. I'm here to encourage you thru the tough times and inspire you toward excellence. If I can make it, so can you!

Comments

  1. Rebecca Lyn Miller says

    I tend to be meticulous with my grammar but grammarly might just find its way onto my laptop for blogging. I tend to write late into the night and then all grammar can slip out the window.

  2. I love this! I’m not the best at grammar, but I expect grown adults to know the basics. When I see a grown adult writing “your welcome” I’m like ??! “Seriously? Did you pass third grade?”

  3. This is a great post. I love writing but my grammar and punctuation is disgusting. I have to use that app.

  4. Brandi Kennedy says

    This is a great post, especially for me because I am a certified member of the grammar police force. Unfortunately, also being a member of the human race means I mess up and mistype ALL. THE. TIME. Grammarly really does help, though!

  5. I love Grammarly. It helps when you’re in a hurry and missing some important pronunciations. Making typos and the like.

  6. I love this. I try to be cautious and catch all my mistakes, but sometimes you overlook things. This seems like a great software to help that.

  7. businesstravelerswife says

    This is my first time to have heard of Grammarly. I’ll try it next time when I do my blog post. Thanks for sharing!

  8. I’m really good at grammar but I do tend to glaze over my own mistakes when I’m proofreading, especially when it’s something I’ve already been over a million times! Grammerly sounds great for helping with that!

  9. I have heard good things about Grammarly. I have used it a few times. But even it does have its limitations. I wish there were something that was perfect but it is pretty good.

  10. Jay Colby says

    This was a great article very informative. I’ve been working on my grammar lately so this was right on time.

  11. I am the grammar police. Lol. Unfortunately, I don’t think Grammarly catches fragments or dangling participles. It’s always good to hear there are ways to improve writing skills.

  12. I downloaded the Grammarly app for my browser so that I could have the extra help. It is such a useful tool!

  13. Enricoh Alfonzo Naidu says

    I love grammarly!! especially when blogging & it’s add on feature. It’s a brilliant tool. thanks for turning more people to it

  14. Sometimes, knowing too much words can backfire, that’s when you start mixing things up especially when you’re not your usual self. I think it’s nice to have grammarly to work with.

  15. Marceline Dementori says

    Grammarly definitely makes things convenient especially when you’re writing reports for school. I think it’s an awesome tool to have!

  16. Denice Joyce Diaz says

    Just installed the extension to my Chrome browser! First time I’ve heard of it TBH. Thanks for sharing this!!!

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