Grammar

Grammar Checkers

The below websites have free grammar checkers that, as of 2025, work better than many others tested by the author.

1. Scribens. Recommended by the author.

2. QuillBot Grammar Checker. OK if you ignore the extra features.

3. Grammarly Grammar Check. OK if you ignore the extra features.

When using a grammar checker, there are several points to consider.

• All of the useful stuff is already free. Don’t pay for anything.

• Use the grammar checker to fix bad spelling and grammar.

• Don’t click Accept All. Look at each suggestion one at a time, see if you understand and agree with it. The main goal is understanding.

• Check one paragraph at a time. Copying pages of text can remove formatting and you might not notice.

• The only useful feature is the grammar checker. Many websites want to sell “premium” features, but these are not useful and many of them violate course policies on generative AI.

• Google Docs and some versions of Microsoft Word have built-in grammar checkers. If you aren't using anything else, at least use one of these.

Sometimes students ask why instructors suggest the use of grammar checkers but outlaw generative AI like ChatGPT. There are several reasons. First, grammar checkers are an old creation — they were invented in the 1980s. Second, the primary goal is to help you understand your own mistakes, which will improve your future writing. Third, grammar checking is about identifying errors. It's not generative AI because it doesn't generate things. So, although students can easily misuse grammar checkers — by pressing Accept All — they can also be a great source of targeted grammar feedback.