It's happened to all of us. You write an e-mail to a colleague and it says, "I will write the proposal then run it buy you." You meant for it to say, "I will write the proposal then run it by you." Suddenly the message makes no sense and you look sloppy for not proofreading it before it was sent. What happened to your automatic spelling and grammar check program and how can you prevent this from happening again? Spelling and grammar mistakes can often be laughed off when the communications are between friends, but when writing for school or business, a mistake can have serious consequences. Professors lower the grades of papers with spelling and grammar mistakes and many people have been passed over for jobs because of simple mistakes on their resumes.
The spelling and grammar check programs that come with your word processing software are helpful for catching simple and obvious errors, but miss slip-ups like using "buy" when you should use "by" because both are properly spelled words. For native English speakers, it is difficult enough to master the spelling of tens of thousands of words and their proper use. Imagine what it's like for non-native English speakers.
Here are a few tips to help you improve your writing before turning in that academic paper, business proposal or sending that important e-mail:
* Always run a spelling and grammar check on everything you write.
* After running the language check, slowly and carefully proofread the text. Try reading it out loud to make sure you're really paying attention to every word.
* To check your spelling, read the text backwards.
Another way to improve your writing and communications is to invest in a program like WhiteSmoke 2008. WhiteSmoke is a downloadable software tool that improves and edits your English writing. Based on a patented natural language processing technology, WhiteSmoke performs advanced and context-based English grammar, spelling and punctuation checking as well as text enrichment to enhance your writing. From well-written letters and e-mails to friends to professional business documents and presentations, WhiteSmoke can help you write better.
WhiteSmoke features an advanced grammar checker with grammar error explanations, an online, community-based spell checker with up-to-date word trends, punctuation correction and templates for everything from letters to presentations. The application is available for both PC and Mac users.
Choose the version that's right for your writing needs--general writing, business writing, creative writing, legal writing and more. Visit WhiteSmoke.com to download your WhiteSmoke 2008 software starting at just $80 and take your writing to the next level.
Copyright © 2008, ARAnet, Inc.
.
Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our
"