HELPFUL TOOL FOR AUTHORS WHO HAVE ENGLISH AS A 2nd OR 3rd LANGUAGE!

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bondagefreak
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HELPFUL TOOL FOR AUTHORS WHO HAVE ENGLISH AS A 2nd OR 3rd LANGUAGE!

Post by bondagefreak »

HELPFUL TOOL FOR AUTHORS WHO HAVE ENGLISH AS A 2nd OR 3rd LANGUAGE!
While this message is addressed to those who are non-native speakers, it will most likely prove useful to natives as well.


As a non-native speaker myself, there is one writing tool I've found most helpful as of late.
Grammarly. You may have heard the name from those annoying YouTube ads that keep popping up. Yes, ads are a pain.
Know that I am not being paid to post publicity for the company and do not even use the full version of the app.


Grammarly has helped me a LOT.
Unlike other spell-checkers, it uses an enhanced AI system that actually analyses what you write and spots incorrect words or words that don't make sense in a particular sentence. Example: "Bear" and "Bare" mean very different things. Spell-correcters won't catch on if you get the two of them mixed up, because they're not programmed to do so. They only spot incorrectly written words, meaning that as long as the word you write is an actual word, it won't alert you of the mistake. The native anglophones reading your text, however, will note this glaring error.

Grammarly, on the other hand, will catch on right away and alert you of the mistake.
It also catches punctuation, verbs, clarity and readability issues.


The app is free to use and takes about 30 seconds to download.
It will even let you choose whether you want to write in International English (British English) or American English.

Those who are writing formal letters for work often pay for the full version of the app, which gives more in-depth feedback. But for writing on recreational sites like this one, the basic (free) version is absolutely amazing.

This is NOT a hoax!
It actually works REALLY well.

If you're writing stories on here but have trouble with spelling or are simply in the process of learning English (like many of us here are) this is your must-have tool. It can make a huge difference in the reviews you get and will have you writing as though you had several more years of experience under your belt.


I've been using it for roughly four months now and have been really thrilled with the results.
This app blows all the other spell-checkers I've tried out of the water.

It is not completely foolproof, but will effectively take care of helping you correct 99% of your mistakes.
This is a VERY good tool to have on your tablet, laptop or computer.
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Post by Sniffmyfeet »

Thank you so much! This piece of advice (here, that's a word already that I usually have problems with: advice or advise?) is exactly what I needed. I hope it will help me as I write reviews or even when writing a story.

I always hesitate whether a word is spelt with a "z" or a "s" in English. That problem is complicated by the fact that British and American spellings differ. Again, I've now found out that Grammarly can help with that.

You see, just a few minutes after I've installed this on my computer, it has helped me to overcome a few pitfalls already.
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Post by bondagefreak »

[mention]Sniffmyfeet[/mention]
Glad to be of service, my friend!

Generally, the "s" is used in traditional/international English, while "z" appears mainly in American English.
Same thing for the "ou" vs "o". Traditional/international English sticks closely to it's French roots, whereas the American form pushes it away.

Both forms are accepted, but the app will correct you and treat either one as a mistake depending on which variant of English you select.
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Post by Bondage_Addicted »

Likewise! I heard a lot about this program and always just figured ' Eh just another google translate '
But a few weeks ago I picked up writing and tried it out, and it's working so well, really helps when checking spelling, grammar, etc! :D
It's actually super easy, barely an inconvenience!
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Post by Beaumains »

Gotta agree. It is outstanding and has helped me a lot even though I only use the free version. It is also useful to find synonyms and ugly sentences that may be technically correct.

Only, I disagree with you on one point: No download is necessary. The browser tool works perfectly fine as well.
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Post by bondagefreak »

Beaumains wrote: 3 years ago Only, I disagree with you on one point: No download is necessary. The browser tool works perfectly fine as well.
That's great to hear!

[mention]Beaumains[/mention] [mention]Bondage_Addicted[/mention]
Thanks for sharing your experiences, guys!

I was really hoping my post wouldn't come off as a sales pitch.
Your testimonials are really welcome and should convince even more people to use this tool!

It can be a bit daunting to approach non-native speakers about issues relating to writing and language improvement.
Sometimes even well-meaning suggestions can come off as abrasive.
Hopefully, this thread will be of help to a lot of folks on here.
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Post by bondagefreak »

This thread barely got any views, so I'm bumping it back up to the top of the Tugs Talk section.
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Post by Beaumains »

Maybe there should be a more permananent place for such things?
http://tugstories.com/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=1498 Tips for beginners: Storywriting is still pinned in the Welcome to the Board section. You could add Grammarly there. That thread has a lot of views.
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Post by bondagefreak »

[mention]Beaumains[/mention]
If the Mods/Admins deem this fit for a sticky or a "welcome to the board" thread, then that would surely guarantee it lots of views.

[mention]chadmc90[/mention] [mention]Xtc[/mention]
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Post by chadmc90 »

Moved it to "Welcome to the Board!"
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Post by Killua »

I tested it on my new short story and it's actually pretty good, thank you. It's not finding everything but it finds a lot basic mistakes. Now I have a lot of work to do because I tested it on my main story and it just told me there are 430 mistakes to be corrected :o :roll:
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Post by bondagefreak »

[mention]Killua[/mention] Just seeing your response now.
Thrilled to hear you're finding Grammarly useful!

It's simply great for picking up typos and minor structure mistakes.
A "must-have" for most of us writing here.
FOR A LIST OF ALL MY WRITTEN WORKS, CLICK HERE: BONDAGEFREAK'S STORIES

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richhl

Post by richhl »

American English
Hello, with a desire to contribute. I can recommend using Artificial Intelligence translation tools. You can request them to review style corrections, grammar, and word repetition. However, it is important to use them wisely, as there are topics they may not be comfortable handling, such as overly explicit situations. This paragraph is a clear example.

British English

Hello, with a desire to make a contribution. I can suggest utilising Artificial Intelligence translation tools. You can request their assistance in reviewing style corrections, grammar, and word repetition. However, it is important to use them judiciously, as there are topics they may not be fond of handling, such as overly explicit situations. This paragraph serves as a clear example.
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