Spell and Grammar Checkers: Advantages and Limitations

Advantages: Following are the advantages that the end user derives by using Spellcheckers and Grammar Checkers:

•  An automated tool does not get tired and affected by the change of mood, like a human being
• Some of the tools even suggest better words in place of existing words, which better suit the situation
•  Spell and grammar checkers help the writer to improve the quality of writing 
• Those, who are not so good at English, can improve their vocabulary and grammar
• Most of the tools are available free of cost
• Content writers can submit their content with confidence that their content is free from spelling and grammar errors after checking the content by using the tools
• An entrepreneur can check the content submitted by his content writer whether the content is free from grammar and spelling errors and can judge the quality of the writing to some extent.
• Publishers, writers, proof-readers and editors can ensure text is free from errors before publishing so that they can safeguard their reputation among readers and industry circles
•  If a webpage contains a large number of spelling, grammar, punctuation errors and inconsistencies in style/presentation, the search engines may consider the content as auto generated one and thus, give lower search engine ranking to the sites. Sometimes, the search engines may ban the sites and stop displaying. Advertisement network programs such as google adsense too terminate the membership of web and blog sites with auto generated content.
• Online publishers can safeguard their search engine rankings and memberships in advertisement network programs such as google adsense by publishing  error free content.

Disadvantages and Limitations:

• Based on his personal experience, the author of this article is of an opinion that no spellchecking and grammar-checking tool can replace an experienced proof-reader.
• Spell and grammar checkers usually does not accept, at a time, text exceeding 250 or 500 words.
• Some of grammar aspects considered as an error may not be real errors according to the situation.
• A tool is after a tool after all and its efficiency depends on the efficiency of its designer.
• If a tool states that the tested content has no errors, it does not mean that the content is completely free from errors. Some of the errors may not detected by the tools 

Written by: S. Chandrashekara Reddy

Contact: 91-9849856722

Chandrashekara_reddy@yahoo.co.in