# Is Grammarly useful?



## watermark (Apr 25, 2020)

I've been seeing a lot of ads on Grammarly lately. Supposedly its premium version can help you write better in addition to correcting grammar.

Has anyone used this? Is it worth it?


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## Theglasshouse (Apr 25, 2020)

Try the free version first to make sure you like its suggestions. It can be used in an email browser. It's no magic solution for me. But if English is your native language it will help a lot and make you edit faster. I happen to use the free version since I write short stories. You can proofread something under 5000 words in your email with the plug in installed. Don't take its suggestions blindly. Being that it can make mistakes. I don't take all of its suggestions. Sometimes it will suggest an error. Which you can then click ignore. It's expensive. Make sure to try a discount. I like prowriting aid, and some think it is better. It's not compatible with the latest word applications though.(2019) I have yet to try ginger.


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## RWK (Apr 25, 2020)

I prefer MS Word and an on-line thesaurus. If you write in a genre that is inclined to technical or odd words (I write in both fantasy and zombie genres) it is largely useless when you get into setting-specific terminology.


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## Theglasshouse (Apr 25, 2020)

I will also mention I tried prowriting aid which is considerably cheaper or just 70 a year. It's a good program. The error detection is not as robust as grammarly.  It depends on what you are looking for to check, or what sort of errors you make. Grammarly can detect fragments often. Prowriting aid has a grammar checker and style checker but doesnt detect as many fragments imo. The style checker has more feautures if you use prowriting aid.

So if you are going for style prowriting aid would be your pick and if the price is an issue. There are sometimes discounts on prowriting aid during the year. Grammarly always has discounts it seems all year-long. There's'also a free trial of prowriting aid. Again if you have word 2019 it wont work (prowriting aid). That was since last december when I had my subscription.

On the other hand if you want to compose stories on the internet web browser you can do so with both. For some reason prowriting aid detects more grammar errors online (web browser version).

It depends on what you want to do. I don't know but using a free trial of prowriting aid could determine that. Also, grammarly as you already know is free on your web browser with the plug in if you have a google account (where I use it most often).


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## Justin Attas (Apr 26, 2020)

It's better than having no check at all, but I've found it's particularly picky about passive voice.


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## MzSnowleopard (Apr 27, 2020)

In my experience with Grammarly it's great for things like business letters and resumes.l When it comes to creative writing though- pass. I found that with my creative works Grammarly made suggestions that usurped my style. It kept 'suggesting' I rephrase this sentence or that, basically, making me feel as if the creator / programmer was telling my "forget your style, write it my way." And I have issues with this... it doesn't matter if it's a person or a program, if writers wrote in the same way then the stories out there would feel the same- then it wouldn't matter which authors we read because the stories would be alike. And that's boring.


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## lmpierce (Apr 29, 2020)

Yeah, I think it depends on what you're using it for. I don't find it useful as an editing substitute by any stretch (though, unless you have a background in writing and English, I don't recommend skipping editing at all). Some people find it useful in the casual ways mentioned but I personally just use the built ins and a thesaurus and online dictionary as needed.


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## S.J.T. Cornerststone (Jun 6, 2020)

Grammarly kind of helps for me. I'm notorious for having bad grammar, without having someone proofread it for me. So, Grammarly can help, but it's susceptible to some flaws. However, it's been relatively reliable for me, yet I encourage you have someone proofread as well.


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## Fiender (Jun 16, 2020)

I use the free version to check my writing. It's no substitute for any other form of editing, but it helps catch things I might otherwise miss.


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## matthew1959 (Oct 3, 2020)

I ended up with a different, less expensive competitor, ProWritingAid.  I find it to be useful as long as I use it as a guide.  It's really good for misspelled words and shows sentences that could be improved.  I also like the analysis that shows when I've used a word, or phrase too often.  It also helps identify passive sentences.  Overall, it's been worth the money.


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## LCLee (Oct 3, 2020)

matthew1959 said:


> I ended up with a different, less expensive competitor, ProWritingAid.  I find it to be useful as long as I use it as a guide.  It's really good for misspelled words and shows sentences that could be improved.  I also like the analysis that shows when I've used a word, or phrase too often.  It also helps identify passive sentences.  Overall, it's been worth the money.



Ditto for me.


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## matthew1959 (Oct 3, 2020)

I also noticed that you can lose your voice if you take these programs at face value.  The first time I used it, it made hash out of my writing.  What I do now is follow the highlights, see what it is saying and then make my own decision.  Punctuation I will follow almost all the time, spelling, most of the time.  Sentence structure I will look at and make my own decisions.  I quote a lot of Scripture, so I have to be very careful that I don't change that, or any other quote.


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## EternalGreen (Oct 5, 2020)

It's handy. But don't listen to everything it says.


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## matthew1959 (Oct 5, 2020)

EternalGreen said:


> It's handy. But don't listen to everything it says.



I spent 15 years driving a semi and learned you should never listen to anything technology based 100%.  More than one driver has found himself in deep, costly trouble because his GPS told him to turn and his eyes and brain never communicated that it was a bad idea.  I apply that to my writing as well.


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## shirinkhosrowpour (Oct 10, 2020)

Grammarly is extremely useful as a spell check device. However, I would say it lacks in accuracy when it comes to small things such as commas. As with any computer-operated editor, it isn't always accurate. I use it for the first couple of drafts, because it is good at catching glaringly obvious mistakes such as if I were to type "Jane tiks its okay to say such a thing." It catches the apostrophe and the spelling error. I wouldn't necessarily depend on Grammarly for anything more than that, though. I gave the premium version a try, however, it is the same thing that I found with the free version. There are helpful hints here and there, but it doesn't catch your tone like a human can, so it won't make suggestions based off of that.



watermark said:


> I've been seeing a lot of ads on Grammarly lately. Supposedly its premium version can help you write better in addition to correcting grammar.
> 
> Has anyone used this? Is it worth it?


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## alpacinoutd (Nov 17, 2020)

Never rely on a software to make sure your grammar is right. Always ask English teachers. There some forums on the Internet for that purpose.


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## natifix (Nov 20, 2020)

It helped me with papers for college . . . if that helps at all. I did install this for my browser, windows, and Microsoft word, so will see if it contributes to my creative writing. I did manage a quick edit just now with it on my science fiction piece I am planning to write. I like it, personally.


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## v_krelig (Nov 28, 2020)

I started using it this week and I've run into a number of issues with it. Most relate to copying and pasting corrected text back into my word processor. I now read the error's identified in the grammarly app but make the changes directly in the word processor.


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## Phil Istine (Nov 29, 2020)

When I have tried such software, I've found it's more hassle using the software than correcting or tightening up the writing manually.  Hey, I'm a dinosaur.


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## Theglasshouse (Dec 1, 2020)

v_krelig said:


> I started using it this week and I've run into a number of issues with it. Most relate to copying and pasting corrected text back into my word processor. I now read the error's identified in the grammarly app but make the changes directly in the word processor.


There is grammaly for word. It is included in premium. I noticed when I signed up today that there are more style checks. It checks for grammar. It also checks for sentence structure. There are many more errors detected than the free version. Even some obvious spag will go undetected in the free version. According to them I had 123 issues. I left 40 of them unresolved. I signed up before their offer ended.


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## Greyson (Dec 3, 2020)

as others have said: it's a tool, not a magic bullet. it's very good at helping you spot your main issues, catching silly small mistakes, and maybe suggesting a simpler way to say something. always engage with it critically. if you don't care for its suggestions, then delete it. don't let grammatical correctness dictate your voice or style, just let it keep your writing clear.


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## Theglasshouse (Dec 12, 2020)

It does occasionally give a very bad suggestion that makes the sentence ungrammatical. When I am certain it is a certain threshold or quality I stop using it or relying on it. It's the option I have since my brothers always have their hands full and are busy. They are the ones that know english, and they do not have disabilities.


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## E.Fox87 (Dec 14, 2020)

I use the free version of Grammarly too. It's good for what it is. However proof reading and self editing is ALWAYS a must. You will miss words and so does Grammarly you need other programs and a very thorough read-through (more than one usually) to catch all those mistakes. I've heard that Grammarly is great for catching run-ons which is a problem I have, if you have a paid plan, which I don't.  Something else to keep in mind with creative writing is character style. Most people do not speak in a grammatically correct way. You will find not 12 year old that says "I must go to the store with mom." Which is ...well, it's correct like I stated. It would be more like "I have to go to the store with my mom." etc... so that's also something to keep in mind when using it. Who is your character? What is their age? Are they going to speak standard English, American, British etc..? I use Grammarly, my own brain and other built-ins like spell check. Even doing that though I spend around 8 hours a week editing. My question is is premium Grammarly (paid for) really worth it?


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## Theglasshouse (Dec 16, 2020)

E.Fox87 said:


> I use the free version of Grammarly too. It's good for what it is. However proof reading and self editing is ALWAYS a must. You will miss words and so does Grammarly you need other programs and a very thorough read-through (more than one usually) to catch all those mistakes. I've heard that Grammarly is great for catching run-ons which is a problem I have, if you have a paid plan, which I don't.  Something else to keep in mind with creative writing is character style. Most people do not speak in a grammatically correct way. You will find not 12 year old that says "I must go to the store with mom." Which is ...well, it's correct like I stated. It would be more like "I have to go to the store with my mom." etc... so that's also something to keep in mind when using it. Who is your character? What is their age? Are they going to speak standard English, American, British etc..? I use Grammarly, my own brain and other built-ins like spell check. Even doing that though I spend around 8 hours a week editing. My question is is premium Grammarly (paid for) really worth it?


Yes but get a discount. Because it doesn't imho catch all the typos or fragments. It will leave some mistakes undetected for the free version. You need catch the vast majority or leave it near publishable. Which Grammarly can do. I am a non-native language learner supposedly and also have some dyslexia.


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## Taylor (Feb 28, 2021)

I finally downloaded the free version of Grammarly, and I ran a check on a sample of about 20,000 words.

It picked up the wrong use of commas, extra spaces, Canadian spelling, hyphenated words, a few missing prepositions or pronouns, caps, and no caps. I didn't have many typos or spelling errors because I had already proofed it with MS word.

It only picked up six phrases that it said were too long, four I rejected, for example:




> "Gramma cocked her head in a funny manner." Grammarly suggested, "Gramma funnily cocked her head." That sounds weird to me.


Two I accepted:


> "It was her attempt at..." Grammarly suggested, "She attempted..."   Ok, that's an improvement I guess.


It picked up four redundancies, which I also rejected, for example:



> "There was a large bouquet of flowers on the table." Grammarly suggested, "There was a large bouquet on the table." I adjusted it to, "There was a large bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase on the table."  I'm looking for a strong visual here.


And it didn't like that I use the word "own", for example:



> "She liked her own choice." Grammarly suggested, "She liked her choice."  Which is quite different.


So my questions are:

Is it worthwhile to invest in the premium version? 

 Will it give me more information for example using the passive voice or run-on sentences? 

  Has anyone bought the premium version and what extra features do you find useful?


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## VRanger (Mar 1, 2021)

Taylor said:


> So my questions are:
> 
> Is it worthwhile to invest in the premium version?
> 
> ...



I used it years ago and finally uninstalled it altogether. Computer software isn't any good at creative writing. It might be better for the technical writing you do.

To use one of your examples: "It was her attempt at":

You know how I feel about about looking closely at copulas (linking verbs), but that doesn't mean they're always wrong to use. I'd like to see the end of the sentence. If it is something like, "It was her attempt at climbing the ladder which scared us to death." .... That has a completely different feel from "She attempted to climb the ladder and almost fell off, which scared us to death".

The first works in a general reminiscence--or as a scene introduction--while the latter works if you're doing a blow by blow of a set of activities.

Software can't make that decision for you. However, it could warn some people with weak grammar off of unfortunate mistakes. I think the more writers learn about strong sentences and how to set moods in scenes, the less useful something like Grammarly is. Eventually, you get to the point where Grammerly (or a cousin) is pointing out 300 things to look at, and all you find that needs to change is one "who" to "whom". LOL


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## PiP (Mar 2, 2021)

Taylor said:


> So my questions are:
> 
> Is it worthwhile to invest in the premium version?
> 
> ...



I am dyslexic so my writing tends to be a little 'clunky'. I would be tempted to buy the premium version providing I could take it for a test drive first. (In this sentence Grammarly suggests 'provides' instead of providing). So now methinks neither is correct and I should use alternative phrasing such as 'on the proviso'.  
I would be tempted to buy the premium version on the proviso I could take it for a test drive first.

When I am unsure of a purchasing decision I apply 'want v need'.


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## Theglasshouse (Mar 2, 2021)

Punctuation is my biggest weakness that Grammarly picks up. There are more suggestions in the premium version since it doesn't have as many features as the free version. I didn't like the redundancy suggestions sometimes. If I am missing an article according to the software it supplies it (most popular mistake).

It only lists my top 3.
1.    Missing article     Learn More    16 alerts

2.    Redundant indefinite article     Learn More    10 alerts

3.    Missing comma after introductory phrase 

I don't like when it tells me to rephrase sentences, but that is because I must read out loud my work more than once (lately I read a story's paragraph 3 times). So if I change too much the diction might be wrong. It says from time to time my writing is monotonous for repeating pronouns. I tend to ignore mistakes that have to do with rephrasing. As I have dyslexia as well this becomes a problem. I want to hear to make sure everything is right.

It does not detect tense shifts. It hasn't picked up fragments lately in my writing when there were some present.

It doesn't check for style. Not unless you go for the business version which is more expensive. I do like when it detects long sentences.

It doesn't list all the features or rules you want to check for grammar one by one. It simply corrects the whole document one supposed mistake one after the other.

It won't detect passive voice but will flag a long sentence. It doesn't check the grammar on this website.

I sometimes do accept the redundancies. Obviously spelling is also a weakness of mine.

If anyone wants I can analyze a writing sample.


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## Taylor (Apr 5, 2021)

vranger said:


> To use one of your examples: "It was her attempt at":
> 
> You know how I feel about about looking closely at copulas (linking verbs), but that doesn't mean they're always wrong to use. I'd like to see the end of the sentence. If it is something like, "It was her attempt at climbing the ladder which scared us to death." .... That has a completely different feel from "She attempted to climb the ladder and almost fell off, which scared us to death".
> 
> ...



I have been meaning to come back to this to seek your advice, sorry for the delay.  The original sentence was:

“It was her attempt at changing the conversation because she was getting impatient with Chenlie’s dry sense of humor when she was trying to be serious.”

Grammarly suggestion:

“She attempted to change the conversation because she was getting impatient with Chenlie’s dry sense of humor when she was trying to be serious.”


I kind of like the first one better, but I don’t know why.   What do you think?


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## VRanger (Apr 5, 2021)

Taylor said:


> I have been meaning to come back to this to seek your advice, sorry for the delay.  The original sentence was:
> 
> “It was her attempt at changing the conversation because she was getting impatient with Chenlie’s dry sense of humor when she was trying to be serious.”
> 
> ...



If that's current action, I like the action verb in there, but I'd like the character's name instead of the pronoun. It would still be better to see more of the context around it. You might also consider breaking that sentence up, since there are three distinct thoughts in there. It also might make a difference whether this sentence comes before or after the dialogue which changes the subject. Definitely use active before, passive not so bad after the dialogue.


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## Taylor (Apr 5, 2021)

vranger said:


> If that's current action, I like the action verb in there, but I'd like the character's name instead of the pronoun. It would still be better to see more of the context around it. You might also consider breaking that sentence up, since there are three distinct thoughts in there. It also might make a difference whether this sentence comes before or after the dialogue which changes the subject. Definitely use active before, passive not so bad after the dialogue.



Is this enough?

“Oh is that what it means? Well, I guess I don’t know enough about what you lawyer types do.  But he seemed very smart.  And very well-spoken.  A lot like you darling.”  Sofia reached over and placed her hand lovingly on Chenlies chin, gently turning it so she could give him a peck on the lips. It was her attemp to change the conversation because she was getting impatient with Chenlie’s dry sense of humor when she was trying to be serious.  It was one of the only things that sometimes frustrated Sofia about Chenlie.


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## VRanger (Apr 5, 2021)

Taylor said:


> Is this enough?
> 
> “Oh is that what it means? Well, I guess I don’t know enough about what you lawyer types do.  But he seemed very smart.  And very well-spoken.  A lot like you darling.”  Sofia reached over and placed her hand lovingly on Chenlies chin, gently turning it so she could give him a peck on the lips. It was her attemp to change the conversation because she was getting impatient with Chenlie’s dry sense of humor when she was trying to be serious.  It was one of the only things that sometimes frustrated Sofia about Chenlie.



I wouldn't have an issue with that phrase (except for trying to economize on 't's LOL) but my editor's eye is suspicious of having four 'was's in a row.

In the previous sentence, you might consider "to give him" instead of "so she could give him". That's a bit against my current flow, as I'm personally trying to cut down on infinitives, but the entire sequence seems wordy and that helps a little. The last two sentences are things I find in my own first drafts and revise--both for clarity and to cut down on copulas.

"It was her attempt" coming after the action shouldn't require you to go to "She attempted'--which as I mentioned sounds better if it comes first. However, you don't always have to rearrange a sentence to get rid of the copula. You can sometimes just replace "was" with a better verb. You could have something like "It commenced/signaled/initiated/etc her attempt". This is where I hit the thesaurus hard trying to come up with the best word to fit my idea of the action.

Then you can have something like "because Chenlie's dry sense of humor wore on her patience. It frustrated her during a serious discussion."

I'd get rid of the "one of the only things". It's already wordy and that phrase isn't adding to the sequence.

Let me give this a shot:



> "Is _that _what it means? I don't know enough about what you lawyers do. But he seemed smart and well spoken--much like you, darling." Sofia placed her hand lovingly on Chenlies' cheek, gently turning it to give him a peck on the lips. It commenced an attempt to change the conversation, because his dry sense of humor wore on her patience. It frustrated her during a serious discussion."



You'll have to decide if you like something like that better, but it gets rid of your string of copulas, cuts out a bit of redundancy and some adverbs, and trims some wordiness--stuff I find in most first drafts, including mine!

(Note: "Chenlie's chin" HAD to go. LOL)


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## Taylor (Apr 6, 2021)

vranger said:


> I wouldn't have an issue with that phrase (except for trying to economize on 't's LOL) but my editor's eye is suspicious of having four 'was's in a row.
> 
> In the previous sentence, you might consider "to give him" instead of "so she could give him". That's a bit against my current flow, as I'm personally trying to cut down on infinitives, but the entire sequence seems wordy and that helps a little. The last two sentences are things I find in my own first drafts and revise--both for clarity and to cut down on copulas.
> 
> ...



Thanks vranger for taking the time. I like your new version. 

All great suggestions and something to think about going forward!


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## Theglasshouse (Apr 6, 2021)

_It was her__Her__ attempt at changing the conversation __was__because she was getting impatient with Chenlie’s dry sense of humor when she was trying to be serious.

This was the only change it could detect when using Grammarly (the subscription service) and the sentence is taken from post #29. 

From post #31.

_


> “Oh is that what it means? Well, I guess I don’t know enough about what you lawyer types do. But he seemed very smart. And very well-spoken. A lot like you darling.” Sofia reached over and placed her hand lovingly on Chenlies chin, gently turning it so she could give him a peck on the lips. It was her attemp to change the conversation because she was getting impatient with Chenlie’s dry sense of humor when she was trying to be serious. It was one of the only things that sometimes frustrated Sofia about Chenlie.


Corrected version:
“Oh, is that what it means? Well, I guess I don’t know enough about what you lawyer types do. But he seemed very smart. And very well-spoken. A lot like you, darling.” Sofia reached over and placed her hand lovingly on Chenlies chin, gently turning it so she could give him a peck on the lips. Her attempt to change the conversation was because she was getting impatient with Chenlie’s dry sense of humor when she was trying to be serious. It was one of the only things that sometimes frustrated Sofia about Chenlie.


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## Taylor (Apr 6, 2021)

Theglasshouse said:


> _It was her__Her__ attempt at changing the conversation __was__because she was getting impatient with Chenlie’s dry sense of humor when she was trying to be serious.
> 
> This was the only change it could detect when using Grammarly (the subscription service) and the sentence is taken from post #29.
> 
> ...



Such a simple fix, but a definite improvement!


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## VRanger (Apr 6, 2021)

Taylor said:


> Thanks vranger for taking the time. I like your new version.
> 
> All great suggestions and something to think about going forward!



There's something else I could have mentioned, and I think it's an issue writers often don't recognize. You've got a crowd of concepts to fit together there: changing the conversation, getting impatient, dry sense of humor, trying to be serious, and getting frustrated.

In that situation, often writers are in such a rush to get a list like that in that they let them step on each other. I also see it in action sequences and lists of personal characteristics, among other things. It's not always easy to step back and organize lists of information in the best order and allow each the proper emphasis. I'm not particularly applying this to your paragraph, but paragraphs like it in general. Trying to fit everything in often leads to complex sentences, often disorganized.

There are a couple of solutions. One is to decrease the number of concepts. Decide which are the most important and drop the remainder. Another is to break one or more out and give them extra depth, but only if that makes it relevant and/or interesting, and not a dry information dump.

In this case, impatient and frustrating are similar concepts, so you might consider dumping one of the two, or break them out into their own paragraph and enrich their presence.


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## Taylor (Apr 7, 2021)

vranger said:


> There's something else I could have mentioned, and I think it's an issue writers often don't recognize. You've got a crowd of concepts to fit together there: changing the conversation, getting impatient, dry sense of humor, trying to be serious, and getting frustrated.
> 
> In that situation, often writers are in such a rush to get a list like that in that they let them step on each other. I also see it in action sequences and lists of personal characteristics, among other things. It's not always easy to step back and organize lists of information in the best order and allow each the proper emphasis. I'm not particularly applying this to your paragraph, but paragraphs like it in general. Trying to fit everything in often leads to complex sentences, often disorganized.
> 
> ...



It’s funny how we can overlook things in our own writing.  When I stand back and revisit this phrasing, it’s obvious why Grammarly picked it up.  It’s not just the passive voice, but also the repetition:  It was her...It was one…   It’s not typical for me to be repetitive unless I’m doing it deliberately for emphasis, but that’s not the case here.  

I wouldn’t say that I was in a rush to get a list out. But, in this case, it would be just a fleeting thought that came into her mind and would have occurred in an instant.  So I don’t feel any urge to give any extra depth.  However, I like your idea of reorganizing the concepts in better order.  For example:

She was being serious; his dry humour was typical; She gets impatient with it; she changes the topic by flattering him and turning his head so she can kiss him; She hopes this will change the conversation; She is thinking, it is the only thing about him that frustrates her.  Another version:



> Chenlie making light of it, when she was being serious made Sofia impatient. “Oh is that what it means? Well, I guess I don’t know enough about what you lawyer types do. But he seemed very smart. And very well-spoken. A lot like you darling.” She reached over and placed her hand lovingly on his chin, gently turning it so she could give him a peck on the lips, in an attempt to change the conversation.  That dry sense of humour was the only thing that sometimes frustrated her about Chenlie.



Still not perfect, but it makes better sense because that’s the order it would run in her thoughts. I also like the tone it adds to the dialogue,  AND, it gets rid of the “Chenlie’s chin” problem...lol!


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## SiameseDream (Apr 9, 2021)

I love grammarly. It's caught many a spelling and grammar error that I missed even after several passes at a story.  Be sure that you don't trust it blindly, though; some of the suggestions are wrong, and others technically correct but sometimes not necessarily RIGHT.


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## bilbobaggins (Dec 10, 2021)

It has helped me a good deal, though I am a very, very awful writer.


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## Theglasshouse (Dec 11, 2021)

It's a good tool for people with disabilities. It must be used carefully.


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## Alexzander Andrea (Dec 17, 2021)

Yes, *Grammarly absolutely works*. It's better at picking up spelling and grammar mistakes than any other checker. At the end of the day, that's its greatest selling point. Writing software has never been totally correct


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## VRanger (Dec 17, 2021)

Alexzander Andrea said:


> Yes, *Grammarly absolutely works*. It's better at picking up spelling and grammar mistakes than any other checker. At the end of the day, that's its greatest selling point. Writing software has never been totally correct


I'm actually finding Microsoft Edit to be more useful, unless Grammarly has improved. I had a LOT of false positives with Grammarly, and that just wastes time and annoys me.


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