K.S. Clay – Writer

Does your word processor have a spell checker?  Does it have a grammar checker as well?  Do you use them?  Do you double check your words to make sure they’re correct?  Most people I know use spell check and grammar check.  Too many, including some writers, put too much faith in them.  There’s no denying it.  They are great tools.  They are tools with limits, though.  Following are a few of the limitations of spell check and grammar check in word processors such as Microsoft Word. 

The Word That’s Right, and Isn’t Right

Here’s a real example of why you can’t trust your spell check to catch everything.  I run  spell check every time I finish writing a chapter.  I ran it on the chapter of my novel that I’m currently working on and it found a few errors.  It also missed some.  Editing the pages today I found this line of dialogue:

“Maybe he’s got brain damage.  Cousin of mind got shot and he’s never been the same.”

See the word in bold?  It should read:

“Maybe he’s got brain damage.  Cousin of mine got shot and he’s never been the same.”

This is a common occurance.  Your computer’s spell check will find misspelled words. It will not find words that are not the words you wanted to use.  Since mind and mine are both words my computer’s spell check didn’t register a problem.  It looked for words that weren’t words, not for words that didn’t fit or were misused.  This is why you always have to double check and make sure that the word that’s in your manuscript, even if it’s spelled right, is actually the word you wanted it to be. 

The Problem With Microsoft’s Grammer and Creative Writing

Creative writing often means creative grammar and that’s the problem with a computer grammar checker.  Fragments, for instance, are commonly used in novels.  A fragment isn’t a complete sentence.  An example from my current work is this:

“Goodbye,” He said.  He made his way toward the truck without showing signs of distress.  His compulsive glances to the left and right?  Checking traffic.

Microsoft Word flagged “Checking traffic” as being incorrect grammar because it’s a fragment.  It’s not a complete sentence.  The problem is that different rules apply in creative writing than do in business and academic writing and in this case the fragment flows better than a complete sentence would.  It expresses the way we think.  Compare the above with this:

“Goodbye,” He said.  He made his way toward the truck without showing signs of distress.  His compulsive glances to the left and right?  He was checking traffic.

A two word difference which I think makes a big difference.  The second gives an action.  The first expresses the character’s thoughts and mood.  An even bigger issue is what grammar check says about dialogue.  An example:

“Dad.”  Josh’s voice was beginning to sound like a broken record.

Microsoft flags “dad” as a fragment.  The problem is that to rewrite this line of dialogue as a complete sentence would be to ignore the way that people really talk, especially children.  Dialogue is where you have to ignore your grammar check the most.  If you’re writing in dialect you often have to ignore the spell check as well, which expresses my point perfectly.  My point is simple and it’s this:  The tools on your word processor can be helpful but in the end you’re the one who knows what you’re trying to say and it’s up to you to make sure you’re saying it.  This means educating yourself on grammar and spelling so that you know when you actually do need to change something, and when you don’t.