Review: Grammarian Pro2 X helpful but needs more tutoring
In my work as a writing coach, I’d appreciate a reliable program that automatically checked text for serious spelling and grammar errors. Despite its earnest and considerable efforts, Grammarian Pro2 X doesn’t entirely fit that description.
Grammarian runs primarily from a pencil icon in the Mac OS menubar, working with any program where you enter and edit text. I used it successfully with TextEdit, TextWrangler, Microsoft Word, Apple Mail, and Literature & Latte’s Scrivener. I liked Grammarian’s customizable level of assistance. If you only need occasional aid, you can run manual spelling and/or grammar checks of selected text or an entire document. Turn on Interactive Checking to flag errors and suggest corrections as you type. (Grammarian can even whimsically speak warnings like “phrase usage!” or “punctuation error!”)
Grammarian can’t always apply its vast database of grammar and spelling rules in ways that make sense in context.
A built-in AutoCorrect system brings this longtime Word feature to any text editor, allowing you to specify common misspellings and their correct substitutions. AutoType capability transforms quick abbreviations into full phrases—“idk” to “I don’t know,” for example.
I was also impressed by Grammarian’s statistical analysis. It can measure your work’s readability on the Flesch, Flesch-Kincaid, or Gunning FOG scales. Further features analyze each sentence for passive voice, confusing syntax, and other measures of writing proficiency.
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