How to Use Software to Correct Grammar & Writing Mistakes
Whether you're writing a resume or an e-mail to a friend, having good spelling and grammar can make you easier to understand, not to mention making you appear more professional. Using spelling and grammar software when you write is an easy way to eliminate many spelling errors, and it can also help you improve your spelling and grammar ability, as your attention is drawn to your mistakes.
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Instructions
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Enable the software. On Microsoft Word 2007, click the button with the windows symbol on the upper-left side of the screen. Choose "Word Options" and select "Proofing." You can also enable spelling and grammar checkers on other Microsoft Office programs, according to the Microsoft Office help and how-to site. In addition, Internet browsers, desktop publishers, and other programs typically have proofing software. Enabling this software differs from program to program.
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Pay attention to proofing. As you write, red and green lines will appear under your words when spelling and grammar errors occur. Red lines typically indicate spelling mistakes. Green lines indicate grammar errors.
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Correct errors. There are two methods you can choose. First, you can correct as you go by right clicking a word or phrase that is underlined in either red or green. (On a Mac, use the "Ctrl+Click" option.) A menu will appear with spelling or grammar suggestions, if any are available. In Microsoft Word 2007, you can also choose "Review," "Proofing," and "Spelling and Grammar," which will allow you to check all of your errors at once, according to the Microsoft Office help site. Other programs have similar features that often appear with the other tools.
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Make exceptions. To ignore words incorrectly identified as spelling errors, such as names, you can choose "Ignore" from either the menu that occurs when you right click or the "Ignore" option during the spelling and grammar check of the entire document. This option is also available for items incorrectly identified as grammar errors. According to the Microsoft Office help site, you can also turn off the spelling and grammar check for a document by selecting that document from the "Exceptions" menu under "Review" and "Proofing," where you'll have the chance to turn off spelling check, grammar check or both.
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Review the document again. Always perform a spelling and grammar check after each time you edit a document, even if you only change a few words. It's also important not to rely on spelling and grammar software, since such software cannot tell you when you accidentally use a correctly spelled, but incorrectly used word, such as typing "plan" when you mean "plain."
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Tips & Warnings
To learn how to use spelling and grammar checks for a specific program, use that program's help menu for tutorials.
