[General] proofread

[madunix]

Which of these services would you recommend as proofread/grammar to subscribe to it
- grammarly.com
- gingersoftware.com
- lingualearn.co.uk
- usingenglish.com (I use it)
- others

Thanks

 

[Tdol]

They're different tools- the first two are software, while the third is professional human proofreading.

Dedicated human professional proofreading is going to be the best service, but also the most expensive. I haven't looked at GingerSoftware yet, but I have used Grammarly and found that it is a useful tool and could help someone to improve their text. The standards of the software tools generally is improving and have moved well beyond the days of grammar checkers that were inaccurate and annoying. However, for important documents, I would go for a human every time, but cannot say whether LinguaLearn are better than any other service, and there are loads to choose from:

Here are a few submitted to our database: Proofreading - ESL Web Directory - UsingEnglish.com (Submission is not a guarantee of quality)

Some offer samples, so test them out and see which suits you best.

We're a discussion forum and people will do some proofreading, though as it's done on a volunteer basis, there are no guarantees that a piece will get looked at. Therefore, I would use us for things that are not urgent and short.

Here's another I looked at: Twilocity - Tdol's English Language Blog
Grammarly: Grammarly - Tdol's English Language Blog

 

[madunix]

What do you think about English Grammar Checker Software | WhiteSmoke | World-Leading Language Solutions by WhiteSmoke ? WhiteSmoke is unique since it understands the context of the text. Instead of offering just a list of synonyms, it tries to find synonym suggestions that pertain to the meaning of the text. WhiteSmoke is also the first software of its kind to suggest enrichments, such as creative adverbs and adjectives that the user can insert into the text that he/she has written.

 

[Tdol]

I don't see how that's different from Grammarly, whose synonym suggestions also seem to be related to the context of the text. I haven't used WhiteSmoke in depth for a few years, so I can't offer an opinion about how good it is today as these things are changing and developing at quite a pace. WhiteSmoke has been around for a long time and is the best known brand, and you can't maintain that without having something good to offer.

 

[Barb_D]

I have never used WhiteSmoke, but I have read many threads filled with complaints about it. Most seem to say that if you try to sign up for a trial, you credit card is going to be charged and you will never be successful in getting a credit after you want to stop the free trial. If it's a great product, fine, but from what I've read, be sure you want it, because once you sign up for it, it's yours.

 

[madunix]

Many thanks for your input, I have requested an offer from the WhiteSmoke, in the offer stated:
"Further to our conversation, this is the offered package at a reduced price:
One-Time Payment - WhiteSmoke 2011+ - including all writing profiles: General, Business, Creative, Medical, Legal, Hi tech and also the Multi Lingual Dictionary and Translator.
The total price will be: US$139.95 - Including tax and shipping. "

The offer sounds interesting, but I'm still confused between grammarly vs whitesmoke which one should I go, which one would have more feature in flexibility, proofreading and Grammar, since I will have much to do with writing technical papers (Networking, Software Eng., Hardware..).

I saw that whitesmoke offer also a translator, is it better than google?
Thanks

 

[Barb_D]

I have serious doubts that any automated translater is useful for sentences more complex than "I like your hat" or "Your dinner is on the table."

 

[Tdol]

I have now looked at GingerSoftware and can't say that I would recommend it.

 

[madunix]

I got grammarly, it looks okay for me ... just trying to find my way