Write.Teach.Tech

Using the Spell/Grammar Check Effectively
by Tonya Howe

Word’s spell- and grammar-check feature is not as powerful as it could be, but if you set the options correctly, it can be quite helpful. Select TOOLS > OPTIONS and open the SPELLING & GRAMMAR TAB:

Check CHECK GRAMMAR AS YOU TYPE; CHECK GRAMAR WITH SPELLING; SHOW READABILITY STATISTICS. Select the SETTINGS button:

Set the WRITING STYLE to either “grammar & style,” as above, or “formal.” [ this will depend on which version of Word you’re working with]; REQUIRE as above. CHECK EVERY BOX AVAILABLE UNDER BOTH “GRAMMAR” AND “STYLE.” Click OK, and return to your document. Turn on the Office Assistant—when you check your document for grammar, the Assistant will generally explain some of your errors.

Select TOOLS > SPELLING AND GRAMMAR to begin checking your document.

Once you’ve spell- and grammar-checked the document, you will see your essay’s “readability statistics.” These statistics can be informative guides to your writing. If the reading level is too low, you need to use better words and more complex sentence structures. If the passive sentences percentage is over 3%, you need to use more active voice. If the “ Flesch Reading Ease” score is too low, your essay is very difficult to read. Note that the readability statistics do not exceed the 12th grade reading level; therefore, a lower reading ease score is to be expected. In first year composition, you should aim for a score between 50 and 60.