ESL students have many different types of struggles, and one of them happens to be writing and speaking like a native. Now, some students are naturally gifted and grasp the English language quite well. However, others need assistance in some shape or form.
Now, this assistance can be in the shape of anyone else helping them or using tools to ensure their English is up to standards. There are many different types of tools that can be used for this, but the first one that comes to mind is a grammar checker.
Proper grammar is a necessity in any language, and most ESL students tend to do this by using an online grammar checker. So, how does it help? What are its benefits for an ESL writer? That’s what we’re here to find out, so let’s get started.
What is A Grammar Checker?
A grammar checker is a tool that checks and correct any sort of text for grammatical errors. Using a blend of NLP and Machine Learning, modern grammar checkers can identify the slightest issues and even misspells that a user might commit, such as fright or freight.
These tools are available in both online and downloadable forms. However, most users like the online versions as they do not need the hassle of downloading and installing them. Regardless of that, the capabilities of top-notch grammar checkers online include:
- Ability to identify grammatical errors;
- Correct said grammatical issues directly;
- Identify punctuation mistakes;
- Check for spelling errors;
- And find improper or badly worded sentences.
That’s why these grammar checkers have become an integral part of the writing process for ESL writers. Not only do they provide assistance, but most great grammar checkers available today are free.
How Is A Grammar Checker Beneficial for ESL Writers?
There are many ways that a grammar checker can be beneficial for an ESL writer—as we’ll explore in a moment.
But before seeing how ESL users can use these grammar checkers, let’s talk about some of the key benefits of a grammar checker for someone whose primary language isn’t English.
So, here are five main benefits of using a grammar checker for an ESL student.
- It can easily identify and correct errors—saving a ton of time;
- It can boost confidence by providing real-time feedback;
- It can expand vocabulary and provide insight into new words/synonyms;
- It can enhance the writer’s ability to be proficient and communicative;
And it can ensure the writer can self-edit and get rid of issues before submitting their work.
These benefits make a grammar corrector one of the best tools that a writer can use. And for an ESL student, the time-saving and productivity benefit of a grammar checker is perhaps even more important.
How Can ESL Students Use Grammar Checker to Improve English
It’s important that students employ a good-quality and dependable tool to grammar check online. This tool should have a few key features that allow the users to correct spelling issues and find grammatical issues.
Now, spelling and punctuation aside, today’s grammar checkers are way smarter than that. So, here are four ways ESL students can use said grammar checkers to improve their English:
1. Correct Verb Tense Errors Instantly
Verb tense errors are quite common among students whose primary language isn’t English. This is caused by a common error of misidentifying the first, second, and third forms of a word. So, it ends up in sentences that read something like:
“She thrown the ball like a professional.”
Instead of:
“She threw the ball like a professional.”
So, here’s how the grammar checker can help:
As seen here, upon doing a grammar check online, the error is apparent. And now, the ESL writer has two examples to work with. This simple sentence can now be made a present or a past sentence upon the writer’s choice. That’s how a grammar checker can help correct verb tense errors easily.
2. Enhance Sentence Structure For Clarity
Sentence structure and clarity are other things that ESL writers often struggle with. For someone who is new to English, it’s always an issue of making mistakes when writing common words. Here’s an example of a grammar checker fixing that issue:
Now, English has no such word as “Gooder,” and the tool identifies that. It identifies that and provides various alternatives which can replace the word that the user is looking for. That’s why a grammar checker can help improve the sentence structure in an error-driven sentence.
Moreover, it can also assist with identifying the right word. As seen in the demonstration above, it can also improve the student’s grasp of when and where to use specific words in a sentence.
3. Identify And Fix Common Punctuation Mistakes
Identifying and fixing common punctuation errors is another key essential of using a grammar checker. There are times when ESL writers do not know when use punctuation to cause sentence periods, pauses, etc. Here’s another example:
What you see in this image is a common mishap of not using the question mark when it’s needed. This is particularly common among ESL students, who use periods instead of question marks. Now, this also applies to punctuations like commas, colons, and semicolons.
Therefore, using a good grammar checker can rid ESL writers of this issue quite easily.
4. Expand Vocabulary With Suggested Synonyms
Vocabulary is another thing that benefits when a writer uses a good-quality grammar checker. Misspelling isn’t just a matter of error; it’s also usual when an ESL writer simply forgets what word to use. So, they can try to guess and let the grammar checker do its thing like this:
As you can see here, the two suggestions fit well within the context of this sentence. Now, it depends on the writer which word they intended to use. So, providing that a grammar checker can expand one’s vocabulary quite a lot.
Conclusion
These are some of the key essentials of an online grammar checker and how it can assist a writer in creating error-free content. It’s important to use a good-quality grammar checker to make the most of its abilities and gain all the benefits mentioned in this article.
0 Comments