Never accept a grammar- and spell-check as foolproof.
Last week I was once again reminded of the limits of proofreading software. In a business writing class, participants were sharing the documents they had just written, when we discovered these grammar- and spell-check misses:
“between you and I” (change I to me)
“add insult too injury” (change too to to)
Best Regards, (make R lower case)
under stand (understand)
Monday at 8am (8 a.m.)
for both company’s (companies)
While not as embarrassing as pubic for public or hell for hello, these errors diminish the impression we want to make.
If, like the software we all use, you’re not foolproof when it comes to the mechanics of writing, sit down with a friendly guide. Write Right by Jan Venolia is a comfortable place to start.