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Grammar

How to Check Grammar in Google Docs

Check grammar in Google Docs with this step-by-step guide. Includes helpful Google Docs add-ons and Chrome extensions to improve your writing and save time with formatting.

Even with extensive expertise on a given topic, proper grammar is still essential to communicating clearly and establishing credibility. 

Yet, mastering grammar can be difficult from correctly using punctuation to learning subject-verb agreements. 

For instance, is it, “The list of items are on the table,” or “The list of items is on the table?” 

Not sure? Then this article is for you (it’s ‘is’ by the way). Find out how to check grammar in Google Docs. Plus, get insight into the Originality.ai Grammar Checker, a fantastic alternative for reviewing grammar and spelling mistakes.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this article

  • How to correctly check your grammar in Google Docs.
  • Why using a grammar checker matters.
  • Why the Originality.ai Grammar Checker is an excellent alternative.
  • Helpful plugins and extensions that go beyond grammar checks to improve your writing.

Check Grammar in Google Docs, Step by Step

  1. First, open the document you want to check in Google Docs

  2. From the top menu, select Tools, then Spelling and Grammar
  1. Make sure that both Show Spelling Suggestions and Show Grammar
    Suggestions
    are checked. This will let Google Docs underline words or phrases that are either spelled incorrectly (red underline) or use incorrect grammar (blue underline). This will happen automatically as you type, so there’s no need to run the spelling and grammar check each time you’re uncertain.  
  1. When you’re ready, run the spelling and grammar check by going to Tools > Spelling and Grammar > Spelling and Grammar Check.

  2. A sidebar will show up on the right side of your screen. Google Docs will guide you through each of the incorrectly spelled words and each instance of incorrect grammar. You can either accept the suggestion by clicking on it or ignore it if it doesn’t apply.

  3. You can also manually review suggestions. As you type, Google will underline words in red or blue. You can right-click on the underlined word to see spelling errors or grammar/style suggestions respectively. Here again, you can either click on the correction or ignore it. 

Why Check Google Docs Grammar?

Writing with good grammar isn’t just something you can forget after your school days are over. Using proper grammar makes your writing look polished and professional, especially for work or research. 

Plus, in the worst-case scenario, incorrect grammar can confuse your readers or completely change the meaning of your message. 

For example, writing “They almost prepared lunch at home every day.” implies that they came close to preparing lunch at home but never actually did it

Meanwhile, writing “They prepared lunch at home almost every day.” means that they prepared lunch at home most days, but not always.

See how different the meaning can be just by the misplacement of a single word? Good grammar makes everything clearer! 

Now that you know how to check grammar in Google Docs, what else can you do? Well, as it turns out, there are a host of helpful add-ons and extensions that you can use to further improve your writing and format your text so that it looks flawless and professional. 

Originality.ai is a Fantastic Alternative to Google Docs Grammar and Spelling Features

The Originality.ai Grammar Checker offers a convenient alternative to the Google Docs spelling and grammar tool for reviewing text. 

To scan text that you’ve drafted in Google Docs, simply copy and paste it into the editor! 

Then, to fix multiple spelling and grammar issues at the same time, click “Fix Issues” and streamline your editing process.

Additionally, with Originality.ai you can also use the AI Checker, Plagiarism Checker, and Readability Checker to publish high-quality content with confidence.

Helpful Google Chrome Extensions and Add-Ons to Improve Writing

As well as using the Google Docs grammar and spelling tool, you can also enhance the editorial experience by installing Chrome extensions or add-ons that work with Google Docs.

To find Chrome extensions visit the Chrome Web Store. This is where you can find the Originality.ai Chrome Extension where you can “Watch a Writer Write,” and check content for AI-generated text.

Then, to search for Add-Ons, simply go to Extensions > Add-Ons > click Get Add-Ons to open up a search box where you can search to find specific Google Docs add-ons. 

Here are a few to compare and consider:

Originality.ai Chrome Extension

Do you regularly work with a roster of writers or content publishers and want to visualize and add transparency to the writing process? 

Originality.ai’s Chrome Extension offers features where you can not only “Watch a Writer Write,” (sped up), but you can also check writing for AI right from the extension itself. 

Learn more about AI detection, AI detection accuracy, and why it’s important to monitor AI content due to Google penalties.

Super Styles for Google Docs

By default, Google Docs comes with a handful of different text styles, but what if you could create an unlimited number of them and apply them instantly? 

That’s what Super Styles does. It’s a simple way to format your text exactly the way you want it with flexibility. 

Text Cleaner

“Why do I need a text cleaner add-on when I can just clear formatting?” You ask. Well, sometimes you don’t want to clear all of the formatting. 

Maybe you just want to remove underlines from your document so that people don’t accidentally confuse them for links. That’s what Text Cleaner does. 

Take out the formatting you don’t want, and keep what you do.

Consistency Checker

This is a helpful tool if you tend to write long proposals or other formal documentation. You want to keep your content consistent, but did you write ‘add-on’ or ‘addon’? How about, ‘first-hand’ or ‘firsthand’? Consistency Checker will spot this for you and help you to make it, well, consistent. 

Final Thoughts

Checking for grammar is an essential part of publishing the highest quality, professional content. 

Google Docs offers a built-in option to highlight spelling and grammar errors with red or blue underlines. However, Originality.ai offers a fantastic alternative that elevates the editorial process with grammar checking, AI detection, plagiarism checking, and readability tools.

Not only will your content sound more professional and engaging, but it will boost your credibility as an author as well!

Learn more about grammar and how to take your content to the next level:

Sherice Jacob

Sherice Jacob is a seasoned copywriter and content professional fluent in English, Spanish, and Catalan, with over 25 years of experience crafting high-converting copy. Passionate about AI, she enjoys exploring the new innovations and possibilities it brings to the world of content creation.

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