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xboiledeggx

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 6, 2005
19
0
i just got a ibook and how do i check my grammar for my reports in Appleworks or textedit for my school reports. I found the spell checker but cant find a grammar one. If it doesnt have one thats a serious bad spot for macs.
 

Blackheart

macrumors 6502a
Mar 13, 2004
938
0
Seattle
xboiledeggx said:
i just got a ibook and how do i check my grammar for my reports in Appleworks or textedit for my school reports. I found the spell checker but cant find a grammar one. If it doesnt have one thats a serious bad spot for macs.

I don't have Appleworks and TextEdit is too simple to have a grammar checker. I'm curious why you say this is a "bad spot for macs". It's not like Windows has a grammar checker; hell, it doesn't even have a spell checker. :p
 

James Philp

macrumors 65816
Mar 5, 2005
1,493
0
Oxford/London
I think appleworks should have one, but I don't know as I use Office.
I'm not sure that a grammar check is a deal breaker for me - I mean c'mon I have a spellchecker and dictionary available in every single (cocoa) application! It's checking my spelling as I type now - and in Mail - great things.
Also, try my Top Tiger Tip (link below) and you'll be loving it!
 
L

Lau

Guest
I get where you're coming from, but beware of the computer grammar checker. I find the spelling check useful, but more often than not the grammar check is wrong, sometimes very wrong!
 

katie ta achoo

Blogger emeritus
May 2, 2005
9,166
5
TextEdit does not have grammar check.


Sopabox:
Grammar check on computers is pretty bad, IMO.

Grammar has some fine points that only humans can take care of.

Anyone remember that little thing where someone typed Shakespeare in Word and it was full of grammatical errors? Blech!
 

mms

macrumors 6502a
Oct 8, 2003
784
0
CA
Because of course Shakespeare is perfect...

Even in Word, grammar check is horrible. Really the only mistakes it catches that I don't are extra spaces between words or something else relatively minor. It isn't anything that incredibly important and not a big sore spot for Macs in any case.
 

James Philp

macrumors 65816
Mar 5, 2005
1,493
0
Oxford/London
yes, often grammar check sucks, no matter what program it comes in. What exactly is a fragmented sentence anyhow!? :confused: And if it is truly bad, then suggest an alternative, not just "consider revising"! - Why does it do this? - Because the nuances of grammar are pretty much too complex for a writing program to understand.

Even spell checker is very simple - it doesn't check that you've got all of your words spelled corrected - it checks that all of the words are spelled correctly. You may have written something (typo) that actually produced a real word, and thus, the spell checker will not catch it.

The best way to check spelling is to read what you have done, backwards.
 

mms

macrumors 6502a
Oct 8, 2003
784
0
CA
Thinking back to English class -
A fragment is a part of a sentence that cannot correctly stand on its own but is incorrectly used as a sentence in itself. Basically, it's a phrase without both a subject and a verb and whatever else the sentence needs. It's a common grammatical error to use fragments as sentences when they can't stand alone.

Ah, yes, the debate over Shakespeare... I remember arguing it against my English teacher last year as a last-ditch effort to get out of the in-class writing on Romeo and Juliet scheduled for the day. She got really defensive and started to mutter some incoherent phrases about how the work stood for itself anyways, then quickly changed the subject.

Not to hijack the thread by reminiscing about freshman English class, of course. Back to the topic, everybody...
 

Nermal

Moderator
Staff member
Dec 7, 2002
20,650
4,051
New Zealand
mms said:
Thinking back to English class -
A fragment is a part of a sentence that cannot correctly stand on its own but is incorrectly used as a sentence in itself. Basically, it's a phrase without both a subject and a verb and whatever else the sentence needs. It's a common grammatical error to use fragments as sentences when they can't stand alone.

Like "my bad"? I hate that "phrase" with a passion :mad:
 

xboiledeggx

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 6, 2005
19
0
I am just looking to grammar check my essays like i can in word, but i want to use my mac so im using Appleworks for the first time. Yes I run spell checker and i dont care if it doesnt pick up all the stuff i just want to run a quick grammar check. Does appleworks have one? if so tell me where
 

iMeowbot

macrumors G3
Aug 30, 2003
8,634
0
xboiledeggx said:
Does appleworks have one? if so tell me where
There is only a spell check in appleworks. Grammatica is still around, but I remember seeing this and thinking that it was clunky. At least it's a free trial, if you want to give it a shot.
 
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