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White Smoke Writing Proofreading Software – Editing & Fixing Your Grammar

October 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment

White Smoke Writing Proofreading Software is an important tool for both English native speakers and ESL students alike. We can spend hours on writing, rewriting, checking and proofreading our different writing tasks trying to maintain it correct and professional. Looking for new ways that will help you to enrich and correct your English writing without any extra effort? Read this article.

Some background

White Smoke Writing Proofreading Software provides advanced grammar and proofreading capabilities that aren’t available with our conventional word processors. The way they ‘fix’ your writing is interesting yet complicated; basically these solutions compare your sentences to their own ‘proper versions’ of similar sentences. These sophisticated software solutions usually provide the following: proofreading for correct grammar, correcting spelling mistakes, and checking on proper punctuation.

Important advantages

Let’s summarize the main benefits and advantages:

- Helping us to avoid embarrassing grammar mistakes.

- Providing extra capabilities which do not exist in conventional word processors.

- Enriching our English vocabulary.

Looking closer on this technology, we could easily find other advantages that were not mentioned in this review, as this technology is constantly moving forward, bringing us fresh improvements that help us on improving our Writing performance.

Conclusion

White Smoke Writing Proofreading Software and other NLP technologies (Natural Language Processing) will undoubtedly gain more and more popularity as we all understand the importance of maintaining a high-quality writing level. It is important to keep in mind that this technology is not 100% perfect; however, it provides help for our most common writing problems. Developing this complex technology is challenging, however, we can expect this solution to further develop itself, simply because writing is one of the most important tools that helps us communicating with others.

White Smoke Writing Proofreading Software provides advanced grammar and proofreading capabilities that aren’t available with our conventional word processors. Smart proofreading and grammar correction solutions rely on sophisticated engines and dynamic databases. They process your writing, compare it, and finally fix it. If we research these nlp (natural language processing) programs we will notice that most of them provide the following: instant correction for basic grammar mistakes, spelling and typos, and punctuation errors.

What are the main benefits?

Let’s quickly see what is in it for us:

* Improving our writing style.
* Improving and enriching our speech, enabling us to speak correct and better English.
* Enriching our English vocabulary.

If we examine it closer we would probably find additional benefits that aren’t mentioned here, as this innovative technology keeps improving, bringing us fresh solutions that help us on improving our English writing.

Summary

White Smoke Writing Proofreading Software can help us correct and polish most of our daily writing assignments – Emails, documents, job applications, and more. Everyone agrees that it cannot completely eliminate our writing problems; however, it can significantly help us on improving our writing skills. Although it is already available, we can expect this tool to further develop itself, simply because writing is one of the most important tools that help us fulfill our daily assignments.

Posted by white smoke | Filed Under Accurate Spell Checker, Correct Grammar Software, Error Explanations, Grammar Correction, Grammar Software, Intelligent Style Checker, Writing Software, editing, editing proofreading, english writing, grammar checker, proofreading, proofreading software, white smoke, white smoke review, whitesmoke, whitesmoke review, writing, writing proofreading 

A Guide to Business English Writing

October 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment


Successful business writing means taking some extra care with grammar and spelling, clearly stating your main point, writing clearly, and giving some thought to your audience.

The Impact of Business Writing

Readers will judge you to some extent based on your writing. Take extra care with grammar and spelling. Sending a message with grammar errors is like showing up for a meeting with your shirt untucked. It gives an impression of sloppiness.

Business English should be reasonably formal. Do not, however, let your writing become stilted. Keep a somewhat conversational tone, without being unprofessional. Be careful with humor, which is easier to miss or misunderstand in writing without the benefit of body language.

Don’t use “smilies” :) or the casual abbreviations that have become popular in e-mails, like LOL or TTFN.

Be particularly careful with the names of companies and people. You don’t want subordinates, colleagues, or clients to get the impression that you don’t care about them.

Bad writing will do more than give a bad impression. A poorly-written document will fail to achieve whatever objective you had when you wrote it. If you write a long, rambling document with dense blocks of text, many readers will skim it briefly and discard it. If people don’t read your letters and e-mails, then writing them is a waste of your time.

Write Clearly

To write clearly, keep the following points in mind:

  • Use simple, clear words
  • Get to the point
  • Format the document appropriately

Use Simple, Clear Words

Most of us can speak fairly clearly, but somehow when we write, an unhelpful complexity often creeps in. People use words in writing that they would never use in conversation. Often we use written words that are less clear, because they seem more official or more formal. The result is stilted, stuffy, unnatural writing that is more difficult to read than it needs to be.

Here is a list of fancy words and their simpler equivalents. Try to use the words in the second column instead of the words in the first column.

commence begin
prior to before
furnish give
proceed go, continue, walk, drive
anticipate expect
implement start
utilize use

Try reading your documents out loud. They should not sound clumsy, awkward, or pretentious. You should write more or less the way you speak, although with more strict attention paid to grammar.

Get to the Point

There are two questions you must answer before you begin to write. What is your message? What are you trying to achieve? Answering these two questions will make the writing process easier, and the quality of the writing higher.

In your document, you should immediately state the main point or key piece of information. Don’t make your readers dig through a long letter or e-mail, trying to figure out why you wrote it. State your conclusions or key message up front. Add further details after you’ve gotten to the point.

Avoid unnecessary words. Don’t bury your message in pointless phrases. Trim meandering sentences that add nothing to your message. Consider the following example, with two versions of the same paragraph.

In the event that the purchaser is not fully satisfied, the company warranties and guarantees that the purchaser shall be eligible for a full and complete refund, subject to the following conditions: that the product is returned in a reasonable condition; that a receipt is presented at the time of returning the product; that the receipt shall correspond in every way to the product being returned. Customers not fully satisfied with the product must bring both the product and the corresponding receipt to the service desk on the second floor.

You must have a receipt to get a refund. See the service desk on the second floor.

The first paragraph has no useful information that is not found in the second paragraph. It is harder to understand, and that is all.

Format the Document Appropriately

Make your documents reader-friendly. The main point should appear close to the top of the document, and it should be easy to find. The document should not resemble a marathon, or a maze where you’ve cleverly hidden your information.

Avoid extremely long sentences or very long paragraphs. It is intimidating to search for information in a large, dense mass of text. Use whitespace to break up the document and to emphasize key points.

Use headings to make it easy for readers to find information, and to keep track of where they are in the document. Use bulleted and numbered lists so that key facts are easy to find.

Here is a basic model for clear, accessible documents:

  • start with your main point
  • organize your writing into blocks of information
  • label those blocks with headings

Consider Your Audience

Keep the reader in mind as you write. Think about your reader’s vocabulary and education level, and write appropriately. Only use abbreviations or jargon that your audience will understand.

Ask yourself what your readers are interested in and need to know. What is in it for the reader? Don’t write out every fact that you know. Put in the information that the reader needs.

Sometimes, considering your audience means deciding not to send out a document. Many workers feel inundated with e-mails, especially corporate communications sent to too many recipients. Many people learn to delete e-mails with only a cursory glance.

If you send out too much information, you can create a situation where less and less information is actually being received. If your co-workers expect to receive irrelevant and long-winded e-mails, they may not recognize an important message. Be selective about the messages you send, to avoid training people to delete your messages unread.

Give all e-mails an appropriate and descriptive subject line. It is the first step in making your message clear.

Good business English means more effective communication. It is simple, clear, and straightforward. It is easier to read, and when you get used to it, easier to write.

Posted by white smoke | Filed Under Accurate Spell Checker, Correct Grammar Software, Error Explanations, Grammar Correction, Grammar Software, Intelligent Style Checker, Writing Software, editing, english writing, grammar checker, proofreading, white smoke, white smoke review, whitesmoke, whitesmoke review, writing 

The Essentials of Writing in English

October 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment


Good writing in English has several key components. Good writing is clear and unambiguous, with descriptive words that are easy to understand, proper grammar and punctuation, and careful use of pronouns and modifiers. Good writing is concise. Unnecessary words and repetitious phrases are removed. Good writing is focused, with every sentence contributing to the purpose of the document.

Good Writing Is Clear and Unambiguous

There are many ways for writing to be unclear. Esoteric or unusual words will confuse many readers. Poorly chosen words can make your writing less clear. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes make writing harder to understand. Pronouns are inherently ambiguous, and pose a constant threat to clarity. Misplaced or clumsy modifiers can also distort the meaning of a sentence.

Obscure Vocabulary

Eschew obfuscation. Very few readers will understand this gem of advice. However, if you say, “avoid making things unclear,” almost any reader will be able to understand.

Try not to use obscure or unusual words which many readers will not be able to understand. This includes needlessly fancy words like “pulchritude” or “anthrogogue,” and technical and scientific terms. Be wary of abbreviations. Most people know what a CD is, but they may be less familiar with an MRI or an SOP. Not every reader will be familiar with the casual abbreviations often seen in e-mail, like “LOL” or “OMG.”

Be careful with slang expressions, especially words whose meaning has changed over the years. Readers over the age of 30 are likely to consider the word “pimp” an insult, while younger readers might consider it a compliment.

Descriptive Words

Use the best word for the situation. Usually a more descriptive word is better than a less descriptive word. Instead of “dog,” write “collie” or “poodle.” Instead of “vehicle,” use “pickup truck” or “sedan.”

Resist the temptation to use vague words because they sound official or serious. Never write that someone was “proceeding down the street.” If they were driving, say so. If they were walking, say that they were walking. Don’t make your readers guess.

Grammar

Grammar is a subject too complex to be summarized here. Poor grammar may do nothing worse than irritate your readers. Sometimes, however, poor grammar can make your writing confusing or impossible to understand.

Be careful with spelling, and especially with homonyms (words which sound the same but are spelled differently). You may have correctly spelled a word that you didn’t mean to use. “Joe is a little horse” is a very different statement from “Joe is a little hoarse.”

Incorrect punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence. “My brother’s money” belongs to my brother, but “my brothers’ money” belongs to my brothers. A misplaced comma can turn one modifier into two different modifiers. “He arrived for his appointment, late yesterday afternoon,” suggests that he arrived on time for an appointment in the late afternoon. “He arrived for his appointment late, yesterday afternoon,” suggests that he was late for his appointment.

Failure to understand the parts of speech can also cause confusion. If, instead of “I feel bad,” you write, “I feel badly,” it sounds as if you are not very good at feeling.

Pronouns

Every pronoun risks confusing your readers. Consider the following example:

Andy and Bob tried to install a new carpet in the hall, but he said it was too wide.

Who did the talking? Was the carpet too wide for the hall, or was the hall too wide for the carpet? Your guess is as good as mine.

Every time you write “he,” “she,” “it,” “they,” or any other pronoun, you need to double-check for any chance of misunderstanding.

Modifiers

A modifier is a word or phrase that describes or modifies something in a sentence. The modifier should be placed as close as possible to whatever it is modifying. Consider the following examples:

Tom had some chicken that he thought was greasy, with his friend.

Tom had some chicken with his friend, that he thought was greasy.

In the first example it sounds like Tom thought the chicken was greasy. In the second example it sounds like he thought his friend was greasy.

Good Writing Is Concise

Brevity, according to Shakespeare, is the soul of wit. Most of us write documents that are somewhat bloated and repetitive. If you can learn to remove unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences, your writing will improve dramatically. Here are some examples of trimming the fat:

Right now, gasoline is expensive.
Gasoline is expensive.

Mr. Smith, who is my lawyer, wrote this document.
Mr. Smith, my lawyer, wrote this document.

I was not aware of the fact that the car was stolen.
I was not aware that the car was stolen.
I did not know that the car was stolen.

The truth is, I don’t like your hat.
I don’t like your hat.

Egg whites are low in fat. Egg whites are also high in protein. Egg whites are more healthy than whole eggs.
Egg whites, low in fat and high in protein, are healthier than whole eggs.

Good Writing Is Focused

A well-written document should have a point. If you are not sure what you are trying to say or what it is that you are trying to accomplish with your writing, then your writing will be vague and meandering. Take the time before you begin to decide what your essential message is. If you don’t know what you’re trying to say, you’ll have a hard time trying to say it.

After the document is finished, go back over it, keeping your theme or purpose in mind. Anything that doesn’t contribute to your central message or goal should probably be removed.

Posted by white smoke | Filed Under Accurate Spell Checker, Correct Grammar Software, Error Explanations, Grammar Correction, Grammar Software, Intelligent Style Checker, Writing Software, editing, english writing, grammar checker, proofreading, white smoke, white smoke review, whitesmoke, whitesmoke review, writing 

The Guide to Proofreading and Editing

October 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Editing is not the same thing as proofreading. Editing works on a larger scale. When you edit, you look at the overall document and what it is trying to say. You may add or remove entire paragraphs, or drastically change the way the document is organized. You might ask the following questions: What is the purpose of the document? Is that purpose achieved? Does the organization of the document make sense? Is it clear and easy to understand?

Proofreading works on a much smaller scale. When you are satisfied with the basic structure of the document, confident that it says what you wanted to say, then you proofread to check the small details. Look at each sentence by itself. Is the sentence grammatically correct? Is it punctuated properly? Look at each word. Is it the best word you could have chosen? Is it spelled correctly? Did you use the correct word, or did you use a word that sounds the same but is spelled differently?

Editing

Editing is primarily concerned with four things: content, structure, clarity, and style.

Content

What is the purpose of your document? What is it that you need to communicate? As you edit the paper, ask yourself if you have included all of the information that needs to be there. Does the document say what it needs to say?

Have you clearly communicated all of the necessary facts? How about opinions? If you were trying to convince someone of something, does the document show what your opinion is, and why your choice is better?

Is your content accurate? Is it clear which parts are fact, and which parts are opinion? Have you included anything irrelevant or confusing that should be left out? Is there anything offensive, or anything that your readers could misunderstand and find offensive?

Structure

How is the document organized? Different kinds of documents should be organized in different ways. A business letter has a very different structure from the memo or an essay.

Often you will start with an introduction, followed by a description of your main points, followed by a conclusion. This basic structure can work for anything from a long paragraph to a textbook. The introduction could be a sentence, a paragraph, a page, or a chapter, depending on what you are writing.

As you edit, check that your topics are in a logical order. Now that you can see the whole document, you may want to reorganize it.

Clarity

This is a tricky area. The document will seem clear to you. You wrote it, so you know exactly what everything means. You must learn to watch for things that your readers could misunderstand.

Are you using slang, technical terms, jargon, or obscure words? Do you refer to people, places, or things, without explaining who or what they are?

Check your pronouns. If you use “he,” “they,” or “it,” is there any chance of creating confusion?

Look at each sentence by itself. Have you written any sentences that can’t stand on their own?

Have you used any ambiguous words? Did you say “proceeding down the street” instead of “walking,” “driving,” or “sliding?” Did you say “vehicle,” leaving people to wonder if it was a car, truck, or bus?

Style

Editing for style will not help people to understand your writing. It will, however, make it more likely that people will keep reading to the end of the document. A poor writing style is like chewing with your mouth open. It doesn’t make you harder to understand, but it gives a bad impression and makes it less likely that people will pay attention to what you write.

Editing for style means removing things that are clumsy, repetitive, or unnecessary. It means putting variety in your sentences and paragraphs, and making your writing pleasant to read.

As you edit, watch for a repetition of words or phrases. Maybe you use the word “nevertheless” several times in every paragraph. Take it out. It’s distracting.

Watch for unnecessary words. Instead of “right now, sales are down,” just say “sales are down.” Instead of “due to the fact that,” just say “because.”

Whenever possible, use the active voice rather than the passive voice. Instead of “a decision was made by the committee,” say “the committee made a decision.”

Proofreading

You probably need more proofreading than you realize. Your brain will correct things for you unconsciously as you read. If you go through the document a couple of times and don’t see any errors, you should not assume that the errors aren’t there.

You may want to make several passes through the document, looking for a different kind of error each time. Check your grammar. Check your punctuation. Make sure you haven’t used an adjective to modify a verb (“He is quick. He moves quickly.” Not, “He moves quick.”) Check your spelling, and give extra care to homonyms (words that sound the same but are spelled differently). “You paid to much” is an example of using the wrong homonym.

If you are going to proofread for someone else, you will have to learn standard proofreading marks. These are symbols used by professional editors to indicate when text should be omitted, inserted, capitalized, transposed, and so on.

Tips

Don’t try to edit or proofread right after you finish writing the document. You need distance to get perspective. Leave it alone for a while, and come back with a fresh eye.

Consider asking someone else to look at the document. Things that seem perfectly clear to you may not be clear to other readers. Often, one person will catch errors that another person will miss.

Read the document out loud. This will help you notice clumsy phrasing or passages that don’t quite make sense.

For meticulous proofreading, try reading the document backward. This gives you a new perspective and helps you to focus on one word at a time and one sentence at a time.

Watch for errors that you commonly make. Consider keeping a list of your own most common mistakes. This will help you keep from repeating them.

Posted by white smoke | Filed Under Accurate Spell Checker, Correct Grammar Software, Error Explanations, Grammar Correction, Grammar Software, Intelligent Style Checker, Writing Software, editing, grammar checker, proofreading, white smoke, white smoke review, whitesmoke, whitesmoke review, writing 

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