White Smoke English Writing & Proofreading Software Review
December 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment
First Impressions of White Smoke Proofreading Software
I found WhiteSmoke very easy to install and get started with. It checks the grammar, spelling and readability of everything that you write (it will do this whilst running in the background, or you can load up the program directly). It’s a bit like a very advanced and more intelligent version of Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar checker.
I liked the way it automatically checked my typing in not only Microsoft Word but also in emails and when leaving comments using web forms. It caught a few potentially embarrassing typos before I had a chance to hit “send” or “submit”…
Testing white smoke
I tried running a few pieces of my regular writing through white smoke to see what it would say. This passage came from a piece I was writing for my blog The Office Diet:
Now you know what calories are and you know how to figure out how many are in your food … you just need to know how many you should be eating.
white smoke suggested putting a comma after the words “calories are”, and when I clicked to find out why, I was told:
Explanation: This sentence requires a comma to separate its clauses and improve clarity.
Definition: Two coordinated clauses should be divided by a comma.
So far so good: I agree that the sentence is improved when rewritten as:
Now you know what calories are, and you know how to figure out how many are in your food…
The next suggestion, however, was to put a full stop after “out” and before “how”, which would make the sentence:
Now you know what calories are and you know how to figure out. How many are in your food …
This time, when I asked why, white smoke explained “Two distinct sentences have to be divided by a full stop [period].” However, these were not two separate sentences, and putting a full stop here would lose meaning. I suspect the use of “figure out” (which is quite informal or colloquial) confused the software.
My frequent use of bullet points, rather than conventional paragraphs, also caused a few issues:
- It suggested putting a period after the first bullet, but not after others. (Conventional advice is that you do not need to use periods for bullets consisting of short phrases, but if you do use periods, you should be consistent.)
- white smoke believed that “Your weight” and “Your activity levels” should be “You’re weight” and “You’re activity levels” respectively. Again, I suspect the use of bullets and fragments rather than full sentences caused this confusion.
Sometimes, the software didn’t recognise what role a particular word was playing in a sentence. In the following example, the word “fast” is an adjective modifying “food”, but white smoke believed it was a verb:
They found that those who skipped breakfast tended to eat more fast food.
I was advised to “Change ‘more’ to ‘faster’”. I can understand where the confusion came – “more fast” would be poor grammar if the sentence was “I ran more fast than Billy.” But my sentence was correct as it stood.
Enrichment Suggestions
white smoke makes a number of enrichment suggestions which can help improve the flow or style of your writing. For example, one of these came up for me when it recommended changing “And” in:
And your muscle mass is also important
to “Furthermore”, “In addition”, or “Moreover”. I would probably have picked one of these if I’d been writing a more formal piece, but for a blog post, I don’t think starting with “And” is a problem.
Verdict
I enjoyed using the white smoke software, and found it was particularly good at spotting typos as I wrote. It could seem a little intrusive at times (a small window pops up in the right hand side of the screen as you type, when the software is running), so I usually turned it off when writing fiction or informal emails as I tended to get a lot of warnings about these!
There were a few occasional slips when the software didn’t understand the meaning of what I’d written, but so long as you don’t just accept every suggestion automatically, these infrequent mistakes shouldn’t cause too many problems.
I think it would be an excellent piece of software for:
- People learning English as a foreign language
- Students writing academic essays
- Anyone producing a formal business-related piece (perhaps a report, or a job application)
- Freelancers writing for print or traditional markets
You might find the white smoke software frustrating if:
- You mainly write fiction or poetry (especially if you use a lot of dialogue or your style involves breaking grammatical rules)
- Your emails and other non-fiction writing tend to be very informal
- You use a lot of bullet points or other sentence fragments
- You’re already very confident about your spelling and grammar
Overall, white smoke is a very easy to use, intuitive piece of software, and considerably cheaper than paying a proof-reader to check your work!
From: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/whitesmoke-software-review/
WhiteSmoke 2009 Review | Grammar Correction | Proofreading and Editing Writing Software
November 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
WhiteSmoke 2009 is an innovative proofreading and editing tool with a single aim – to help you write better. Whether you simply want to compose well–written emails to family and friends, or you need professional results for business and corporate settings, WhiteSmoke consistently delivers
WhiteSmoke 2009 New Features
New GUI
WhiteSmoke 2009 introduces a new GUI with an improved workflow. Central to the new design is the presentation of WhiteSmoke’s suggestions and corrections. Replacing the pop-up menus of WhiteSmoke 2008, the user now receives corrections and suggestions in-line with the text, just like when a text is edited and proofread manually.”Our beta group is very pleased with this new development, which brings a more organic and ‘real-life’ feel to the writing and editing experience,” notes Liran Brenner, VP R&D at WhiteSmoke. Other changes include the placement of the additional writing tools (English Lessons, Templates, and the Dictionary) above the text area, and more intuitive placement of the “Check” and “Apply” buttons.
Style Checker
WhiteSmoke 2009 introduces a new collection of style checking features. The WhiteSmoke Style Checker includes WhiteSmoke’s patented Text Enrichment, a unique technology that has established WhiteSmoke in a field apart from competitors, as well as a range of new features that address overall writing style. Users will be notified of incomplete sentences, use of slang and IM speak, and informal sentence structures. These additional style checking features make WhiteSmoke 2009 a great leap forward from previous versions of WhiteSmoke, and consolidate the WhiteSmoke mission of creating an “all-in-one” writing tool.
Grammar Checker
WhiteSmoke 2009 introduces new grammar algorithms and updates to existing algorithms. Key new detections include confusions between countable and non-countable nouns (much/many, less/fewer), comparative/superlative mismatches (more nicer, less nicest), and recognition of run-on sentences. Updates to existing grammar algorithms have further improved the precision of WhiteSmoke’s corrections over a wider variety of possible sentence constructions.
whitesmoke 2009 business version review
With the WhiteSmoke 2009 Business Writing Version you can’t go wrong with any document you send out! Our online software corrects any potentially embarrassing grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes and takes your text to a new and more professional level with text enrichment suggestions relevant to the business world. The integrated dictionary-thesaurus, idiom database, and optional multi-language translator [Now Free] are complemented by 600 document templates that all-in-all provide you the best English writing package available!
whitesmoke 2009 Creative version review
Do you feel like you’ve got a burning desire to be a writer but afraid you still need to brush up on some writing basics? The WhiteSmoke online grammar and writing software is the all-in-one solution that caters to all your writing needs! It will correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes in any short story and essay you write. It will also provide you with text enrichment suggestions to enrich your writing with synonyms and extra adjectives and adverbs. The integrated dictionary-thesaurus, idiom database, 600 document templates, and online English lessons complete our unique all-in-one writing tool made just for you!
Get a free dictionary + ESL Online Video Tutorial Courses + Business English Video Tutorial Course
whitesmoke 2009 General Writing version review
Writing has never been more accessible than with the groundbreaking WhiteSmoke grammar and writing software. Whether you are a middle school student, about to hand in your first college thesis or already deep in the world of work, our software provides an all-in-one software package that caters to all your writing needs. Starting with grammar, punctuation, and spelling corrections all the way up to text enrichment suggestions of synonyms, adjectives, and adverbs, the WhiteSmoek English text enhancer does it all. Together with a built-in dictionary-thesaurus, idiom database, 600 document templates, and an optional multi-language translator, WhiteSmoke is just the writing tool you need to “Write Better – Right Now!”
whitesmoke 2009 Bio-Writing version review
Completing those patient progress forms or filing lengthy medical supply orders can be tedious and even embarrassing if sent out with mistakes. The WhiteSmoke online English grammar and writing software answers to all your needs as it corrects grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. It goes even further by offering text enriching synonyms, adjectives, and adverbs – all suited to medical jargon. Completing this package are the integrated dictionary-thesaurus, 600 professional document templates, and the optional multi-language translator. All in all, WhiteSmoke is the best all-in-one writing solution to make you “Write Better – Right Now!”
whitesmoke 2009 Hi-tech version review
The Hi-Tech Writing version of WhiteSmoke is an excellent writing solution for Hi-Tech and IT professionals. Like all versions of WhiteSmoke, you get full access to our advanced grammar checker and spell checker, as well as the style checker, which provides text enhancement suggestions to improve your writing. The dictionary-thesaurus and the spelling database of the Hi-Tech Writing version are tailored for the specific writing needs of Hi-Tech and IT professionals.
whitesmoke 2009 Executive version review
If you are an executive manager who just doesn’t have time for editing emails and business proposals, then WhiteSmoke’s English grammar and writing software is the solution you’ve been waiting for. The Executive Version includes the text enrichment capabilities of all other WhiteSmoke versions (business, creative, legal, medical, and general), and WhiteSmoke’s world-leading grammar, spelling, and punctuation correction. These core features are backed by a one-click dictionary-thesaurus, and over 600 professional document templates. WhiteSmoke’s all-in-one solution is the best bang for your writing buck!
Whitesmoke 2009 Business English Video Tutorials
WhiteSmoke’s Business English Video Tutorial Course is based on a comprehensive and highly interactive method to help you learn the “ins and outs” of Business English. The course is based around a series of real-life business scenarios, which help you acquire the necessary communication skills through actual business interactions. There are achievement tests to help you track your progress, and detailed case studies to help you get the most out of your Business English learning experience.
Now buying any whitesmoke Products, get this Free!!
Whitesmoke 2009 ESL Online Video Tutorials
WhiteSmoke’s ESL Online Video Tutorial Courses are based on a comprehensive and highly interactive method to help you learn the “ins and outs” of English as a second language. The courses are based around real-life scenarios, which help you acquire the necessary communication skills through actual interactions. There are achievement tests to help you track your progress, and detailed case studies to help you get the most out of your English learning experience.
Now buying any whitesmoke Products, get this Free!!
TellMeMore Language Learning Software Review
October 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
English is the language most often used in international business and by professionals around the world—speaking, reading and writing it fluently will advance your career and open doors of opportunity. Tell me More Premium provides classroom quality instruction in the privacy of your home or office and is The Best ESL software In the World.
Tell me More Premium ESL Software begins with the fundamentals of English, simple vocabulary and grammar, as a base. Then progressively builds your ESL skills with reading, writing, listening comprehension, pronunciation and phonetics and even cultural aspects of English speaking countries. Choose from the guided program or create your own and focus solely on those areas where you need help.
Features Set: 
Regardless of whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced student, Tell me More Premium has the features that will improve your English skills. The software combines state–of–the–art technology like speech recognition and digital imaging with proven methods like repetition and the use of visual, audio and participation teaching techniques.
During the dialog exercise, you participate in a mock conversation with the computer. For example, the computer may say, “Good morning, how are you?” You can reply, “I am fine, and you?’ The conversation continues and if you aren’t sure about your pronunciation, the program will create a wavelength of a native speaker’s voice and then have you say the word or phrase. You are able to compare wavelengths and make the necessary adjustments.
Some of the vocabulary building exercises include picture/word association, fill in the blank, word association and fun games like crossword puzzles, word searches and a version of hangman.
Fundamentals:
Tell me More Premium intertwines the fundamentals of English to create a strong teaching system. The program associates listening to reading and writing. For example, it may have you listen to a word and first recognize it and then later write it.
The software has a number of grammar practices and includes a Grammar Explanations and Conjugation Tool in the Reference Tools section. Here you will find the alphabet, cardinal numbers, subject pronouns, verb conjugations and more.
Ease of Use:
Tell me More Premium offers instruction in a variety of languages including German, English, Spanish, French, Italian and Dutch. Simply click your native tongue and instantly all of the instructions and translations are in your language.
We found the program simple to navigate with well–labeled buttons and forward and back buttons. Each time you choose an activity a brief description, tutorial and instructions appear. After you become accustomed to Tell me More, you can choose not to view the instructions.
Effectiveness:
Tell me More Premium provides all of the material you need to learn or improve your English. The program uses a variety of teaching methods to cater to your learning style. With some effort on your part, you can master the English language with this program.
Ease of Installation/Setup:
We didn’t have any problems while installing or setting up Tell me More. The software suite comes with everything you need including a headphone/microphone.
You can create an account for multiple users and the software will track each user’s settings, progress and lesson plan.
Technical Help/Support:
Help is always accessible in this program. You’ll find the help button on every page. Within help, there are tutorials and instructions. The program also comes with a user guide. If you have additional questions, customer support is available by phone or email.
Summary:
Tell me More Premium offers 850 hours of instructional material. Whether you are already familiar with English or are starting from ground zero, this English as a second language program will have you communicating in no time.
TellMeMore English Learning Software Special Offers:
TELL ME MORE Premium ESL Software – Free Shippping
TELL ME MORE Performance Spanish Language Learning Software
TELL ME MORE Performance Italian Language Learning Software
TELL ME MORE Performance French Language Learning Software
TELL ME MORE Performance English Language Learning Software
TELL ME MORE Chinese Language Learning Software
TELL ME MORE German Language Learning Software
TELL ME MORE Japanese Language Learning Software
TELL ME MORE Arabic Language Learning Software
White Smoke Special Offers!
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White Smoke Grammar Checker
White Smoke offers the most powerful grammar checking available, detecting and correcting more errors than other programs.
New! White Smoke Style Checker
The White Smoke style checker detects informal sentences, incomplete sentences, IM speak and other variant spellings. The specialized Text Enrichment gives in–context suggestions to improve vocabulary.
White Smoke Spell Checker
Not your average spell checker, the White Smoke spell checker automatically updates with new word usage, and can detect correctly spelled words used in the wrong context.
White Smoke Punctuation Checker
The White Smoke Punctuation Engine improves your sentences by suggesting appropriate punctuation to clarify your message.
White Smoke Dictionary-Thesaurus
WhiteSmoke's comprehensive dictionary–thesaurus gives accurate word definitions, synonyms, and idiomatic phrases – all at the click of a button!
White Smoke Letter Templates
With over 600 letter and document templates, White Smoke 2009 provides you with a start on just about anything you need to write.
NEW! White Smoke Error Explanations
WhiteSmoke's grammar error explanations give you a full understanding of grammar rules, enabling you to learn from your mistakes and improve your writing!
NEW! White Smoke English Lessons
When you want to learn more about the English language, browse WhiteSmoke's english lessons for great tips that can help your writing.
NEW! White Smoke AutoCorrect
The AutoCorrect feature helps you save valuable time by automatically correcting errors that do not require user interaction.
Notifier and Everywhere
The Notifier and White Smoke Everywhere give you visual alert whenever White Smoke detects an error.
