Use a Grammar Checker Without Erasing Dialect

This article will tell you what that means why it is a problem for people who write papers what research says about it and how you can use a grammar checker called Trinka to make your papers good without losing the way you talk.

What Does It Look Like When a Grammar Checker Does Not Like Your Dialect?

These tools are trained on a lot of writing that has been edited, like books and news articles. So, they think that the way they were trained is the right way to write.

That means they do not like the way people talk in parts of the country. For example:

• In American Vernacular English people say “be” to mean something is happening all the time. That is a grammar rule, not a mistake.
• In some parts of the South people use two words like “might”. Could” together. That is okay too.
• But these tools do not know that, so they say those things are wrong.

Why Does This Matter for People Who Write Papers?

For people who’re not from around here or who are just starting to write papers, a grammar checker can be very helpful.

It can make their work look more professional. If they just accept everything the tool says that can cause problems.

• It can make the people they are writing about sound from how they really talk.
• It can make the writer sound like everyone instead of being unique.
• It can even change what the writer means to say.

What Do Researchers Say About This Problem?

A lot of people have studied this problem. They all say the same thing. These tools do not work well with dialects.

• They do not understand American Vernacular English very well.
• They have trouble with the way people talk in parts of the country.
• They even have trouble with things that’re not just about spelling like understanding what people mean.

How Does This Problem Show Up in a Paper?

Let’s look at two examples.

Example 1: A grammar checker does not like the way someone talks.

Original: She be working most nights.

Tool suggestion: She is working most nights.

Example 2: A grammar checker suggests a way of saying something.

Original: We have found that participants weren’t able to complete the task.

Tool suggestion: We found that participants did not complete the task.

Is It Good or Bad to Use a Grammar Checker?

It depends on the situation. There are things and bad things about using a grammar checker.

• The good things are that it can help you make your paper look more professional.
• The bad things are that it can make you sound like everyone instead of being unique. It can also change what you mean to say.

How Can You Use a Grammar Checker Without Losing Your Dialect?

Here’s what you can do:

• Set the standard you want to use before you start.
• Decide what kind of English you want to use, like American or British.
• Use the tools suggestions as a starting point. Do not just accept everything it says.
• Keep the way people talk in your paper especially if you are writing down what they said.
• Use tools, like a consistency checker to make your paper look more professional.
• Have a person read your paper too to make sure it sounds good.

What Should You Check Before You Submit Your Paper?

• Make sure you have the dialect set in your tool.
• Run the grammar checker on your paper.
• Look at all the suggestions the tool makes and only accept the ones that make sense.
• Keep the way people talk in your paper especially if you are writing down what they said.
• Have a person read your paper too to make sure it sounds good.

What Should Institutions and Journals Do?

This is not a problem for individual writers. Institutions and journals should also do something about it.

• They should teach writers how to use grammar checkers without losing their dialect.
• They should be clear about what they expect from writers.
• They should advocate for tools that understand dialect.

How Can Trinka Help You?

Trinka is a grammar checker that is made for writing. It can help you make your paper look more professional without losing your dialect.

• You can use it to find mistakes in your paper. Then decide what to do about them.
• You can use it to make your paper look more consistent without changing the way people talk.
• You can even use it to keep your paper private if you need to.