Correction tools are a quick and easy way to check your writing, but sometimes you need to ignore a grammar checker tool’s suggestions.
Nothing is perfect, and that’s particularly true for automated or AI-based writing tools.
While it’s rarer now, if your checker still has an “Accept All” button, never use it. Check every recommendation because some may not be errors.
Whatever tool you use, whether free or premium, it can make mistakes or offer inaccurate advice.
When to ignore your correction tool
The number one time to disregard your grammar checker is when you’re writing.
Creativity and accuracy are two separate parts of the writing process.
Writing a first draft is the creative stage when you don’t need to worry about spelling or grammar accuracy. What counts are your ideas, imagination, and storytelling skills.
If you have a grammar checker running as you write, it can interrupt your concentration.
That’s why you should turn off or hide your checking tool, or even better, go offline when you write.
I always write first drafts in my word processor, and I have the default grammar and spelling options turned off.
Then I have nothing to distract me while I’m writing.
Another habit I have is not trying to edit while writing a first draft. I know I make spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and simple typos.
But all of them can wait until I’m ready to revise my first draft.
That’s when I use my writing checker.
Learning to ignore a grammar checker, sometimes
If you use Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or any other writing checker, I’m sure you’ve experienced the comma that is, isn’t, is, isn’t an error.
When it suggests removing the comma, you accept, but then it shows a new error for a missing comma.
It might seem like a simple glitch, but it’s not. It’s a good example of how checking tools work. Sometimes, a sentence can be punctuated in more than one acceptable way.
In this case, only you can decide if the sentence needs a comma or not.
Incorrect verb agreement is usually easy for a tool to find, but not always.
Is the subject of the two sentences below group or students?
The group of students is studying for exams. (Singular agreement, treating the group as a single unit.)
The group of students are studying for exams. (Notional plural agreement, treating the students as individuals.)
If you’re writing in US English, the first sentence might seem more correct. But in British English, the two options are often possible.
Another error that is not always an error is an adverb. Most writing checkers highlight adverbs and suggest removing them.
An adverb isn’t an error; it’s a choice.
If you removed all the adverbs in your writing, what would you be left with?
These three situations are examples of when you need to be careful with error corrections.
Don’t automatically accept corrections or suggestions. Learn when to ignore them.
The danger of losing your voice
When your writing tool, and especially one with AI assistance, suggests a structural change to a sentence, beware.
It’s the one type of suggestion I’ve learned to treat with caution, if not scepticism.
When a suggestion concerns a passive sentence, I check it. But very often, I have a reason for using the passive voice, and that’s what I want to use.
If an alert involves changing a word, rephrasing something, removing unnecessary clauses, or even rewriting a sentence, I rarely accept it.
But it does prompt me to read a sentence carefully and make sure it’s correct.
If I accepted any sentence change simply for style or to improve clarity, it would risk changing or losing my writing voice.
That’s the danger of accepting style and construction suggestions. It could make that one sentence stand out from the rest of your text because of a sudden change in formality.
For many writers, free checking tools are extremely limited, and premium checkers are too expensive. The logical alternative is a free AI assistant like ChatGPT or Gemini.
But take extreme care. When you ask an AI tool to check a text, it often gives you a corrected version you can copy.
Don’t do this, because it’s like the “Accept All” button. Your corrected text will likely include rewritten sentences, changes in vocabulary, as well as corrections.
The best approach is to ask an AI tool in your prompt to list the errors and corrections it finds. Then you can go through your text, one item at a time, and decide what corrections to make.
Yes, you want to correct your text for accuracy, but retaining your writing voice should always be your guide and goal.
How to make decisions
Checking your writing is always a series of decisions, and using a writing checker makes the process easier and faster.
When correcting your text, try to keep these simple questions in mind.
Is it a genuine spelling or grammar error?
Does the suggested change preserve my intended meaning?
Does it sound like me?
Will it improve the sentence enough to justify changing it?
When you can answer questions like these, you can choose one of the three options.
Accept it: When the tool identifies a genuine spelling or grammar error.
Check it: The suggestion might be valid, but the context matters.
Ignore it: The original wording is deliberate and communicates what you want.
Summary
Learning when to ignore a grammar checker is just as important as the errors and typos it finds.
You’re the boss, and your writing tools are there to assist you.
They don’t get everything right, and even then, what they do get right isn’t always right for you.
When revising your writing, keep two things in mind.
Catch the errors, but be wary of improvements that could negatively affect your unique writing style.
Related Reading: Can AI Editing Tools Make Your Writing AI-Generated?
English teacher, writer, and author. Passionate about grammar, creative writing, and self-publishing. Always exploring new tools and tech to help writers succeed.
