How to Use Grammarly to Improve Your Academic Writing

Grammarly is one of the most popular writing assistants used by millions of students worldwide. Whether you're writing an essay, research paper, or dissertation, Grammarly can help catch errors you might miss. Here's how to get the most out of it for academic writing.

What Is Grammarly?

Grammarly is an AI-powered writing tool that checks your text for grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, and style issues. It's available as a browser extension, desktop app, and MS Word plugin — making it incredibly easy to use while you write.

Free vs Premium: What Do You Need?

Free Version Includes:

• Basic grammar and spelling checks
• Punctuation corrections
• Tone detection
• Basic clarity suggestions

Premium Adds:

• Advanced clarity and readability rewrites
• Vocabulary enhancement suggestions
• Plagiarism detection (checks billions of web pages)
• Genre-specific writing style checks
• Formal tone adjustments (essential for academic writing)

Tip: The free version is great for basic proofreading. But if you submit a lot of academic work, Premium's plagiarism checker and formal tone features are worth the investment.

Best Grammarly Settings for Academic Writing

When using Grammarly for academic papers, configure these settings:

• Goals → Audience: Set to "Knowledgeable"
• Goals → Formality: Set to "Formal"
• Goals → Domain: Set to "Academic"
• Goals → Intent: Set to "Inform" or "Describe"

These settings tell Grammarly to prioritize formal language, avoid slang, and use precise academic vocabulary.

How to Use Grammarly Effectively

1. Write First, Edit Later

Don't let Grammarly interrupt your flow. Write your first draft freely, then run Grammarly on the completed text. This keeps your ideas flowing and lets you focus on structure first.

2. Don't Accept Every Suggestion

Grammarly isn't always right, especially with discipline-specific terminology. If you're using a technical term that Grammarly flags, it's okay to dismiss the suggestion. Always use your judgment.

3. Pay Attention to Clarity Scores

Grammarly's clarity suggestions are gold for academic writing. If it says your sentence is "hard to read," chances are your professor thinks so too. Simplify complex sentences without losing meaning.

4. Use the Plagiarism Checker Before Submitting

If you have Premium, run the plagiarism checker before every submission. It cross-references your text against billions of sources and flags any matches — helping you avoid accidental plagiarism.

Grammarly Alternatives Worth Trying

• Hemingway Editor — Great for readability analysis (free)
• ProWritingAid — More detailed reports, good for long-form writing
• LanguageTool — Open-source, supports multiple languages
• QuillBot — Best for paraphrasing and rewording sentences

Final Thoughts

Grammarly won't write your essay for you, but it will make sure your writing is polished, clear, and error-free. Use it as a safety net after you've done the hard work of writing — and remember, no tool replaces careful proofreading by a human expert.