I’ve never taken a writing class, have little clue what most grammar terms mean and prefer logical punctuation over the nonsense American method. While I make my living as a writer, I freak out when another writer reads or mentions my work.

I have no idea what they’re talking about when they use grammatical terms.

Dangling preposition? Uh…

Improper verb tense? I think I know this one.

You get the picture. While I’d love to be able to understand their critiques, I, like Cole Trickle, lack the vocabulary to contribute to the process. As such, it’s hard for me to learn from such criticism.

Grammarly has come to my rescue. Similar to other services like spell check or Scribe SEO, Grammarly points out possible mistakes, tells me why they’re wrong and gives me example so I can make corrections. I can use its grammar check capabilities to learn just what suppositions and prepositions are, or make sure I haven’t been plagiarizing Seth Godin enough for him to notice (just kidding! I always paraphrase).

The web-based tool has a Microsoft Office plugin (PC only) and partner programs with multiple universities including ASU, whose students have free access to Grammarly until school begins again in the fall.

If you’re not a writer or you don’t care about grammar check programs, there is an affiliate program that can earn you some money be referring to your student friends.

Unlike many other tools, Grammarly doesn’t make it hard to cancel service. It took three clicks and five minutes for me to cancel my account just now, which strangely made me want to immediately sign up again.

(If you’re a storyteller in any capacity and want to learn from other storytellers, check out StorytellersAZ, a group designed to share successes and failures, and inspire those willing to do the work.)

(I was compensated for writing this piece.)