Hi Tessa Palmer! I felt I had to explain my feelings about Grammarly. First of all, I am Italian and my normal spoken language here, in Italy, is Italian. However, I lived abroad for several years and 4 years of my life were in Texas.
As my husband worked for NATO, I was admitted only on a dependent status visa as a resident alien. I couldn’t work, but I decided to conclude my university studies over there. Therefore, I earned a BA in history and Spanish and an MA in English Literature.
That’s why I never even took into consideration Grammarly. In facts, I trust my grammar preparation and, as you underlined, I was afraid that such a tool would flatten my writing to a cold and plain tone and structure.
I am very aware that my sentence building probably sounds weird, but as I studied at the university (Midwestern State University), in one of my seminars about style and voice, I learned that the variety is a major richness in literature.
Perhaps, you would think I am a kind of arrogant to even imagine to write relaxed and free with no aid, when true native writers don’t trust themselves and, actually, resort to tools and devices to final check their pieces.
Well, maybe, but my message is this simple one: when we take up a job, we have to trust our competence in that given field. Otherwise, if we can’t, it means that our profession/speciality is certainly another one. As a non-native writer, I must hold on my self-assurance of being prepared in the right way at an acceptable level. Sure, I take longer to deliver a piece because before hitting the publish button, I read a piece several times and I even wait 1 or 2 days before giving it the final loud voice reading.
Grammarly could have been just an extra bug chewing on my insecurities. So, I skipped it totally. I don’t even know how it works. Writing in English is for me a great daily gym where I try to keep up and feel fit!
If I can do it, you can do it, too, and all the Medium writers as well! Trust yourself, discard Grammarly’s directions, and boost your self-esteem! Ciao!😊
