Grammar Software and Creative Writing

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Video reporter covering a Premier's event.

They constantly advertise software that corrects spelling, grammar and sentence structure, in fact anything to do with writing.

I suppose they did extensive research to justify such a product. Personally, I don’t need it because Messenger automatically finishes the sentence when I write phone messages. Same thing with e-mail. If I type writing writing twice, the system alerts me. Word processing programs I use, do the same.

There’s a problem though. Most of them recognize U.S. English spelling, so I click ADD, to add British words for the future. Then there’s tautology. I don’t see how grammar software handles deliberate repetition to make a point.

Preachers for example. There’s drama on the pulpit. It is what the Sunday congregation wants. It is what fires the soul and makes church benches groan, Amen! Most African American movies have a church scene. Diary of a Mad Black Woman, produced by Tyler Terry takes the cake.

Preachers either write their own sermons, or delegate it to a church member. How would grammar software handle that? Bloggers too. They have creative licence that is the envy of news reporters. Newspapers and television are online now but, they still have old style books, the bible for writing a news story.

Grammar software has many enemies, such as digital enclaves where every ‘community’ has a members only language. Texting is a threat, so are emojis.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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