Following on from yesterday’s blog, I ran the 326-word excerpt of A Christmas Carol through SmartEditor, Grammarly, Hemingway and ProWritingAid. The results are below. It makes interesting reading.
No software takes the place of the human eye. It is a tool. A writer takes from the software what she needs, and chooses the edit suggestions to accept or decline.
SmartEditor picked up
1 adverb
Grammarly highlighted
1 semi-colon and suggested replacing it with a comma
3 missing commas
Hemingway
3 of 20 sentences are hard to read
3 of 20 sentences are very hard to read
4 phrases have simpler alternatives
7 adverbs. Aim for one or fewer
2 uses of the passive voice. Aim for four or fewer.
ProWritingAid summary sheet
- Marley
- scrooge
- Scrooge
- mourner
- deadest
Most Used Words
the |
17 |
was |
10 |
his |
10 |
to |
9 |
of |
9 |
and |
7 |
dead |
6 |
that |
6 |
‘s |
6 |
a |
6 |
Your vocabulary was more dynamic (unique words/total) than 53% of ProWritingAid users. (I bet this would thrill Dickens).
Tip! We compare your document to published writing in the same genre to show overused words and constructs. Identifying and reducing these will improve your writing. Note: Often this requires more than substituting a different word.
knew/know |
3 |
Reduce by 2 |
-ly adverb |
8 |
Reduce by 1 |
was/were |
12 |
Reduce by 5 |
it/there |
9 |
Not overused |
that |
6 |
Not overused |
could |
1 |
Not overused |
generic descriptions (watch/notice/observe/very) |
1 |
Not overused |
initial -ing |
1 |
Not overused |
Tip! Varying your sentence length keeps the reader engaged. Too many long sentences are hard to read.
Your sentence variety was higher than 36% of ProWritingAid users
Your sentence length was higher than 14% of ProWritingAid users
Tip! Highlights common style issues such as passive voice, hidden verbs and adverb usage.
Most Used Adverbs
I am confused here – above lists 8 adverbs, below lists 5.
particularly |
1 |
emphatically |
1 |
dreadfully |
1 |
distinctly |
1 |
perfectly |
1 |
chose to (omit) |
1 |
that (omit) |
1 |
own (omit) |
1 |
Of course heHe |
1 |
very (omit) |
1 |
Your readability was better (suggestions/sentences) than 78% of ProWritingAid users
Top Grammar Suggestions
—— |
2 |
funeral,funeral |
1 |
thanThen |
1 |
Sticky Sentences (Sticky Sentences contain too many common words. They slow your reader down.)
Tip! Sticky sentences are ones containing a high percentage of glue words. Glue words are the 200 or so most common words in English (excluding the personal pronouns). You can think of the glue words as the empty space in your writing. The more of them there are the more empty space you readers have to pass through to get to the actual meaning. By cutting down the amount of glue words in your sentences you help expose the true meaning and make the reader’s job easier.
Tip! Dark areas in the chart indicate areas of slow pacing (backstory in creative writing). Where you have large chunks of slower pacing, try to add some faster pacing to keep the reader more engaged.
Tip! Transitions are useful when you’re trying to structure an argument. They link your sentences together forming a flowing and cohesive structure.
Top Transitions
to begin with |
1 |
therefore |
1 |
to repeat |
1 |
Of course |
1 |
otherwise |
1 |
Top 3-word phrases
a door-nail |
3 |
that Marley was |
2 |
Marley was as |
2 |
Top 2-word phrases
his sole |
5 |
was dead |
3 |
I don’t |
2 |
Top 1-word phrases
dead |
6 |
sole |
6 |
Scrooge |
5 |
nail |
4 |
Marley |
4 |
Usage Consistency
Curls/Smart Double Quotes |
0 |
Straight Double Quotes |
0 |
Curly/Smart Single Quotes |
0 |
Straight Single Quotes |
9 |
Ellipsis characters |
0 |
Three dots |
0 |
Hyphens |
9 |
En-dash |
0 |
Em-dash |
0 |
Diction
for |
2 |
Avoid using prepositions such as “for” as the last word in a sentence |
to |
2 |
Avoid using prepositions such as “to” as the last word in a sentence |
as |
1 |
Avoid using prepositions such as “as” as the last word in a sentence |
from |
1 |
Avoid using prepositions such as “from” as the last word in a sentence |
in |
1 |
Avoid using prepositions such as “in” as the last word in a sentence |
Vague & Abstract Words
about |
2 |
Vague |
would |
2 |
Vague |
anything |
1 |
Vague |
Corporate Wording
permit |
1 |
Try to use a simpler wording. Examples: let; allow |
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