[OS X TeX] Grammar checker

[David B. Thompson, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, CFM]

On Dec 1, 2008, at 23:32 , Roberto Avanzi wrote:

> You make an example, that of "which" and "that", which is one of the  
> most wicked aspects of English language for foreigners, with perhaps  
> the exception of the correct usage of some phrasal verbs and some  
> fine aspects of punctuation (reading "Eats, shoots, and leaves" may  
> have helped me, though) ... I am pretty sure I got it wrong in this  
> message as well!


Actually, I think your English is fine. Your sentence is a bit of a  
run-on, but not too much of one. Your reference to "Eats, Shoots, and  
Leaves" is an excellent suggestion for some very nasty parts of  
English usage. The reference to Strunk and White is also a good idea.  
I keep a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style in my writing space and a  
copy of the U.S. Government Style Guide for Authors as well.

My wife is my trusted copy editor. She has an eagle's eye and spots  
typographical and other errors like mice in a field. :)

The MS grammar checker has its place. It will catch subject-verb  
agreement, which I sometimes miss when writing quickly (like  
yesterday). Yes, I sometimes use Word as a matter of expediency when  
writing a letter for review or drafting a letter for someone else to  
use. I would never use Word again for a technical document. Never.

Are we off-topic? OK, crawling back to my rock now.

-=d