Les wrote:
<snipped lots of "complex data">
Grammar checkers can do some interesting things, and they can improve clarity, but they do not make one accomplished in language. However, their value for a non-native speaker is considerable.
Regards, Les H
To jump back into the thread; grammar checkers should not be relied upon by non-native speakers for important messages. As has been noted, they have questionable value when writing something which is being used to promote a professional image. If you are writing emails to a mailing list, then they are fine and incorrect language is usually excused. If you are writing to a business prospect, then there is no substitute for a native speaker checking over your work before sending it out. If our company does a presentation utilizing references to another language, I always hire one of the local college students who is from that area to double-check our work. Being American and dealing mostly with businesspeople who speak English, I do not have too much of a problem. But if I was in another country trying to woo an English-speaking company, you can be sure that relying on Microsoft to correct my correspondence is way too much of a gamble for me.
Patrick
