Grammar Checker with PaperRater

A few weeks ago, an English teacher asked me about a grammar checking tool that would help students proofread their work. I looked into a few options and found that spellcheckers are generally free, but grammar checkers can get expensive.

At PETE & C, a different English teacher introduced me to a website called PaperRater that can be pretty helpful. It's basic grammar checking features are free and all students need to do is copy and paste their text into PaperRater's text box. The program will then give them feedback about their spelling and grammar.

Now, it isn't guaranteed to catch every mistake, and it doesn't consider the content of their writing. But, it can still be a helpful tool in the proofreading process. There are also a lot of ads on the page, so students and teachers need to be careful where they click.

PaperRater can be used in the web browser of any iPad, Chromebook, or computer. Students can even choose their grade level and the type of document that is being reviewed, including business letters, essays, narratives, lab reports, film reviews, etc. There is also a plagiarism checker built into the free version that scans websites and will give a percentage score of original content.

There are limitations to the free version. The maximum submission length is 5 pages per submission, with a maximum of 50 submissions and 10 plagiarism checks. I would imagine that the site uses tracking cookies to count submissions, so maybe using multiple browsers or turning on "incognito" browser sessions could get around this? The premium version, at $14.95/month or $95.40/year increases those numbers and is ad-free. However, many teachers and students seem to get by with the free version.

Here are some directions that you can share with your students when using PaperRater.

Using PaperRater for Teachers and Students