Proofreading App vs. Writing Tutor: Which Should You Choose?

If you’ve logged onto Facebook or watched a YouTube video in the last few years, chances are you’ve come across an ad for a proofreading app. These apps are cheap, convenient, and useful; they go a step beyond spell check by alerting users to grammar errors, style issues, and even plagiarism. It might seem as though these technologies render the services of writing tutors obsolete, like self-driving vehicles to long-distance truckers, but that’s not the case. Allow me to explain.

In my mind, there are six key differences between proofreading apps and writing tutors:

1. The algorithms in proofreading apps are designed to detect your mistakes, not to help you learn from them -- that’s the job of a writing tutor. While an app can help you catch errors you might have missed, it won’t encourage the type of deep learning that occurs in consultation with a writing tutor.

2. Proofreading apps identify weaknesses in your writing, while a writing tutor helps you build on your strengths. One of the best ways to improve as a writer is to build on what you already do well. Maybe you struggle to abandon passive voice, but you’ve got an incredible knack for metaphor -- a writing tutor can help you draw out and highlight your best instincts as a writer.

3. A writing tutor can help you with content as well as form. A proofreading app will help you with the fundamentals of grammar and style, but there’s much more to writing than rules. When you sit down to write, do you think to yourself, “I want this piece to be grammatically correct”? Probably not! Instead, you probably think about your goals beyond the page: “I want this essay to get me into my dream college,” or, “I hope this report makes it to the CEO’s desk.” A writing tutor can help you reach those goals by offering nuanced, personalized feedback and encouraging “big picture” thinking.

4. A writing tutor can help you improve at all stages of the writing process. Proofreading apps focus on the final stage of the writing process by providing corrections on completed work. However, the other stages of the writing process are equally important. A writing tutor can help cultivate the fundamental early pieces that go into a successful writing product, including a strong concept, effective planning and outlining, and thorough revising.

5. A writing app takes a one-size-fits-all approach that won’t work for all types of writing. Say you’re working on a piece of fiction or poetry -- you might be using language in creative ways that reject traditional grammar and style guidelines. That’s more than fine! Rules were made to be broken, right? Well, not according to a proofreading app. An app can’t tell the difference between unforced errors and stylistic choices, but a tutor can.

6. You’re writing for other people, not a computer. Unless you work in AI, chances are good that you’re writing something that people, not machines, will read. A proofreading app can detect whether your punctuation is correct, but it can’t tell you if you’ve told a good story.

So, which option is best for you? If you’re looking to quickly fix minor errors, a writing app is an excellent choice. If you’re hoping to build your skills or “knock it out of the park” with the piece you’re working on, a writing tutor could help you reach your goals.