Grammar programs for computers are divided into two categories: those that correct a document’s grammar and those that teach a user how to use grammar. Although the former is not generally regarded as a reliable method of article editing, the latter can teach a willing student more about grammar. Furthermore, some websites provide educational newsletter programs that help people improve their grammar over time. When it comes to correcting an important document or teaching students grammar, the capability and reliability of each of these programs varies; for example, a poorly funded grammar program may not be very useful or even harmful.
Some grammar programs are intended to analyze and correct the grammar of the user. A program scans a digital document for errors and then generates a list of them, along with suggestions for how to completely fix or at the very least improve all of the errors. These programs are usually accurate for novice errors, but they may frequently advise the user to correct incorrect sentences. Because programmers find it difficult to code most, if not all, possible grammar errors, all grammar programs are flawed in some way. The best computer software programs of this type are rarely free and may require a monthly subscription.
Other grammar programs are intended to teach users how to use grammar rather than correcting their errors. These computer programs are usually in the form of games, and they range in difficulty from elementary school to high school and beyond. Because there is a low demand for computer grammar programs in general, the vast majority of the games available are often several years old. Some older grammar computer games, in fact, are no longer compatible with the most recent versions of popular operating systems.
Aside from computer programs, some Internet newsletters offer grammar lessons on a regular basis. Every day or week, an email arrives with a new grammar explanation, tip, or other tidbit. Although this is a slower method of learning grammar, students are less likely to become overwhelmed new information. One disadvantage of educational newsletters is that students may become disinterested after receiving a few emails and unsubscribe, ignore, or send the emails to their spam folder. After gaining the trust of their subscribers, these newsletters may make money selling related products to their email list, such as an e-book on specific aspects of writing.