Word 365 Is Getting Smarter

 Word has always made useful grammar warnings and suggestions, but it seems to be getting smarter, or at least I am noticing its improvements.  A student paper included this sentence: "

Over time, as the plantations and demand grew, farmers were in need of workers."  That phrase was underlined in blue.  The suggestion was to replace it with "needed"; this reduces word count and converts passive voice to active voice.

There are so many corrections and good suggestions in Word that every student can be a better writer by just looking at the warnings and suggestions.

It is not yet smart enough to recognize where a new idea requires a new paragraph.  Nor does it yet recognize that a sentence is in the wrong paragraph.  Who knows?  Soon students will have no excuse for turning in B papers.