The Surprising AI Tool That Made Me a Better Technical Writer
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This post is part of our Everyday AI series crafted by WWT AI experts to enhance awareness and comfort with Generative AI (GenAI). Our goal is to empower you to harness GenAI's diverse capabilities and benefits, both professionally and personally.
How Grammarly's AI transformed my writing workflow
Working in the AI Proving Ground (AIPG) at WWT, you might assume I'd rely on AI constantly. Oddly enough, I don't, but when I do, it's unbelievably helpful. Most of my day is grounded in technical engineering work: designing lab experiments, developing procedures and validating systems. But part of my role inevitably involves writing technical papers, blogs and lab manuals, something I never naturally enjoyed. Despite having plenty to say, turning those thoughts into text has always felt like a slog.
A few years back, WWT introduced Grammarly, an AI-powered writing assistant. At first, I wasn't sure it would matter much to me. But within days, it began to feel like pure writing magic.
Writing without limits OS wide
For me, one of Grammarly's biggest practical wins is its seamless integration into my workflow. I can write ideas in Markdown files, in email, in Webex or in any text field, and Grammarly suggests improvements right there, without copying and pasting back and forth. It works system-wide, letting me keep focused on content rather than formatting.
For example:
While writing a lab process in a Markdown editor, Grammarly flagged an ambiguous sentence. It provided a clearer phrasing suggestion right in the text, saving me two editing cycles I would normally do after writing.
This real-time assistance reduces formatting headaches and keeps me in the flow, especially helpful when I'm juggling dense technical language.
Why specialized writing tools outperform general ones
I've experimented with other AI writing systems that try to do everything from coding help to creative generation and grammar fixes. But here's the thing:
Many tools are multi-purpose, like an SUV that can carry gear, go off-road and seat five people. Meanwhile, Grammarly is more like a Formula One race car built for one thing: writing, and it excels at that. Sure, the SUV is versatile, but on the racetrack of clarity, tone and grammar? That's Grammarly's domain.
General AI tools are impressive, but they often miss the nuance that Grammarly's models catch, such as context-aware corrections, clarity suggestions, and tone refinement tailored to communication.
Tone control that feels human
One of the most valuable features for someone in technical fields is Grammarly's tone analysis. Engineers, including me, often write in a way that's clear but may not be engaging or appropriate for the audience. Grammarly identifies the tone of your text and suggests ways to shape it, whether you want to sound formal, friendly, confident, concise or conversational.
This tone rewriting is available both automatically and on demand, letting you adjust how a message will feel to the reader. It's like having an editor who knows your audience's expectations built into your drafting process.
Going beyond grammar style, clarity and confidence
Grammarly doesn't just correct obvious typos or misplaced commas (though it absolutely does that). It helps with:
- Grammar & spelling catch common and nuanced mistakes.
- Clarity & readability trim wordiness and suggest simpler phrasing.
- Vocabulary enhancement suggests better word choices.
- Tone adjustments match the message to its audience.
For example, when drafting a complex argument in a technical blog, Grammarly can recommend more precise phrasing and flag when sentences are overly dense or ambiguous, helping you make your point without losing your reader.
AI that respects your voice
Another feature I appreciate is Grammarly's ability to compose, rewrite and brainstorm based on simple prompts. You can tell it to:
- Make a section more concise.
- Rewrite a paragraph to sound more professional.
- Expand a draft into a complete blog post outline.
This can be incredibly useful when you're staring at a blank page. Instead of starting from nothing, you get a context-aware draft to iterate on.
Grammarly is AI where it helps
While I use AI selectively, tools like Grammarly demonstrate that well-focused AI can radically streamline specific parts of creative and professional workflows. Grammarly doesn't replace my voice; it elevates it, helping me express my ideas more clearly and effectively.