estimate no. 0028 · writing · editing
Proofreading / Copyediting
A grammar, clarity, and consistency pass on existing writing
was this verdict helpful?
our verdict
Kinda
the reasoning
Worth a specific caution here: AI proofreading tools are excellent at catching genuine errors, but they also tend to over-edit — smoothing out a writer's actual voice into something blander and more generic. Good for a first safety-net pass, risky as the only pass on something where voice matters.
the prompt to rununverified draft
Run your draft through Grammarly, but review every suggestion individually rather than accepting all — reject anything that changes your actual voice or a deliberate stylistic choice, and only accept genuine errors.
what you give up
- Judgment about which suggestions to actually accept — accepting all of them flattens voice
- Subject-matter or style-guide expertise (legal, academic, a specific publication's house style)
why people still pay
A good human editor knows when a 'rule violation' is actually a deliberate stylistic choice worth keeping — that judgment call is exactly what generic grammar-checking tools get wrong.
did you?