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| Tools For Building Perfect Documents |
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Software November 1993 • Vol.4 Issue 11 |
Tools For Building Perfect Documents | ||
 You can't build a house using only a screwdriver. While you may get all the screws in place, the rest of the building might be pretty shoddy. Your corners may not be square, your bolts may not be tight, and your measurements may not be exact. The same goes with writing. Although you can write a story using a pen and paper, you'll write a better story with the right tools. You need writing tools to make sure your spelling is correct, your grammar is tight, and your wording is precise. Writing tools can help you construct a solid, well-designed document. And the best writing tools are the kind you don't have to hunt for. You can use them without your fingers ever leaving your computer. They are electronic tools--computer software programs. The big, bulky books you once used to aid your writing have nothing on these tools. Word processor add-on software conveniently pops up on your screen after you punch a few keys or click your mouse. Most are also designed to work in harmony with your existing word processing programs so you can transport data back and forth. In the next few pages we will review a few of these constructive devices. Along with interactive tools that improve your existing work, such as spelling and grammar checkers, we will take a look at reference tools that will assist you as you work. These include online writing rulebooks, dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias, and quotation databases. Keep in mind that although none of these tools can do away with the teeth grinding and hair pulling that sometimes accompanies writing, they can put an end to the embarrassing mistakes.
Remember all those hours you spent in elementary and high school daydreaming about vacation, lunch, or anything other than the English grammar rules you were being taught? Unfortunately, you found out later that you need to know those dreary rules to construct your documents. Luckily, someone out there identifies with you. I mean, you can't always be expected to remember when to use who or whom, or which witch is which. For that reason, the people at WordStar International Inc. bring you Correct Writing. Correct Writing is a program that combines those old English lessons into one writing encyclopedia on your computer. You can find out when to capitalize names, whether or not to use a comma, how to hyphenate words, and the guidelines and conversions for numbers. Correct Writing also includes an abundance of information on frequently misspelled words, as well as how to create signs and symbols, bibliographies, footnotes, and indexes. Correct Writing is available for DOS, Microsoft Windows, and Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh for a suggested retail price of $59. You can use Correct Writing by itself, or incorporate it into almost any word processing program, such as WordPerfect Corp.'s WordPerfect, Microsoft Corp.'s Word, Lotus Development Corp.'s Ami Pro, or WordStar International's WordStar. Correct Writing
 Tightening Loose GrammarKnowing all the rules for writing in English is one thing, but using them is another. That's one benefit to a grammar checker. It inspects the information you have typed, tightens your writing, and power-sands the rough spots. Most grammar checkers look for things like grammar, usage, punctuation, style, and spelling errors, as well as things like run-on sentences, split infinitives, redundancies, jargon, awkward phrases, and double negatives. When grammar checkers find an error, they put it on-screen, explain what grammar rule it violates, and tell how you can fix it. Next you decide if you want to make the change, ignore the mistake, or edit it yourself. Most grammar checking programs also let you change the style of writing they conform to. Usually you can switch between writing styles like business, technical, legal, informal, advertising, or fiction. Correct Grammar by WordStar International is one program that carefully checks your documents one sentence at a time. As it checks for grammar mistakes, it also checks your documents' readability and lets you know if your writing is too difficult for your audience. You can customize your writing to fit nine styles, from academic to fiction to legal. The program also contains a 135,000-word dictionary, to which you can add your own words. Correct Grammar can be integrated into almost all word processing or text-based programs. It is available for DOS and the Macintosh for $99, while its suggested retail price for Windows is $119. Correct Grammar WordPerfect Corp.'s Grammatik 5 checks your documents with its own "Mor-Proof" grammar-checking technology. Grammatik checks your documents paragraph by paragraph, so it can track things like the number of times the same word is used to begin sentences in a paragraph, as well as excess use of the passive voice. The program includes 10 writing styles, such as general, business letter, and technical, and lets you write at three levels of formality within each writing style. Grammatik's special features include a Rule Designer that lets you create style rules specific to your writing environment, and a Writing Help System that lets you look up an instant answer to a grammar question. For $99, Grammatik 5 can be incorporated into most popular word processors and is available for DOS, Windows and the Macintosh. Grammatik 5 As RightWriter by QUE Software checks your documents, it offers you three levels of help with your grammar. Standard help gives you general comments about a writing error and how to fix it. Full help offers you more information about a specific writing rule. And Extended help places you in RightWriter's Help system for a complete explanation of a writing principle. One unique feature of the program is the Grammar Equalizer, which looks a lot like an equalizer on a stereo system. You can move the switches up and down, controlling how thoroughly and what type of errors RightWriter checks. From manual to newsletter to scholar, RightWriter includes 10 writing styles. You can set the educational level for each writing style from the general public, high school, or college. The program also includes a rule editor, which lets you add your own words to be analyzed. RightWriter is incorporated into almost all word processors by pressing a specific key combination, called a hotkey combination, or pulling down a menu in the word processor for the program listing. Version 6 of RightWriter is available for DOS and Windows and version 5 is available for the Macintosh. All versions are priced at $49.95. RightWriter
Spelling isn't a forte for many writers. When it came to the word ukelele in the fifth-grade spelling bee, sometimes it came out a lot more like the Russian Ukraine than the stringed instrument. Many word processing programs already include spell checking programs to make sure your words aren't off center. Like T-squares, they line up your spelling with the words they know. If a word doesn't make a match in the spell checker's database, the program flags it and suggests a list of similarly spelled words. However, some of these built-in spell checkers aren't very extensive; you can end up checking quite a few words on your own. Several companies have tried to cement the gap with programs that can turn your spell checker into a comprehensive spell checker. Most of these add-on spell checkers are designed to work with one particular type of word processing program. Alki Software Corp. produces a speller compatible with Microsoft Word for DOS, Windows and the Macintosh. Microsoft Word Comprehensive Spelling for $79.95 adds specialized legal, business, financial, and insurance terms to Microsoft Word's existing spell-checking dictionary, almost doubling the size of the built-in spell checker. Microsoft Word Comprehensive Spelling Spellex Development and CR&S Software are after WordPerfect for DOS and Windows users. Spellex offers four different customized packages that sell for $99.95 each: Spellex Legal with more than 30,000 legal terms; Spellex Technical with more than 50,000 mathematics and scientific terms; Spellex Medical with more than 115,000 medical terms; and Spellex Pharmaceutical with more than 21,000 drug names and Latin and Greek terms. Spellex Medical, Legal, Pharmaceutical, and Technical CR&S Software combines four spell checking packages in one. Super Speller IV contains 100,000 medical and pharmaceutical terms, 35,000 legal terms, and 25,000 scientific terms for people in aerospace, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and other technical fields. Super Speller also includes 5,000 proper names and place names cited in the King James Bible and other religious works. Super Speller IV sells for $49.95. Super Speller IV Stedman's Software, specializing in medical and pharmaceutical terminology, works with Microsoft Word for Windows and the Macintosh, as well as WordPerfect for DOS, Windows and the Macintosh. Stedman's/25 Plus, for $99, adds more than 30,000 words--every single word in the new 25th edition of "Stedman's Medical Dictionary"--to your Microsoft Word or WordPerfect spell checker. Stedman's spell checker also boasts a feature that not only checks for proper spelling, but also proper capitalization. Stedman's/25 Plus
Measuring Precise WordingDo you remember the rule, "It's not what you say, but how you say it"? Picking out the right words can be a painstaking process, especially if you are trying to tell a friend that his or her outfit looks really ridiculous. If the right words don't fall off the tip of your tongue, don't reach for the closest dictionary--pop up an electronic one that can do your searching for you. Oh sure, just like the spell checkers, most word processors have dictionary and thesaurus features--but they are pretty limited. When it comes to measuring words with meanings that precisely fit your point, you may need something with more power. There's the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Thesaurus from Compton's NewMedia based on Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. It contains a 65,000-word dictionary and a 100,000-word synonym and antonym thesaurus. The dictionary/thesaurus can be quickly brought to the front of almost any word processor with hotkeys. You can switch back and forth from looking up words you don't understand, or looking for synonyms and antonyms to be sure to pinpoint the exact meaning you want. Click on another feature and you can look up foreign words and phrases. Merriam-Webster also includes a unique feature with references and tables of things like common English names, nations of the world, or Bible books. For $49.95, The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Thesaurus works with all popular word processors and is available for DOS and Windows. Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary and Thesaurus Or there is Random House Webster's Electronic Dictionary & Thesaurus from WordPerfect Corp. based on the Random House Webster's College Dictionary and Thesaurus. It can add a 180,000-word dictionary and a 275,000-word thesaurus to your writing toolbelt. If you only know part of the word you are searching for, you can use the Wildcard search to come up with the word. For example, if you were looking for the Greek word for money, you would type in dra* and get a listing of all the words that begin with those letters. But if you weren't even sure what letters the word started with, you could find the word with its partial definition. Type in Greek AND money and you would automatically come up with a listing of possible words--including drachma. The Random House dictionary also includes an Anagram search feature, which is great for word puzzle addicts. Type in a word and it will come up with all the words that can be made with the letters of that word. The program is easy to navigate. The word definitions and synonyms line up in a box on-screen. To switch from the dictionary, the thesaurus, the definition search, the Wildcard search, or the Anagram search in Random House, you simply press the particular feature's button. The Random House Electronic Dictionary & Thesaurus, for $99, works with all popular DOS and Windows word processors. Random House Webster's Electronic Dictionary and Thesaurus Weighing in with a 200,000-word dictionary and a 500,000-word thesaurus is the Deluxe American Heritage Dictionary by WordStar International. Based on the American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition and Roget's II Thesaurus, you should never be short for words. Like the Random House Dictionary, the American Heritage Dictionary has an anagram feature for puzzles and a wildcard feature to find words you only partially know how to spell. It also includes a partial definition device called WordHunter. With the WordHunter, you can type in definitions like "Spanish AND dance" to find the bolero or the fandango. If you aren't interested in the deluxe model, the American Heritage Dictionary comes in a standard version with all the same features, but with a 116,000-word dictionary and 500,000-thesaurus. The Deluxe American Heritage Dictionary is also relatively easy to operate. You can view word definitions, synonyms or both, and switch to the WordHunter and Anagram features by clicking on-screen buttons. The program works within all applications--word processors, spreadsheets, and databases--and is available for DOS, Windows and the Macintosh. The deluxe version has a suggested retail price of $129 while the standard version is available for $59.95. American Heritage Dictionary
"A short saying oft contains much wisdom."--Sophocles, 496 B.C. Just as nails are a great way to hammer together your home, quotes are a great way to hammer home your points and add a little oomph to support your writing. For access to the wisdom of the ages at your fingertips, there's Correct Quotes by WordStar International. The quotation program contains 5,000 quotes on 600 topics by 1,500 sources like Socrates, John Steinbeck, and Will Rogers. Correct Quotes lets you search through its database by topic, author, or key word on a keypad of the alphabet. When you press a letter, you can choose from a list of all the topics starting with that letter. You can create a "clippings" file of your favorite quotes or add your own clever quotes for commemoration. The package, for $49, is available for DOS, Windows and the Macintosh and can work alongside almost all popular word processing programs so you can "cut and paste" quotes into your documents. Correct Quotes You can get a diversity of words from the wise with askSam Systems' Quotes On Line for $89. This DOS standalone program contains more than 12,000 quotes from sources like William Shakespeare and Mark Twain to Lily Tomlin and Alan Alda. You can search for a quote according to the topic, the author, or words and phrases in the quote. If you know only part of an author's name, you can perform a wildcard search, just like you did in the dictionary. Type in a few letters and an asterisk to get a list of potential names. And if you are searching for a topic like love and you don't want any quotes about marriage, you can indicate Love NOT Marriage in your search. Quotes on LineM Last but not least is Quotemaster Plus by PennComp Software Development containing more than 3,000 quotes by 950 authors like Aristotle, Martin Luther King Jr., and Woody Allen. You can search according to author, era, or key words. And you can add your own quotes to the database. If the general quotes aren't enough, you can expand the Quotemaster to well over 9,000 quotes with four quotation databases on humor, government/politics, society, and motivation. You can also add an Author Information system that gives a short bibliography of almost every author in the database. Quotemaster Plus can be pulled up to run with DOS programs by hitting the combination of a few keys. To pull quotes into Windows or the Macintosh, use their "cut and paste" features. The Quotemaster Plus is available for $89, additional quotepacks are $60, and the Author Information System is $45. QuoteMaster Plus
The Writer's ToolboxSometimes it may not be worth the trouble piecing together a writing toolbox, picking up a quotation hammer here or a grammar sander there. For those of you looking for a package deal, a couple of companies offer you a complete toolbox chock-full of writing tricks. Properly named, The Writer's Toolkit by Systems Compatibility Corp. combines a grammar checker and six reference aids to make your writing toolbox complete. The Toolkit comes stocked with two dictionaries: The American Heritage Electronic Dictionary and the Dictionary of Common Knowledge. The American Heritage Electronic Dictionary, with more than 115,000 words, lets you do all the things you can do with the regular version. You can look up properly spelled words, you can type in a word the way it sounds and the dictionary will look it up for you, or you can look up the word according to its definition--one of those "Spanish AND dance" features again. Although the Dictionary of Common Knowledge is called a dictionary, it is actually more like an encyclopedia. It includes information on Western civilization and topics like history, philosophy, religion, geography, literature, and science. You can never have an excuse for bad grammar again. Along with The Written Word III--Principles Of Grammar & Style, an online reference book of grammar and style, you get The Houghton Mifflin CorrecText Grammar And Style Checker to proofread your documents for you. The grammar checker checks for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style according to eight different style settings or your own customized style. To make sure you say exactly what you mean, you also have access to Roget's II Electronic Thesaurus. With this tool in hand, you can find more than 500,000 synonyms for 42,000 words. The Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations makes sure you have enough resources, with its 6,000 quotes, to pound home your points. And to top it off, The Houghton-Mifflin Abbreviation Program makes sure you abbreviate all your states, directions, and measurements correctly. You open each tool individually in the Writer's Toolkit. In the Windows version, you double-click on the individual tool's icon to open the program. The program can run by itself or alongside almost any DOS or Windows word processor. It is available for $129. The Writer's Toolkit If you have a CD-ROM drive, you might be interested in Microsoft Corp.'s Microsoft Bookshelf. Its seven tools combine audio, video and text to make editing almost seem fun. Like The Writer's Toolkit, Microsoft Bookshelf contains the American Heritage Dictionary, Roget's II Electronic Thesaurus, and the Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations. The Bookshelf does not contain a grammar checker or grammar rulebook, but it contains three reference programs to help you with your research. The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition contains 15,000 topics on things like history, people, and nature. The Hammond Atlas keeps you in touch with geography with maps of continents, countries, and U.S. states. It also includes flags, anthems, and audio pronunciations of countries and cities. The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1993 helps you keep all your facts straight. In it you can find statistics, facts, ZIP codes, and trivia to spice up your documents. Finishing off the Bookshelf is a second quotation program, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, Fifteenth Edition. This multimedia program includes 22,000 quotes along with images and audio clips of the quotation authors. Microsoft Bookshelf looks like an actual bookshelf. You click on the reference books on the shelf to open them. You can bring the Bookshelf to the front of your screen whenever you are in any other Windows application--word processor or other--by hitting the QuickKeys, or a key combination you specify. Microsoft Bookshelf, for a suggested retail price of $195, is available only on CD-ROM. Users with the 1992 version can upgrade to the newest version for $49.95. Microsoft Bookshelf
You may not build a house regularly, but you probably write on a daily basis--be it a letter, a report, or a journal of your life and times. So it's best to be equipped with a toolbelt full of writing tools for the next time you are forced to construct a sturdy document. And remember--the pen is always mightier than the screwdriver. by Cindy Krushenisky |
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