Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Fic Talk => Writer's Circle => Topic started by: RokofAges75 on May 22, 2021, 03:30:40 PM
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Here's a thread to post your Google Docs spelling and grammar check fails.
For example, in the process of posting my chapter today, I realized I had written "defeatening" instead of "deafening." Thanks, Wordpress, for giving me the red squiggle when I pasted that in so I could fix it. Google Docs did not give me a squiggle. Apparently it thinks "defeatening" is a real word, but it doesn't believe Howie is a real name.
While I was on Google Docs wondering why it didn't catch that one, I ran the spelling and grammar check and got this terrible suggestion: Change "haven't" to "havingn't." WTF? "Havingn't" is also not a word, Google.
It also suggested I change the word "respiratory" to "breathing." No, Google! My readers are smart enough to understand that "respiratory" refers to breathing. They don't need me to dumb down my vocabulary for them.
How has Google Docs failed you recently?
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LMAO!
You know my constant struggle with magic "Brain."
It wants me to change "we’d be exposed moving targets" to "we’d be exposed to moving targets," which doesn't make much sense in context. That's about all I have today other than it not catching me making dumb spelling mistakes (hitting the wrong key), but I caught them on my quick reread this morning before writing, thank goodness.
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Oh Google!
I wonder if you added a comma between the two adjectives if it would understand better that they are the targets, which would be both exposed and moving. Sometimes I follow the rule of adding a comma between two adjectives, and sometimes I think it looks too clunky that way (especially if I already have other commas in the same sentence) and choose to leave it out.
LOL It's sad that I just reread the chapter I posted earlier this morning and did not notice "defeatening." So fail on my part as well. Glad you caught your spelling mistakes!
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You're right, it does like the comma, but it's after a but, much like this sentence, and the commas are just so close together, lol. Oh well, this sentence makes sense with so many commas and so does that one.
Sometimes I don't catch things like that either and will only catch them when I go to post it on AC because it thinks everything is a spelling error, from Howie's name to actual spelling errors, lol! I like "defeatening," it sounds epic, like: The Defeatening. It obviously wouldn't make sense in context, but authors have made up many words throughout history. That's why linguistics is so fascinating.
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I love commas, but yeah, I don't always like the look of multiple commas in the same sentence, especially if they're close to each other, even if I know they're technically correct. (I say as I use four commas in the same sentence LOL.)
Defeatening is not a terrible made-up word, but yeah, not what I was going for. I do remember inventing the word "icen" many years ago, as in "made of ice," the same way "leaden" means "made of lead." I thought for sure it should be word!
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I used five. We're obviously comma champions, but too many of them look silly together.
Ooh, icen. I love that. I almost tried to make a word up in the chapter I posted last week, because I still hated how my sentence structure changed for that one sentence compared to the others, then I swapped words around and it was much better. I think I did that mainly because "benevolenters" just didn't sound very good, lol.
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I used five. We're obviously comma champions, but too many of them look silly together.
Ooh, icen. I love that. I almost tried to make a word up in the chapter I posted last week, because I still hated how my sentence structure changed for that one sentence compared to the others, then I swapped words around and it was much better. I think I did that mainly because "benevolenters" just didn't sound very good, lol.
"Benevolenters" is a mouthful! LOL It took me a couple of tries just to be able to say that one out loud.
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I said it didn't sound very good! lol! Though I appreciate you saying my made up word out loud to test it.
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I wrote that Nick "felt around" for his phone after waking up in a dark hotel room, and Google suggested I changed "felt" to "looked." No, Google... if you were actually reading my writing closely, you would have read that it's dark. He can't see well enough to look for it; he hasn't turned on the light yet!
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LMAO! You'd think with the amount of surveillance Google does, it would be perfectly equipped to analyze long portions of writing together.
My only weird one is similar. I have this line: “You would believe that he means demons and not demon.” Which is all well and good, except Google wants me to change "demon" to "demons" and... how does that make any sense? "He means demons and not demons"? Oh Google...
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Get it together, Google! Your reading comprehension skills suck!
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LOL! It's trying too hard at this point. Every now and again, I'm like, fine, I'll add a comma because you asked, but otherwise... it's oddly picky and nonsensical.
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The only reason I even have grammar check on is because it is pretty good at catching missing words, and I do tend to leave words out when I'm typing too fast and don't catch them.
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Same! Or for when I accidentally make typos that don't make sense by switching around letters, it usually catches them. For instance, while writing this, I definitely typed "swithcing" instead for some reason, lol.
It's probably most useful to me for Howie's "royal we" speech though, because I do inevitably forget to match my verbs to "we/our/etcetera" sometimes.
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Yes! I do the letter switching thing too. Again, typing too fast. (At my whopping 3 words a minute according to Nano LOL).
It does occasionally catch an grammatical error like the subject/verb agreement issue you mention and suggestions a correction that's actually correct, so it's good for that too. At least it forces me to stop and think about it, even if it's not right. (I did Google yesterday to make sure "defeatening" and "havingn't" weren't real words I had just never heard of LOL.)
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Who's to say you don't type those three words super fast for one minute? ;D Perhaps they were three words excitedly bursting with inspiration!
Same, I always click the blue squiggles just to see what it's trying to change now. Sometimes I change it, sometimes I don't.
Havingn't is a weird contraction I don't get, lol. How would you use that in a sentence? "My doctor said I'm havingn't gluten this month, I need to see if it's making me sick." Sounds needlessly complicated compared to... oh, I don't know... "I can't have"... "to try cutting out"... Probably a million other ways to word that sentence that make more sense. I still love defeatening; it sounds so epic, lol.
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I typed too fast and forgot the "o" in Howie... Guess what google docs' suggestion was? "Hawaii," of course. Now I need to worry about "Hawaii" in addition to "Brain," lol! Thanks Google... ::)
Almost done with this chapter, but just needed to share.
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LMAO! Of course, because Google doesn't think Howie is a real name.
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It never flags it for me. I thought for sure it would think "You must mean Howie as you've written it several times," but nope, it definitely filled in Hawaii instead, lol. Brain has gotten annoying, but I laughed so hard at Hawaii.
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So weird. It doesn't flag Howie for me anymore, but I think I had to add it to the custom dictionary to get it to stop. It's never done the Brain thing for me though.
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Ugh, you're lucky. Brain is the worst. But obviously, I can't remove "brain" from the dictionary, but I wish I could!
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This is not a Google fail at all, but I laughed really hard at Google trying to correct Nick & Knight's grammar in the song "Halfway There." In SAMS, Nick wrote that song about his feelings for Howie LOL, so the lyrics are in there. Google flagged the line, “‘Cause I’m halfway there to lovin’ you, so wait there for me... and there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do to be where you be...” and suggested "you are." You're right, Google, but "are" doesn't rhyme with me."
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Started running grammar check on Curtain Call today. Oh Google...
1. This one cracked me up. The sentence is "He was asking me for real." As in, he wasn't kidding about what he just asked. Google suggested I change "real" to "directions." LMAO. No, Google. He was not asking for directions.
2. This one made me cringe. The sentence is "It's even better live," talking about the song 10,000 Promises. Google thought it should be "It's even better to live." Well sure, Google, living is great, but maybe we shouldn't say that to someone with stage IV cancer. ::) :D
3. Google usually gets mad at me for using slang and incorrect grammar in my dialogue (you know, the way real people talk), but then it suggested I replace "out of" to "outta" in a sentence that is not dialogue. WTF, Google?
4. “’Morning, Dad!” I answered cheerfully, making myself sound way more chipper than I felt. Google thinks "chipper" should be "cheaper." LMAO
5. While Nick is puking: I sat down on the rim of the bathtub next to him and put my hand on his back, rubbing it as soothingly as I could until the heaves subsided, too. Google thinks "heaves" should be "heavens." LMAO No, Google. No.
6. I heard the high-pitched screams for Justin Bieber... Google thinks "for" should be "of." I'm laughing at "the high-pitched screams of Justin Bieber."
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This is not a Google fail at all, but I laughed really hard at Google trying to correct Nick & Knight's grammar in the song "Halfway There." In SAMS, Nick wrote that song about his feelings for Howie LOL, so the lyrics are in there. Google flagged the line, “‘Cause I’m halfway there to lovin’ you, so wait there for me... and there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do to be where you be...” and suggested "you are." You're right, Google, but "are" doesn't rhyme with me."
LMAO! Don't tell Google about AIHTG! It will be extremely unpleased!
Started running grammar check on Curtain Call today. Oh Google...
1. This one cracked me up. The sentence is "He was asking me for real." As in, he wasn't kidding about what he just asked. Google suggested I change "real" to "directions." LMAO. No, Google. He was not asking for directions.
2. This one made me cringe. The sentence is "It's even better live," talking about the song 10,000 Promises. Google thought it should be "It's even better to live." Well sure, Google, living is great, but maybe we shouldn't say that to someone with stage IV cancer. ::) :D
3. Google usually gets mad at me for using slang and incorrect grammar in my dialogue (you know, the way real people talk), but then it suggested I replace "out of" to "outta" in a sentence that is not dialogue. WTF, Google?
4. “’Morning, Dad!” I answered cheerfully, making myself sound way more chipper than I felt. Google thinks "chipper" should be "cheaper." LMAO
5. While Nick is puking: I sat down on the rim of the bathtub next to him and put my hand on his back, rubbing it as soothingly as I could until the heaves subsided, too. Google thinks "heaves" should be "heavens." LMAO No, Google. No.
6. I heard the high-pitched screams for Justin Bieber... Google thinks "for" should be "of." I'm laughing at "the high-pitched screams of Justin Bieber."
LMAO! Yours are all so much funnier than any of the ones I get! I'm a little jealous, actually. The only thing it wants me to change today is "asset" to "assets" and like "demon" to "demons" last week, it just isn't meant that way.
You know, changing heaves to heavens wouldn't be that bad. I often feel like the heavens are conspiring against me when I'm sick, lol.
And for that last one, show me how Google is wrong. I'm assuming that in the story it's Justin Bieber's fans doing the screaming, but... feels accurate. ;D
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LMAO! Don't tell Google about AIHTG! It will be extremely unpleased!
LMAO! Yours are all so much funnier than any of the ones I get! I'm a little jealous, actually. The only thing it wants me to change today is "asset" to "assets" and like "demon" to "demons" last week, it just isn't meant that way.
You know, changing heaves to heavens wouldn't be that bad. I often feel like the heavens are conspiring against me when I'm sick, lol.
And for that last one, show me how Google is wrong. I'm assuming that in the story it's Justin Bieber's fans doing the screaming, but... feels accurate. ;D
LOL! I know, Google would hate the grammar in a lot of BSB's songs.
Not all its suggestions were that funny. Most of them are pretty mundane. It likes to suggest I switch verbs to present tense when they're supposed to be in past tense.
Bieber probably does have a high-pitched scream LOL.
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LOL! I know, Google would hate the grammar in a lot of BSB's songs.
Not all its suggestions were that funny. Most of them are pretty mundane. It likes to suggest I switch verbs to present tense when they're supposed to be in past tense.
Bieber probably does have a high-pitched scream LOL.
It's not the Boys' fault, sometimes a rhyme or meter just has to match the music. Music first, then lyrics. Except for "does his friends get all your time," one of them should have said something because "do" wouldn't have changed anything, clearly, because they now sing "do" live, lol.
Yes, the verb switching! Google, stop! I meant what I wrote.
I'm going to need some Bieber fans to weigh in. High-pitched scream or no? lol
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I'm trying to write a dramatic moment and there is again! Brain! You're the worst, Google!
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It's not the Boys' fault, sometimes a rhyme or meter just has to match the music. Music first, then lyrics. Except for "does his friends get all your time," one of them should have said something because "do" wouldn't have changed anything, clearly, because they now sing "do" live, lol.
Yep, and a lot of their early songs were written by the Swedish songwriters, so you can forgive them for not being grammatically perfect. But I agree about "Does his gifts..."
I'm trying to write a dramatic moment and there is again! Brain! You're the worst, Google!
Oh noes! Bad Google!
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Yep, and a lot of their early songs were written by the Swedish songwriters, so you can forgive them for not being grammatically perfect. But I agree about "Does his gifts..."
I momentarily forgot it happened twice in that song, lol!
I know that's the reason, and maybe they were too young/new in the industry and didn't want to be like "hey, I know you have 'does' here, but 'do' makes way more sense and doesn't change anything." I'm assuming that's probably the reason. Don't they own all their masters now? They can probably do whatever they want at this point without feelings being hurt. Although, not sure how owning your masters correlates to songwriting credits, may not equate.
Oh noes! Bad Google!
I swear, in this entire thread, this will be the only thing I ever complain about, lol!
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Google has taken a new odd turn for me. So I wrote the phrase "giving Kevin space to [do something]" which google did not like. That's cool. I get it, it's kind of boring and uncharacterist ic of my phrasing. Except, it wants me to change it to "giving Kevin Spacey to [do something]." WTF? My first truly wtf moment with google, lol!
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LMAO!!! That's a good one! It would be a very different story with Kevin Spacey in it LOL.
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WTF is Kevin Spacey doing in a BSB fanfic? It's not even the type of story he would normally be in! Maybe he's expanding his repertoire, lol.
I laughed so hard and needed to immediately share, of course.
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I would just like to share that I tried typing the same sentence in my story, and Google made the same Kevin Spacey suggestion for me LOL. Oh Google.
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Google, why are you obsessed with Kevin Spacey? lol! I looked up his IMDB page and everything he's done recently is only okay.
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He also had that whole sexual misconduct scandal, so please, Google, keep his name out of our stories! Kevin Richardson is a much better human.
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I wrote a line of dialogue where Kevin tells Nick, "There’s a dustbuster in the hall closet, off the kitchen. Just grab me that." Google thinks it should be, "Just grab me like that." Between Kevin Spacey and now Mr. Grabby Hands, I think Google wants us writing something dirtier and slashier than what we're actually writing LOL.
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He also had that whole sexual misconduct scandal, so please, Google, keep his name out of our stories! Kevin Richardson is a much better human.
And that, you're right. Kevin Richardson is a much better human!
I wrote a line of dialogue where Kevin tells Nick, "There’s a dustbuster in the hall closet, off the kitchen. Just grab me that." Google thinks it should be, "Just grab me like that." Between Kevin Spacey and now Mr. Grabby Hands, I think Google wants us writing something dirtier and slashier than what we're actually writing LOL.
LMAO! Forcefully and with a push? Yup, that does sound dirtier, lol.
Google heard you were briefly thinking about your short SAMS follow-up, lol.
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This is less a "wtf google docs" for it doing it's thing, and more a "wtf google docs" for it not stopping me from doing my thing.
Google, where was your judgement yesterday when I typed this line? "A frown crossed Brian’s face as he frowned." For all the things you call me out for, that should have been at the top. Thank goodness meticulous editing is part of my process, lol.
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LMAO!! That's about as bad as my "'I love you,' she said lovingly." It's funny what Google catches (or thinks it catches) and what it misses.
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Worse, I think. Because you were trying to add additional emotion to a line and I was just... not paying attention to what I was writing I suppose. As long as we're all clear that Brian was indeed frowning, then I have done my job as an author, lol.
Right? I need an editing software that catches dumb things like that! I guess it's me after getting some rest; I'm the editing software.
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I tend to end up with mistakes like that when I go back to edit a line, like change the way the sentence is structured ("A frown crossed his face" as opposed to "as he frowned"), and accidentally leave part of the original in there so it's redundant. That's why it's still important to actually reread carefully and not just rely on Google to catch everything. The text to voice trick is helpful with these kinds of mistakes too, as long as you're actually listening closely when it reads.
I caught a mistake the other day that I had missed so many times it got posted this way. I made a reference to Sphynkter and meant to describe them as an eighties "hair band," but I wrote "hair hand" instead LOL. I literally only caught it when I was looking for previous descriptions of a character's hands and did a Find & Replace for "hand." Otherwise it would still be online like that. *face palm*
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I think that was it. I'd tried to originally write "he frowned," hated it, and attempted to change it, lol.
LMAO! A hair hand! I can't think of anything I've done like that right now. I'm sure there are plenty, though. I'm editing this week's chapter tonight, so I'll let know if I come across something.
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I hate how Docs randomly decides that a name you've already used multiple times in a story is now misspelled and should be changed to something else. It flagged the name "Jenn," as in the Boys' manager, who has already appeared in the story, and suggested she should be called "Jenny." No, Google, that's a bad Google.
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My Google docs does that too. It's so fucking annoying. It keeps trying to correct the name Sienna. It's like um sir I've been using her name in 40 chapters now
I'm pretty sure it's correct.
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Yeah, I don't get it. Sienna is even a real word, not just a name!
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When I was writing If I Knew Then it would correct Leighanne's name too
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I wrote the sentence "Their memories made me smile." Google thinks it should be "They're." They are memories made me smile?? No, Google, that's a bad Google! The memories belong to them! No wonder people mix up their homophones, with Google giving them such bad grammar advice.
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Google. Your better than this.
;)
I don't have any funny google moments, but I've been running OF PBox through a text to speech as I write to help me catch repetitive phrasing or things that sound awkward, but aren't immediately noticeable. So I pasted my most recent scene into it and I never thought an AI could be sarcastic, but even an AI sounds super sarcastic reading the line: “Yeah, he’s a real hero for ordering his soldiers around when he feels like it.” Nick crossed his arms and glanced away from her.
I laughed really hard, basically.
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LOL! I enjoyed your grammar joke. And the AI's sarcasm! I always laugh listening to anything I put through those, which makes it hard to actually catch things I need to edit.
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Thank you, thank you. I'm here all week.
I think it depends on the voice I use. Some of them are definitely funnier than others. I painstakingly went through and picked the voices that I thought sounded most like Nick and Minako, then use them for their narrated chapters. I've considered switching back and forth depending on who's speaking, but it just feels like too much effort. However, I don't laugh at the narration and that was the goal.
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Google docs keeps trying to correct Nick's grammar when I try to write him in the way he talks since it's first person and it amuses me.
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Yeah, Google Docs has a problem with natural dialogue that isn't necessarily grammatically correct. It hates when Drums talks in 00Carter LOL.
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Speaking of Drums... I wrote "Drums's," and Google suggested "Trump's." NOOOOOO!!!
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“You like Mexican, right?” Nick asked, as he pulled into the parking lot of what was clearly a Mexican restaurant. It was a little late for me to say no, since AJ was going to meet us there, but luckily, I do like Mexican.
Google suggested, "Luckily, I do like Mexicans." LOL
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Doctor: "We're going to lie you down now, Mr. Carter."
Google Docs thinks it should be, "We're going to lie to you now, Mr. Carter." That will not improve people's trust in medical professionals, Google. LOL
But should it be "lay you down" instead? Lay/lie can be confusing because lay is also the past tense of lie, but usually we lay down objects, not people. People lie down. Nick is going to be lying down, but he's not putting himself in that position; the doctor is going to lower the head of his bed to make it flat. So I dunno... is it lay or lie? I could go either way on this one. But I guess since it's being used in dialogue, it doesn't really matter what is most grammatically correct. Which word would a real person be most likely to use? Obviously my first instinct was "lie," but feel free to weigh in with your opinion!
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I wrote about Nick packing to catch a flight and "shoving crap into his carry-on bag." (It's written in first person POV, so the language is a little more informal.) Google Docs suggested replacing the word "crap" with "poop." No, Google, he's not putting literal poop in his luggage! Gross! LMAO