grammar-checker

name	grammar-checker
description	This skill should be used when performing systematic scans of research paper text to identify and fix typos, grammar errors, inappropriate words, and awkward expressions. Use for thorough proofreading and error correction in academic writing for computer science conferences.

Grammar Checker

Systematically scan research paper text through multiple passes to identify and fix typos, grammar errors, inappropriate word choices, and awkward expressions.

When to Use This Skill

• Proofreading research papers before submission
• Performing systematic error detection across multiple categories
• Fixing specific grammar and usage issues
• Cleaning up text after major revisions
• Final pass before conference submission
• Non-native speakers checking for common errors

Multi-Pass Scanning Approach

Perform systematic scans in the following order, completing each pass before moving to the next:

Pass 1: Typos and Spelling

Scan for:

• Misspelled words
• Incorrect technical terminology
• Inconsistent capitalization (e.g., "LaTeX" vs "Latex")
• Inconsistent hyphenation (e.g., "real-time" vs "real time")
• Common typos (e.g., "teh", "recieve", "seperate")
• Missing or extra spaces
• Duplicated words (e.g., "the the")

Pass 2: Grammar Errors

Scan for:

• Subject-verb agreement errors
• Incorrect verb tenses
• Wrong article usage (a/an/the)
• Incorrect prepositions
• Pronoun-antecedent agreement
• Sentence fragments
• Run-on sentences
• Comma splices
• Misplaced modifiers

Pass 3: Inappropriate Words and Phrases

Scan for:

• Informal language (e.g., "gonna", "kinda", "a lot of")
• Colloquialisms and slang
• Contractions (e.g., "don't", "can't", "won't")
• First-person pronouns overuse in inappropriate contexts
• Vague quantifiers (e.g., "very", "really", "quite")
• Weasel words (e.g., "perhaps", "might", "possibly" when not needed)
• Emotional or subjective language
• Anthropomorphization (e.g., "the system thinks", "the paper argues")

Pass 4: Awkward Expressions

Scan for:

• Unnecessarily complex sentence structures
• Passive voice where active is clearer
• Wordy phrases that can be simplified
• Redundant expressions (e.g., "past history", "future plans")
• Unclear pronoun references
• Dangling participles
• Split infinitives (when awkward)
• Awkward word order
• Non-idiomatic phrases for non-native speakers

Pass 5: Academic Writing Style

Scan for:

• Inconsistent terminology across sections
• Undefined acronyms on first use
• Incorrect tense (present for current work, past for related work)
• Inappropriate use of hyphens to connect clauses
• Missing transitions between ideas
• Inconsistent formatting (citations, equations, etc.)
• Overly casual or overly complex language

Output Format

For each pass, provide:

1. Pass Header

===== Pass X: [Category Name] =====

2. Issues Found

For each issue detected:

Location: [section/paragraph/line reference]
Issue Type: [specific error type]
Original: "[quoted text with error]"
Fixed: "[corrected text]"
Explanation: [why this is an error and why the fix is appropriate]

3. Pass Summary

Total issues found: [number]
Issues fixed: [number]

4. Final Summary

After all passes:

===== Overall Summary =====
Total scans performed: 5
Total issues found: [number]
Total fixes applied: [number]

Issues by category:
- Typos and Spelling: [count]
- Grammar Errors: [count]
- Inappropriate Words: [count]
- Awkward Expressions: [count]
- Academic Style: [count]

5. Corrected Text

Provide the fully corrected version of the text with all fixes applied.

Scanning Guidelines

Be Systematic

• Complete each pass fully before moving to the next
• Don't skip passes even if earlier passes found few errors
• Reread the text in each pass with fresh focus on that category

Be Specific

• Quote the exact text with the error
• Provide precise location references
• Explain why something is an error
• Justify the proposed fix

Be Conservative

• Only flag genuine errors, not stylistic preferences
• Don't "fix" correct but unusual constructions
• Preserve technical terminology even if uncommon
• Respect author's voice and style when appropriate

Be Consistent

• Apply the same standards throughout the text
• Don't flag similar issues differently
• Maintain consistency with previous fixes

Common Errors in Academic Writing

Article Errors (for non-native speakers)

• Missing articles: "We propose system → a system"
• Wrong article: "We use a HTTP → the HTTP protocol"
• Unnecessary article: "The the latency is low → Latency is low"

Preposition Errors

• "Different with → from"
• "Consist in → of"
• "Depend from → on"
• "Focus to → on"

Verb Tense Errors

• Related work: "Smith et al. propose → proposed"
• Current work: "We proposed → propose"
• Results: "Figure 1 showed → shows"

Common Typos in Technical Writing

• "seperator" → "separator"
• "occured" → "occurred"
• "sucessful" → "successful"
• "thier" → "their"
• "recieve" → "receive"

Awkward Constructions

• "In order to" → "To" (simpler)
• "Due to the fact that" → "Because"
• "At this point in time" → "Now"
• "Make use of" → "Use"

Inappropriate Informal Language

• "a lot of data" → "substantial data" or "large amounts of data"
• "get better results" → "achieve better results" or "obtain better results"
• "pretty good" → "quite good" or "favorable"
• "kind of interesting" → "somewhat interesting" or remove qualifier

Error Severity Levels

Classify errors by severity to prioritize fixes:

Critical (Must Fix)

• Grammar errors that change meaning
• Technical term misspellings
• Factual errors in text
• Undefined acronyms

Major (Should Fix)

• Grammar errors that don't change meaning but are incorrect
• Awkward expressions that confuse readers
• Inconsistent terminology
• Informal language in formal sections

Minor (Nice to Fix)

• Stylistic improvements
• Slightly awkward but correct constructions
• Overly complex sentences that could be simpler
• Minor redundancies

Special Considerations for Academic Papers

LaTeX Integrity

• Do not modify LaTeX commands or environments
• Only fix text content within commands
• Preserve math mode content unless clearly erroneous
• Maintain citation formatting

Technical Terminology

• Verify technical terms against standard usage
• Don't "correct" domain-specific jargon
• Preserve acronym formatting (e.g., "RDMA", "TCP/IP")
• Check consistency of system/protocol names

Common Academic Patterns

• "We propose X" ✓ (correct present tense)
• "The system achieves Y" ✓ (correct)
• "As shown in Figure Z" ✓ (correct)
• "This demonstrates that..." ✓ (correct)

Target Audience

Research papers for top-tier computer science conferences (OSDI, NSDI, SOSP, SIGCOMM, etc.) written by both native and non-native English speakers.

Important Guidelines

Do Not Over-Correct

• Accept correct but uncommon constructions
• Don't impose one "right" way when multiple are valid
• Preserve author's voice when possible
• Focus on errors, not preferences

Provide Explanations

• Explain why something is an error
• Note when a fix improves clarity vs correctness
• Indicate severity of each issue
• Help authors learn from corrections

Be Thorough But Efficient

• Complete all five passes systematically
• Don't redundantly flag the same error type
• Group similar errors when reporting
• Focus on patterns, not just individual instances

Maintain Academic Tone

• All corrections should preserve formal academic style
• Don't make text too casual or too stuffy
• Maintain appropriate technical level
• Keep language precise and clear

Example Output

===== Pass 1: Typos and Spelling =====

Location: Abstract, line 3
Issue Type: Spelling error
Original: "We achive low latency"
Fixed: "We achieve low latency"
Explanation: "Achive" is a common misspelling of "achieve"

Location: Introduction, paragraph 2
Issue Type: Duplicated word
Original: "the the system"
Fixed: "the system"
Explanation: Duplicated article

Total issues found: 12
Issues fixed: 12

===== Pass 2: Grammar Errors =====

Location: Section 3, paragraph 1
Issue Type: Subject-verb agreement
Original: "The results shows that"
Fixed: "The results show that"
Explanation: Plural subject "results" requires plural verb "show"

...

===== Overall Summary =====
Total scans performed: 5
Total issues found: 47
Total fixes applied: 47

Issues by category:
- Typos and Spelling: 12
- Grammar Errors: 15
- Inappropriate Words: 8
- Awkward Expressions: 9
- Academic Style: 3

===== Corrected Text =====

[Full corrected version of the text]