Word 2008 Grammar Check?

[Luke_D]

What has happened to the Office Assistant and explanations during a grammar check?

If one makes a grammatical error, in Word 2008, there is no longer any explanation.

This is a standard feature in Word 2004 and even Word 2007 for PC. Why it would not be included in Word 2008 is beyond me.

 

[John McGhie]

Right-click the green line. The explanation appears in the pop-up menu.

Cheers

What has happened to the Office Assistant and explanations during a grammar
check?

If one makes a grammatical error, in Word 2008, there is no longer any
explanation.

This is a standard feature in Word 2004 and even Word 2007 for PC. Why it
would not be included in Word 2008 is beyond me.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Consultant Technical Writer
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
http://jgmcghie.fastmail.com.au/
Sydney, Australia. S33°53'34.20 E151°14'54.50
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Luke_D]

I thank you for your help, but how do you right click in a MAC platform? The only way that I could do that is by using a PC mouse.

 

[Luke_D]

I have tried it with a PC mouse, and it just shows the error, but not the explanation.

For example, type the following, with a formal spell check setting.

I have been advised that it is true.

The grammar check in Word 2008 will only state "passive voice consider revising", but, if it were Word 2007 or Word 2004, it would also offer "For a livelier and more persuasive sentence, consider using an active verb instead of a passive verb…”

 

[JE McGimpsey]

I thank you for your help, but how do you right click in a MAC platform? The
only way that I could do that is by using a PC mouse.

On a Mac (not MAC, which is an acronym for Media Access Control), if you
don't have a two-button mouse (most of which work right out of the box
with OS X), you can hold the CTRL key down when you click.

 

[Luke_D]

I appreciate the reply, but it still does not give you the explanations that Word 2004 or 2007 offer. It just tells you that it is wrong, i.e. my example above.

 

[Phillip Jones]

if your still using a one button mouse use control-click

I thank you for your help, but how do you right click in a MAC platform?
The only way that I could do that is by using a PC mouse.

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[Luke_D]

Thank you to all, but you are all missing the point. This issue has nothing to do with righ-clicking. Even Microsoft Tech Support has realized that this feature has been omitted.

Why are there no grammar check explanations?

I know that the Office Assistant has been killed in Word 2007 and Word 2008, but, in Word 2007, the user at least gets an "Explain" button when performing a grammar check.

Word 2008 does not give any explanation.

For example, under a "Formal" grammar check setting, type the following sentence.

I have been advised that it is true.

Word 2008 Grammar check will only state, "Passive voice, consider revising".

Word 2007 would say the same, but also offer via the “Explain” button, "For a livelier and more persuasive sentence, consider rewriting using an active verb instead of a passive verb..."

Those explanations are useful. I am now downgrading to Office 2004 on my Mac, and I am doing more on my Office 2007 for Windows. I guess that was the intent. Nevertheless, I feel ripped off.

 

[Luke_D]

I am wondering if this issue is exclusive to Office 2008 Home Edition or if it also affects Office 2008 Standard.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

I am wondering if this issue is exclusive to Office 2008 Home Edition or if
it also affects Office 2008 Standard.

I don't know the answer to your question (I can hardly even stand to try
to read it with the mess that the web portal is making of it), but
applications in the H&S edition and the standard edition are identical
except for Entourage, which doesn't include Exchange capability in H&S.

 

[Luke_D]

Thanks, and I am sorry if the web portal had made it hard to read.

Thanks for your time.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Thanks, and I am sorry if the web portal had made it hard to read.
<br><br>Thanks for your time.

Not your fault, of course - the portal's hosed...

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Luke -

Thank you to all, but you are all missing the point.

What - exactly - *is* the point?

I see no question here other than the one you posed to MS Tech Support...
The answer to which was that "this feature has been omitted". What more do
you expect from participants in a user forum? We sure can't "stick the
feature in" for you.

We don't work for MS, we don't write the software & we certainly weren't
asked for our blessings before Office 2008 was allowed to ship

If you want to voice your discontent where it will do the most good go to
Word's Help Menu & follow the Send Feedback trail... MS does monitor that
input.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Luke_D]

Yes, thank you, Bob.

This is a forum for Office 2008 users. Users find solutions, sometimes better ones than tech support. I am highlighting an issue. Who knows, maybe someone will have an answer, and maybe there will never be an answer. At least, I have tried to bring attention to the issue. If more users find the same inconvenience, then maybe there will be more complaints to Microsoft too.

Here it is one last time, clean and simple.

In Office 2004, with the Office Assistant shown via the help menu, perform a grammar check. You will get a pop-up containing the error in general AND a full explanation of the error via the Office Assistant.

In Office 2007, perform a grammar check. You will get a pop-up of the error in general AND a full explanation of the error via the "Explain" button.

These features are not in Word 2008.

I just want to highlight this problem and show that it has not been resolved.