Using Grammarly and Writing Tools with LaTeX Documents

The Writing Quality Challenge

LaTeX excels at formatting. It doesn't help you write well.

Common issues in academic writing:

• Passive voice overuse
• Wordy sentences
• Grammar mistakes
• Inconsistent style
• Unclear phrasing

Writing tools like Grammarly can help—but they don't work directly with LaTeX.

The Problem with LaTeX + Writing Tools

Writing tools expect plain text or rich text. LaTeX gives them:

The \textbf{significant} results (see Figure~\ref{fig:results})
demonstrate that our \emph{novel} approach, as described in
Section~\ref{sec:methods}, outperforms prior work \cite{smith2024}.

Tools see the markup as content. They flag \ref as a spelling error and get confused by brackets.

Solutions

Solution 1: Write Plain Text First

Workflow:

1. Draft in a plain text editor
2. Run through Grammarly/writing tools
3. Add LaTeX markup afterward

Pros:

• Tools work as intended
• Clear separation of writing and formatting

Cons:

• Extra step
• Can't use LaTeX-specific features while drafting
• May lose flow

Solution 2: Use the Compiled PDF

Workflow:

1. Compile your LaTeX document
2. Copy text from PDF
3. Paste into writing tool
4. Apply corrections to source

Pros:

• Check finished output
• No markup confusion

Cons:

• Manual process
• PDF copy can have issues (ligatures, line breaks)
• Time-consuming for large documents

Solution 3: Selective Checking

Workflow:

1. Select a paragraph in your LaTeX editor
2. Copy just the text (without markup)
3. Check in writing tool
4. Apply fixes

Pros:

• Quick for spot checks
• Works with any tool

Cons:

• Doesn't scale
• Easy to miss sections

Solution 4: Use LaTeX-Aware Tools

Some tools understand LaTeX:

ChkTeX: LaTeX-specific linter

chktex myfile.tex

Catches:

• Style issues
• Common mistakes
• Consistency problems

TeXcount: Word counting that ignores markup

texcount myfile.tex

languagetool-latex: Grammar check with LaTeX awareness

languagetool --disable LATEX_SYNTAX_ERROR myfile.tex

Solution 5: Thetapad's Built-in Checking

Thetapad includes writing quality features:

• Spell check (LaTeX-aware)
• Grammar suggestions
• Style recommendations
• Readability metrics

No export needed—works on your source directly.

Setting Up Grammarly for LaTeX

Browser Extension + Web Editor

If using a web-based LaTeX editor:

1. Install Grammarly browser extension
2. Open your editor
3. Grammarly activates in text areas

Note: It will flag LaTeX commands. Ignore command-related suggestions.

Desktop App + Compiled Text

For careful review:

1. Compile your document
2. Open PDF in a viewer
3. Copy section text
4. Paste into Grammarly app
5. Review suggestions
6. Apply relevant fixes to source

Grammarly + Google Docs Bridge

Workflow:

1. Copy LaTeX content (one section at a time)
2. Paste into Google Doc
3. Grammarly checks automatically
4. Apply fixes
5. Copy back to LaTeX source

Other Writing Tools

Hemingway Editor

Focuses on readability:

• Highlights complex sentences
• Identifies passive voice
• Suggests simpler alternatives

For LaTeX:

• Paste plain text sections
• Review suggestions
• Apply to source

ProWritingAid

Comprehensive writing analysis:

• Style suggestions
• Overused words
• Sentence variety
• Pacing

For LaTeX:

• Copy compiled text or source
• Ignore markup errors
• Focus on prose suggestions

LanguageTool

Open-source grammar checker:

• Works locally
• Many language support
• Has LaTeX mode

# Install
pip install language-tool-python
 
# Use with LaTeX awareness
languagetool --disable LATEX_SYNTAX_ERROR file.tex

Best Practices

1. Check Section by Section

Don't paste your entire thesis. Work in chunks:

• One section at a time
• Focus on different aspects each pass
• More manageable feedback

2. Ignore False Positives

Writing tools will flag:

• Technical terms
• Abbreviations
• Author names
• LaTeX commands

Add these to custom dictionaries.

3. Focus on High-Impact Issues

Priority order:

1. Clarity issues
2. Grammar errors
3. Wordiness
4. Style suggestions

4. Build a Custom Dictionary

Add to your tool:

• Field-specific terms
• Acronyms you use
• Author names
• Technical vocabulary

5. Check at Different Stages

• Early draft: Focus on clarity
• Mid-revision: Grammar and style
• Final pass: Polish and consistency

LaTeX-Specific Writing Tips

Academic Style

% Avoid: "The results were analyzed by the researchers"
% Better: "We analyzed the results"
 
% Avoid: "It can be seen that..."
% Better: "Figure 2 shows..."
 
% Avoid: "In order to"
% Better: "To"

Consistency

% Pick one and stick with it:
% "Figure" vs "Fig."
% "et al." formatting
% Serial comma usage

Clarity

% Define terms on first use:
% "Support Vector Machine (SVM)"
% Then use "SVM" consistently
 
% Avoid: "this" without clear referent
% Add: "this approach" / "this result"

Conclusion

Getting writing assistance for LaTeX requires some workarounds:

1. Draft plaintext then add markup
2. Check compiled PDF text in tools
3. Use LaTeX-aware tools like ChkTeX
4. Selective checking for important sections
5. Thetapad's built-in writing features

Good writing matters as much as good formatting. Use the tools available to improve both.

Thetapad includes built-in spell check and grammar suggestions that understand LaTeX syntax.