Still, I think it can be a useful tool for improving and tightening one’s writing.

In its mechanical application of rules, it risks changing the meaning of a sentence or phrase. It is unable to discern meaning, context or color. The problem with any automated editor is that it has no brain. I always urge that WordRake be used with a critical eye, reviewing each suggestion and considering whether it helps or hurts. WordRake 3 converts hundreds of dull nominalizations to lively verbs (“make a recommendation” becomes “recommend”), turns negative statements into positive statements (“the auditor didn’t find any discrepancies” becomes “the auditor found no discrepancies”), and removes windy “windups” (“It should be stated that” and “Please note that”). WordRake “rakes” your documents in search of unnecessary and obtuse words, suggesting edits to improve clarity and concision. WordRake was originally created specifically for lawyers by Gary Kinder, a lawyer and writer whose 1998 book, Ship Of Gold In The Deep Blue Sea, went to number seven on The New York Times bestseller list. I have not had a chance to do that with this latest version but I plan to in the near future. The WordRake Editing Program Takes on Scalia, Kagan and El Pollo Loco.We Test WordRake’s Beta Version 2.0 on ‘McCutcheon’.I’ve tested previous versions of WordRake against some of the best opinion writers on the Supreme Court. (You can still do this, if you want to check only specific text.) In previous versions, you would first select the portion of the text to rake. Version 3 also simplifies the interface to allow users to see all editing suggestions for an entire document with just one click of the Rake button. With more than 600 new editing algorithms and 900 enhancements to existing algorithms, WordRake 3 offers 25 percent more edits and even greater accuracy, according to a company announcement.

WordRake, the editing and proofreading add-in for Microsoft Word and Outlook that is designed for lawyers and other professionals, released its version 3 yesterday.

Trial wordrake software