How to Use Grammarly to Learn from Your English Writing Mistakes

Grammarly is everywhere. If you write in English, you've probably seen that friendly red underline suggesting a better word or fixing your commas.

But here's the thing: if you're just clicking "Accept" every time Grammarly suggests a change, you're missing the real opportunity. You're using Grammarly as a quick fix, not as a learning tool.

I've seen many language learners do this. They paste text, accept corrections, and move on. Next day, they make the same mistake again. Sound familiar?

The real value of Grammarly for English learning isn't in catching your errors. It's in helping you understand why something was wrong. Let me show you how.

Why Passive Correction Doesn't Work

Imagine you're learning to cook. A friend tells you, "Add less salt." That's useful once. But if you never understand why the salt was too much, you'll keep oversalting until they tell you again.

Same with writing. When Grammarly silently fixes your grammar, you get a correct sentence but zero understanding. Your brain never builds a memory of the rule.

You need to turn Grammarly from a "correct-as-you-go" tool into a "pause-and-learn" experience.

Step 1: Use Grammarly's "Explain" Feature (It's Gold)

Most people never click the little icon next to Grammarly's suggestions. That's a mistake.

When Grammarly underlines something, click on the suggestion. Then look for the dropdown or "More" option. Grammarly's premium version gives you a detailed explanation of the rule behind each correction. Free version also gives you a short explanation in many cases.

Read that explanation. Don't just skim it — try to understand what rule you broke. "Subject-verb agreement," "article usage," "incorrect preposition" — these labels help your brain categorize the mistake.

Action tip: Keep a small notebook (or a notes app) and write down each new grammar rule you learn this way. One rule per day is plenty.

Step 2: Compare Your Original vs. Grammarly's Version

This is where most learners skip the learning part.

Before you click "Accept," copy your original version and Grammarly's suggested version side by side. Ask yourself:

• What exactly did Grammarly change?
• Did it change a word, the word order, or a whole phrase?
• Can I explain why one version is better?

For example, you wrote: "I went to there."

Grammarly changes it to: "I went there."

Simple, right? But if you think about it, you learn that "to" is not used before "there" in this context. That's a specific rule you can remember and apply later.

Step 3: Create a Personal "Mistake Log"

Here's an activity that seriously works.

Create a simple table in a document. Every time Grammarly catches something you genuinely didn't know, log it.

Your Mistake	Grammarly Correction	Grammar Rule
I have went	I have gone	Past participle of "go" is "gone"
She go to school	She goes to school	Third person singular needs -s
He is afraid from dogs	He is afraid of dogs	"Afraid" takes "of," not "from"

After a month, review your log. You'll see your most common errors clearly. Then you can focus on fixing exactly those patterns.

Your Mistake Grammarly Fix Rule You Learned

I have went I have gone Past participle of "go" is "gone"

She go to school She goes to school Third person singular needs -s

He is afraid from dogs He is afraid of dogs "Afraid" takes "of," not "from"

Step 4: Turn Off Auto-Corrections (Seriously)

Grammarly can automatically fix mistakes as you type. For learning, this is actually bad.

Disable auto-correct in Grammarly's settings. Instead, set it to show suggestions but not apply them automatically. This forces you to see your mistake, decide whether to fix it, and understand why.

It takes an extra second. But that second is where the learning happens.

Step 5: Rewrite the Corrected Version from Memory

Here's the final step that solidifies learning.

After Grammarly corrects a sentence, close the corrected version. Then try to rewrite it from memory. Check if you got it right.

This simple recall practice forces your brain to remember the grammar rule actively, not just passively recognize it. It's like testing yourself instead of just re-reading notes. Far more effective.

Beyond Grammarly: Test Your Overall English Level

Grammarly is a great helper for catching individual mistakes, but it doesn't tell you where your English level really stands. To measure your overall skills — reading, listening, writing, and speaking — you need a proper assessment.

English Measure offers a free, comprehensive test aligned with CEFR standards. It takes about 15 minutes and gives you a clear picture of your current level.

Take your free English level test now →

Knowing your level helps you choose the right areas to focus on. Combine that awareness with Grammarly's daily feedback, and you'll improve much faster.

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