The increasing availability of sophisticated writing tools, including AI-powered software like Grammarly, raises important questions about academic integrity. Academic integrity requires that your submitted work reflects your own thinking and writing. While it's acceptable to correct minor errors, relying on another individual or online software tools to rewrite, develop, or correct your ideas within assessments and assignments is not permitted.
This guide outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of proofreading tools, specifically focusing on Grammarly Free and Grammarly Pro, which are versions of one of the most popular tools currently available for this purpose.
What you must not use proofreading or AI tools for
Whether assistance is provided by another person, Grammarly (Free or Pro), or any other service or software tool, do not use them to:
- Rewrite or improve your arguments, explanations, or ideas.
- Generate new content or suggestions that alter the meaning or structure of your work.
- Translate work into or from a language you’re being assessed on.
- Shorten your work specifically to meet a word count.
- Correct factual inaccuracies or enhance the content of your writing.
- Rewrite code in computing or programming assessments.
- Generate or rephrase sentences, expand ideas, or improve your arguments.
Other unacceptable uses of proofreading tools or other forms of Artificial Intelligence support
The following actions may seem like simple editing, but if undertaken by another person or through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including generative AI tools[1], they violate academic integrity and the University’s Code of Practice:
Restructuring your assignment
- Reordering paragraphs, sections, or content to improve the structure, flow, or logic of your ideas.
- Suggestions like “move this section earlier” or “conclude with this argument” that affect how your ideas are developed.
Rewriting for tone or academic style
- Rewording content to sound more ‘academic’, ‘formal’, or ‘persuasive’.
- Changing your phrasing to match the conventions of your discipline or journal-style of writing.
- Applying a ‘one’ filter (for example “make this sound more confident” or “make this more impactful”) that affects how your ideas are expressed.
Refining the logic or argument
- Asking to “make this argument clearer”, “strengthen this paragraph”, or “improve this explanation”.
- Receiving feedback that makes suggestions for improvement which are then copied or applied without your own critical engagement or rewriting.
Content-based summarising
- Using tools to summarise sections of your own work when that summary alters the original meaning or emphasis.
- Reducing repetition or refining transitions between ideas in ways that reshape your arguments and reasoning.
What is allowed – the safe zone
You may use Grammarly or similar tools to:
Fix spelling, punctuation, and basic grammar errors
- Correct words that sound the same but have different meaning (e.g. changing ‘there’ to ‘their’, ‘compliment’ to ‘complement’).
- Add or correct punctuation (e.g. changing a comma to a full stop in a run-on sentence).
Example: 'Photosynthesis is essential for plant life, it converts sunlight into energy the plant can use.'
Acceptable correction: 'Photosynthesis is essential for plant life. It converts sunlight into energy the plant can use.'
- Correct basic grammar issues such as verb tense or subject-verb agreement.
Example: ‘She walk to campus every day.’
Acceptable correction: ‘She walks to campus every day.’
Shorten long sentences or paragraphs (without changing meaning)
- Remove unnecessary words or phrases like ‘really’, ‘very’, ‘basically’, ‘absolutely essential’.
- Replace wordy phrases with simpler alternatives.
Example: ‘At the present time, scientists are studying the effects of climate change.’
Acceptable correction: ‘Currently, scientists are studying the effects of climate change.’
Ensure writing adheres to standard English conventions
- Apply English spelling (e.g. ‘colour’, ‘organise’, ‘centre’). GenAI tools often use Americanised spelling by default so they may not apply English spelling consistently.
- Apply correct capitalisation for names, titles, and sentence openings.
Example: ‘the civil war in England was a turning point.’
Acceptable correction: ‘The Civil War in England was a turning point.’
- Maintain consistent use of verb tenses and pronouns.
Example: ‘The team of engineers were testing their equipment.’
Acceptable correction: ‘The team of engineers was testing its equipment.’
Check consistency in formatting and layout
- Ensure headings, subheadings, and titles follow a consistent visual style and hierarchy.
- Verify that page numbers are included and correctly ordered.
- Check that figure and table captions are numbered and labelled consistently.
Grammarly, and particularly Grammarly Pro, now offers advanced features that extend beyond basic grammar and style checks. You must not use these advanced features for assessed work.
Where to draw the line
Students often ask: “If I’m still choosing what to accept, is that okay?” The answer depends on what is being changed:
- Spelling, punctuation, and grammar: Yes.
- Flow, structure, argument, tone, clarity of reasoning: No (if done by someone or something else).
A note on supervisor feedback
It is permitted and encouraged for your supervisor or tutor to give you feedback on the structure, clarity, and development of your ideas as part of the academic process — this includes advice on improving the order of your arguments or refining your research question. The key distinction is that this feedback is part of formal supervision and does not involve someone else rewriting or editing your work directly.
A reminder from the University’s Code of Practice Academic Integrity
“Rewriting or editing of text with the purpose of improving the Student’s research arguments or contributing new arguments or rewriting computer code is not acceptable, whether undertaken by a person, by generative AI or by any other means, and may be deemed to be plagiarism.”
Not sure?
If you're uncertain about what's acceptable, consult your personal academic tutor, lecturer, module lead, or supervisor first. Exceptions may apply in some specific modules (for example, in some language acquisition modules, translation tools may be permitted for very specific tasks), and you'll be advised accordingly.
Key takeaway
While Grammarly can be a helpful tool, it is essential it is used responsibly and ethically within your academic studies. Your submitted work must reflect your own original thought and writing. When in doubt, always consult your personal academic tutor, module lecturer, or supervisor for guidance to ensure you are adhering to the University's Code of Practice Academic Integrity and so not risking being accused of plagiarism.
[1] For example, AI tools that create or rewrite text, such as Open AI’s ChatGPT.