Learn English with Google

The following article is a reference from Stanford University Language Center about how to use Google to improve your English writing ability.

Self-editing when learning to write : Writing is a very difficult skill that requires perseverance and regular practice. After completing an article, you want to know where you have a grammatical error or how to choose the word. The first way, you send to your instructor, so someone did it to help you edit the article. Another option, when you have to edit it yourself, remember Google as a friend who is always with you!

For example, suppose that when you have finished the article, including a sentence that you feel uncertain: ' In the first part I discuss the Einstein's theory .' (In the first part, I discuss Einstein theory)

Now we wonder if it is:

1- ' in first part ' or ' in a first part ' or ' in the first part '?
2- ' I discuss ' or ' I will discuss '?
3- ' the Einstein's theory ' or ' Einstein's theory '

We will try to check through Google!

' in first part ' - 52,000
' in a first part ' - 114,000
' in the first part ' - 1,210,000

The results are very large, indicating the widespread use of these phrases when writing. However, 'in the first part' is clearly more popular than the other two.

In addition, to help you be more confident about whether or not to choose to write ' in the first part ', click on the ' cached ' version of the results page. You can then confirm that the source of the document comes from, and more specifically, the phrase you search will be highlighted in that page. As such, you will have the basis to believe that such use is most reasonable and accurate.

In the second case, the question is, should you use the future ' will '?

' I discuss ' - 1,240,000
' I will discuss ' - 1,060,000

Oh, in this case, it's hard to say. So what should we do? You can search for results for the whole phrase:

' In the first part I discuss ' - 3,530
' In the first part I will discuss ' - 6,090

Based on these additional results, you can be more confident with the second use because the number of results is nearly double.

To the third case: Should you use the word 'the'?

' the Einstein's theory ' - 1,960
' Einstein's theory ' - 475,000

Based on this huge difference, you can be confident that the second way of writing is correct. Also, from here, you can also draw a general rule for similar structures

Explain the findings :

Google Translate, one of the online tools to support high-precision language conversion

An interesting thing is if you try to search through Google with words and structure of sentences that follow basic grammar books in English, it is 'wrong grammar', but Google still finds it.

For example, find ' I be happy ' (the correct sentence structure is ' I am happy ') you might be surprised because the number of results is 155,000. In it, the results listed first will be ' Will I be happy ', ' How can I be happy ', ' Should I be happy ' and similar structures. Maybe they are cases where ' I be happy ' usage is acceptable, but you don't have enough time to browse hundreds of websites to find out what is the right way to use it.

To avoid this case, you can add a word, or a phrase to 'catch' the phrase you are checking into the first part of a sentence. You add the phrase ' I said ' and then search for the phrase: (after that, you can check it yourself by adding another phrase, for example ' I know ' for example)

' I said I be happy ' - 2
' I said I am happy ' - 516

This big difference will help you make your choice.

What if in the case of confusion between countable nouns and uncountable nouns? This is quite an interesting point. Take for example the word ' equipment '. This is an uncountable noun, so much of its ' equipments ' is irrational. But when you try to search on Google, the results are as follows:

' equipment ' - 542,000,000
' equipments ' - 14,000,000

14,000,000 results for ' equipments '! That is a very big number! However, if you go to ' Cached ' section, the first 4 results will be web pages from China, Taiwan and India, the fifth result is from Canada. Thus we can speculate that ' equipments ' may be accepted in Indian English. But if you're an English or American English learner, don't use it like that!

In addition, Google also helps us many other language functions such as dictionary search; Help professional translators test and create equivalent concepts between two different cultures through image search and many other functions.

And to end this article, I would like to repeat again that Google cannot help you do it all. Google language accuracy is only relative. You still need to associate with mainstream English textbooks. Wish you success in your English learning process.

Nguyen The Vinh