Caliope-Checker ~ your very own Grammarly for Episode

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1

Hey guys,

So one of the biggest turn-offs for any reader is bad grammar. I can hear people saying and thinking, “How is it possible to even have bad grammar? We live in a time with spellcheckers and Grammarly, why must writers make so many mistakes?” That’s easy, because they’re not always as accurate as you may think. Hence why I have decided to step up and offer my time.

If you think this is a review thread or you just want reads, then please leave and find one of the many in these forums. There are many of them out, as well as many read-for-read threads that you could post on for reviews or reads.

What makes me qualified to sub (subedit) your writing?
:man_shrugging::man_shrugging::man_shrugging: I don’t know. Am I a native English speaker from a native English speaking country? Yes, though I’m not sure that qualifies me since most native English speakers can’t use correct grammar. Do I check grammar for a living? Yes, I’m an ESL teacher, but I don’t believe that qualifies me either. As there are many ESL teachers out there who don’t even have the qualifications to teach or any qualifications in general.
So why then, Caliope? Well, to err is human, and even I make mistakes. I am human, after all, or so I will lead you to believe. However, there are many stories on Episode with extremely poor grammar, and me being my anal self, gets annoyed by this. So I’m here to help!

What do you actually get from me?
I will read at least ONE episode of your story, whether there are very few mistakes or the grammar is extremely poor. If the story is really captivating then I will be inclined to read/check more. As for the critiquing part, I will make a list of quotes from your story, in consecutive order, highlighting my corrections.
I will post them here, in this thread, and what you do with my corrections is up to you.

How do I use Caliope-checker?
Just post your story below, be patient (please don’t bombard me with “When will you get to mine?” messages), and I’ll get to it eventually. I’m almost 24/7 active in forums, so I promise I’ll get to it.

Waiting List

Sorry, am trying to motivate myself to do at least one every few days!

  • @Lonse - from Episode five
  • @Fatima.s - from Episode two??? (waiting to find out)
  • @Madhu - from Episode two
  • @Gaea - from Episode two

Cheers,
Caliope-Checker :wink:

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I need this so bad.
I want to publish my story next week, when backgrounds will be approved, but still. I’m not an English native speaker, so I know there are mistakes, both style and spelling. Can you take a look at unpublished story?

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Awesome, am here to help! :wink:
I sure can, just share the link with me!

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Here you go, for chapter one, my corrections are in bold. :wink:

For chapter one:

Katarina: “I’ve transferred between five schools.”, “I’ve transferred to about five schools.” or “I’ve changed schools five times.”
Darla: “You know that I have already rented a premises…”
Katarina: “See yeh.” - it is normally “See ya.”, though it all depends on the way you say it. Yeh is said like ‘year’ and Ya is more like ‘Yah’.
Katarina: She says “I’ll take a walk,” but you really only need to put “I’ll walk.” Taking a walk is to take a relaxing stroll on a Sunday or something.
Principal: “Well, forgive me for my insensitivity.” or “Well, forgive my insensitivity.”
Principal: “I see you have been moving around a lot.”
Principal: “A woman of few words.”
Hazel: “I get a bad vibe here.”
Darla: “My roots come from here.”
Darla: “And you will too.”
Random question: Is there a reason why Layla and the teacher are wearing the same scarf? If not, you may want to change that, 'cause it’s a little odd.
Ms Summers: “You’re late, Layla” - add a comma. As well as, “Introduce yourself to the class, please.”
Ms Summers: “Would you mind introducing yourself properly, my dear?”
Katarina: “… tottie flecks of indigo.” - What’s a tottie fleck?
Katarina: “I have low expectations in life and a…”
Katarina: “In my spare time, I practice…”
Katarina: “What else?” - add a question mark, as she’s asking herself.
Katarina: “…thing that happened to the telly in a decade.”
Katarina: “…worst thing to ever happen in history.”
Katarina: “The biggest part of politics is that voters have the IQ of a banana, …” or you could say “The biggest downside to politics is that…”
Katarina: “Eh, who needs an education anyway?”
Katarina: “…Summers thinks that’s a doozie of an introduction.” - I think you meant ‘doozie’.
Ms Summers: “Welcome back, senior class.” - no capital for the ‘S’ is needed.
Ms Summers: “This year we will be solely covering Pine…”
Ms Summers: “Open your books to page 93…”
Darla: “Welcome to Magic Crafts.”
Darla: “… part of my family’s heritage.”
Darla: “…around the 17th century.”
Darla: “Who come onto my property and spill their nonsense over me.”
Katarina’s thoughts: “Oh, give me a break.” - add a comma.
Katarina: “… what you’re yakking on about.”
Taylor: “Is she playing dumb or is she actually dumb?”
Taylor: “…came from and I don’t care.” - you don’t need the ‘apparently’.
Abigail: “…call the couch.” - You know a couch is a sofa, right?
Mayor: “Radically.” - not the right word here.

If you want me to do other chapters I can. Although, chapter one was really long and I suggest breaking it down and spreading it out into the following chapters. It started off really good and I was really excited, but the more I saw of her first day of school, the more bored I got.

Hope this helps,
Caliope-Checker :wink:

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Thank you. I will make corrections. I definitely won’t split chapter, because it’s just 10 minutes of reading (was obv longer for you, since you were making notes :slight_smile:

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Hey Lia!
Sure thing. Sorry that it took me a couple of days, got a bit busy. :slight_smile:
Here’s chapter one, my corrections are in bold. :wink:

For Chapter One:

Lia: “Yes, Yuki?” - add a comma
Benio: “SHUT UP, GRUMPY DOLL.” - add a comma
Rewounder: “…can see a bright, green glow…” - add a comma and in English grammar, the word ‘bright’ goes before colours when describing.
Megan: “Thank you very much, Diana. …” - add a comma
Megan: “Arigato, Diana.” - add a comma
Rose: “See you tomorrow, Cookie cheeks.” - add a comma
Benio: “I never asked for your number. …” - no capital ‘N’
Megan: “… saving Benio and her sisters’ numbers in my phone.” - Benio doesn’t need 's because she’s included with the ‘and’, AND there are two other sisters, so s’. Also, do the sisters share one number or have their own phones. I think you meant ‘numbers’.
Megan: “…after so long I had finally found a friend.”
Mai: “…over and over again, Mai.” - add a comma
Mai: “…having these types of thoughts in your head.”
Megan: “…each other. Otherwise, I would be unbalanced.”
Lia: “…what Mai and Mei look like when they are…”

The story wasn’t too bad, I didn’t mind it so much. :slight_smile: Although, there are quite a few characters and at times there either needed to be some kind of an introduction OR the intro came a little late.
If you want me to go through other chapters I can, just let me know.

Hope this helps,
Caliope-Checker :wink:

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Wicked. No worries at all. :wink: … Nah, I took corrections into account. It was still quite long.

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Hello, I would like for my story to be checked. It’s titled Kotton Kandie.

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You’re a life saver thank you so much.
I’M PRETTY SURE episode 4 is full of bs.
With this specific system of choices, you won’t miss anything \o/.

Thank you agaiin.

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You’re very welcome, I’m glad you appreciate it. :wink:
I can absolutely do that! :smile:

For Chapter Two:

Benio: “I love you too, Mars!” - add a comma.
Rose: “Good morning, Cookie cheeks!” - add a comma.
Megan: “…was your start to the day?”
Megan: “I’m elated.” - this sounds weird, like you’ve used a thesaurus to use another word. I think saying “I’m glad” would be better here.
Benio: “Good morning, Megan!” - add a comma.
Rewounder: “You and me both, honey” - add a comma.
: “…I was distracted caz I was texting with Mars.” - Don’t write in text-speak with dialogue, it seems unprofessional. Only use it to represent a text message. Spell it ‘because’. If you really must use ‘coz’, then spell it 'cause with the apostrophe before it.
Rose: “I’m glad for you, imouto chan.” - add a comma.
Rose: “We’re fine, Blueberry, and you?” - add a comma.
Diana: "I’m EXCELLENT, Rose
Diana: “…he told me, they haven’t got much to finish.”
Rose: “No way, Cookie Cheeks, we’re only…” - add a comma.
Diana: “Oh, shut up, Benio…” - add two commas.
Diana: “We are adults, Benio.” - add a comma.
Benio: “Shut up, Ane chan.” - add a comma.
Megan: “…just talking with then.”
Megan: “…flower garden, which is close to the cafe.” - add a comma.
Ivy: “…and you are?”
Ivy: “…what do you think we should do while waiting for those two…”
Megan: “It’s fine…” - this is a poor response to ‘what should we do?’ Maybe something like this instead, “Let’s just stay here…”
Megan: “…the only thing missing are chairs~”
Grace: “…rejecting me 'cause you’re gay,…”
Ernesto: “Screw you, Grace, that doesn’t have anything to with…” - add a comma.
Ernesto: “And anyway, it’s none of your…” - no capital ‘I’ in ‘it’s’.
Megan: “See you, Ivy.” - add a comma.
Ivy: “Was my witless friend bugging you again?”
Ernesto: “…I can’t stand her anymore.”
Ivy: “…talk to her tomorrow afternoon.”
Megan: “What was all that about? It seemed like a dramatic teenage soap opera.”
Magan: “Is he staring at me…” and “… $5 …”
Megan: “…It’s not as if you’re somebody…”
Ernesto: "…overreaction betrays you, don’t you think?
Ernesto: “… what’s your name, young lady?” - add a comma.
Megan: “Hold up… is it normal for you…”
Ernesto: “…didn’t expect you to come back today!..” and “I have realized that after just meeting you a short time ago.” and “…why is it different with her?”

Hey, so of course, I will do more… BUT before I do, would you mind doing a few things first?

  1. Most of your errors are commas. So would you mind going through the other episodes and adding commas? Whenever a character talks to another and mentions their name, like this “Good morning, Cookie Cheeks.” Add a comma before and/or after the name mentioned.
  2. Cookie Cheeks. Do you want both words to have a capital letter or not, as sometimes ‘cheeks’ has one and sometimes not? I suggest you pick ONE and change the others, so it flows evenly through the story.

Extra note: Your chapters are REALLY long, you may want to consider splitting them into a few more chapters?! :wink:

Hope this helps,
Caliope-Checker :wink:

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HI!
Could you look at my story? I would appreciate your help :slight_smile:
Title: Teacher or Queen?
Author: Mystique

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Hey Eri!
Righto, getting onto it now!
Here’s chapter one, my corrections are in bold. :wink:

For Chapter One:

Narrator: “Emoji a Chain” - The title: I’m struggling to understand what you mean by this. :face_with_raised_eyebrow::face_with_raised_eyebrow::face_with_raised_eyebrow:
Kaleena: “I’m confident that with a weekly session, you will…”
Kandie: “Hey dude, what’s wrong?…” - just one “?”
Kandie: “… grading the rest of these students’ tests”
Cicely: “I’ll leave you to your students’ tests now.”
Mom: “…Cicely already told me what happened today.”
Kandie: “I will be okay, Mom. …” - add a comma.
Narrator: “…I really don’t want to choke a bish today.” - Would a teacher really say this? I mean, I am sort of a teacher and I know many high school teachers back home. If they did say this, then they’d say bitch not bish. BUT the whole sounds wrong for a teacher to say!
Narrator: “Please give me strength, Lord.” - add a comma.
Evie: “…hot pocket from the teachers’ lounge.”
Kandie: “Remi got me riled up.” You say ‘fucked’ up but it doesn’t mean angered here. It means either intensely drunk or beaten and bruised.
Jacques: “My office, NOW!” - You don’t need the ‘in’, as this is now a popular way of phrasing it thanks to Hollywood, and it makes more sense.
Kandie: “Remi and I have had problems for…”
Jacques: “Look, Ms Jones, you have two choices. …” - add another comma
Kandie: “Hey, Remi, I just wanted…” - add another comma
Kandie: “How can you be so sure?”
Kandie: “…Fake it 'til you make.” - It’s ‘until’, so 'til is the short-form/slang version. ‘Till’ is a cash register.
Kandie: “I decked Remi in the mouth today.” - You don’t need to say ‘in the mouth’, as to deck someone means just that. You can just say “I decked Remi today.”
Cicely: “Go, best friend, go!” - add commas. Also, “Come and get this pizza, bish.”
Mr Jenkins: “…getting reports from the other tenants about one…”
Mr Jenkins: “…Handle it, Kandie, before I…” - add another comma
Kandie: “I will handle it. Thank you, Mr Jenkins.” - Punctuation

For Chapter Two:

Kandie: “I will never get back with you, Jeremiah.”
Kandie: “I don’t date man thots.” - What’s a thot? Do you mean ‘man whores’?
Jeremiah: “… reason that you have been avoiding me, Kandie” - ‘avoiding’ sounds like a better word choice.
Cicely: “…paying for my pizza, bish.” - add a comma.
Cicely: “I’ll leave you to your students’ tests now.”
Kandie: “I put on a brave face.” - ‘a brave face’ is the phrase.
Kandie: “I have some time to check Folkbook.”
Jacques: “How’s everything going, Ms Jones?”- add a comma.
Cali: “Can we start the test already, Ms Jones?” - add a comma.
Evie: “There’s nothing like grading test that pass.”
Kandie: “Yes, Evie, you’re correct.” - add another comma
Narrator: “The one thing that changed was that I…”
Jeremiah: “This is why I cheated on you.”
Jeremiah: “Passion?” - just one “?”
Kandie: “Those words cut deep into my soul.”
Kandie: “With a dazzling white smile to die for.”
Kandie: “When I look at Oynx, my mind says, ‘Jeremiah, who?’.” - add commas
Oynx: “…keep working out, but she looks so sad.”
Kandie: “What if he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” - its sheep’s, not sheep
Oynx: “What did you say, Kandie?” - add a comma
Kandie: “I asked, can I have your number?” - add a comma
Person at the beach: " I got my eyes on you, Jones." - add a comma

Love the story so far, I’m just not too sure about the way teachers are represented. But it’s for the story’s sake, so I can look past it. It is refreshing to see a different kind of Episode story. :wink:
If you want me to continue checking through the other chapters, I can, just say so.

Hope this helps,
Caliope-Checker :wink:

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Thank you! I will make those changes.

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Hey Mary,
I am? I love Life Savers, they’re yummy! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes::stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes::stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: Candy joke!
Am on it now and you’re very welcome!
Here you go, my corrections are in bold. :wink:

For Chapter One:

Mary P: “I decided to do something different!” - there should be no space in between different and an ‘!’
Mary P: “…crazy news, old and new, from all over the world, to…” -add another comma
Mary P: “Let me present my team to you.”
Mary P: “First, we have Sam, …” add a comma
Warning message: “Crazy news is not for children.”
Warning message: “…uncomfortable with reading this article, don’t worry, you can go back.”

So it started off really well and I liked your concept. However, I cannot continue to check your story at the moment. I clicked on the first news story and discover that you have broken Episode’s rules. You may have warned your readers BUT you are NOT allowed to show or describe explicit sexual content in your story. Describing a BJ is extremely explicit. I suggest you change this before I continue to check your work. The reason there are such rules is because children often frequent this app and no one wants them to read such material.
Please change this, I wouldn’t want Episode to find such a story and delete it or something, as it did start off as a good story. :flushed::flushed::flushed:

Hope this helps,
Caliope-Checker :wink:

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Don’t worry it’s the only one like this :joy::joy:.
And I didn’t show anything.
The scene just show my friend reading a blank paper. 🤷🏾🤷🏾

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Thanx so much for the grammar. I corrected it.
Oof, too much errors :disappointed_relieved:

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It doesn’t matter if this is the only story or not, and reading it out is JUST as bad. You STILL went into detail, the rules have been broken.

Here they are… I’ve highlighted the key areas…

Content Guidelines

What is or is not acceptable on the Episode Platform and in the Episode Community?

Our Official Content Guidelines are as follows:
If stories contain objectionable or offensive content, we may not be able to feature or host them on Episode. Stories must always be appropriate for readers ages 13 or older, which means content would be objectionable if it, among other things:

  • promotes or depicts excessive violence or assault, including but not limited to sexual assault, murder, and torture against humans or animals;
  • includes hate speech or content that promotes hatred or discrimination against individuals or groups, on the basis of race, ethnic or national origin, religion, marital status, disability, gender, age, or sexual orientation;
  • promotes suicide, self-harm, abuse, or bullying;
  • promotes excessive alcohol, tobacco or drug use;
  • promotes gambling, betting or casinos;
  • portrays adult themes, including pornographic content, nudity, or prostitution;
  • slanders or libels a person or third party;
  • includes excessive use of profanity or sexually explicit phrases;
  • advertises for outside products or services, including but not limited to website links, reviews, and promotional language;
  • excessively promotes the use of firearms, explosives, and ammunition; or
  • excessively promotes a political agenda

To clarify, let’s break it down.

Censor Bar Use, Nudity, and Sexual Content:

  • Depiction of sex (or anything suggesting that sex is occurring at that moment) in any form, including but not limited to, gyrating bodies, oral sex, or moaning/groaning is not allowed.
  • Explicit details of what is happening or has happened off-screen is also not allowed.
  • Any nudity on cover art is strictly not allowed.
  • Frontal nudity is allowed in a story if it is not excessive, only used in non-sexual situations, and always accompanied with censor bars or scenery to censor.
  • Posterior nudity in a story is only allowed in a tasteful and non-sexual context.
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You’re welcome, but if you thought there were too many errors, then you should know that I barely read the story before I stopped.

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Then I come you to send this to the team who write featured stories, because looks like they missed it 🤷🏾

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Apologies if I am wrong in deciphering this, as the grammar here is … questionable, but are you really using the “If they can do it then I can too” argument? I thought the aim here was to improve our writing skills and show off talents, not fall victim to the same grotesque story standards that are coming from Episode’s current self-inflated ego. Prove to the community that you are the bigger person and that Episode is wrong; an original and amazing story doesn’t need derogatory, sexual content to get views. Let us try to be better than Episode and bring them to our level of writing, not the other way round!

6 Likes