As content creators, we have welcomed the convenience and speed that artificial intelligence (AI) has given us to generate content. Today, 64% of public relations professionals use AI to write social copy, 58% use AI for research as well as writing press releases, while 54% use AI to craft pitches, according to a Muck Rack survey. However, that efficiency comes with a very serious trade-off. Now, we are now faced with the human writer vs. AI and correcting AI’s common grammatical errors.

Writing is never a flawless process in either case, but even the most advanced AI models make critical grammatical and stylistic mistakes that a good human writer would not make – and a good human AI-content editor would not miss. AI-specific errors are telltale signs of machine-generated content.

These errors underscore the importance of human oversight in AI-generated content creation and the editorial process. This is where having a human writer in charge of the editorial process makes all the difference in the world. 

A skilled human editor can detect and correct the unique errors that AI tends to make. Many grammatical errors can be missed due to not proofreading the copy or by racing too quickly through the proofreading process. Others slip by because the text has been re-read too many times. Recognizing these AI-specific patterns of errors is key to effectively distinguishing between and improving AI-generated and human-written content. 

Human Writer vs. AI: Correcting Common Grammatical Errors in AI Content

Let’s take a look at 10 of the common grammatical mistakes in AI-generated text that we have seen at Writing For Humans™:

Repetition of Words or Phrases

AI can repeat certain words or phrases within a short span of text. This can occur because the model tries to emphasize a point or fill in some more details, but instead repeats the same word again.

• AI:  “The project was successful because of the team’s successful execution of successful strategies.”
• Human Writer: “The project was successful because of the team’s careful execution of well thought out strategies.”

Incorrect Use of Tenses

AI can struggle to maintain consistent tense throughout a passage, especially in more complex sentences where tense switches between the past, present or future.

• AI: “She was preparing the report yesterday, and she completes it now.”
• Human Writer: “She was preparing the report yesterday, and she is completing it now.”

Overuse of Passive Voice

Overuse of passive voice can make the text feel impersonal or awkward. Passive voice is grammatically correct, but AI can default to passive constructions, which weaken the clarity and directness of the message.

• AI: “The project was completed by the team in record time.”
• Human Writer: “The team completed the project in record time.”

Agreement between Subject and Verb

Content generated by AI can confuse agreement between the subject and verb in a sentence. This happens especially when AI is dealing with more complex sentence structures or when multiple subjects are involved.

• AI: “The group of students are excited.”
• Human Writer: “The group of students is excited.”

Unclear or Ambiguous Pronouns

AI text can be unclear or ambiguous with its pronoun use. This causes problems for readers because they cannot determine to whom or to what the pronoun refers

• AI: “John met with Steve, and he said he was tired.” 
• Human Writer: (Who was tired, John or Steve? Is it: “John met with Steve, and John said he was tired.” Or is it: “John met with Steve, and Steve said he was tired.”)

Run-On Sentences

This can be the bane of every writer and AI is no different. AI models sometimes generate long, convoluted sentences and without the proper punctuation or breaks. This makes the text difficult to read and understand.

• AI: “The new software update provides several new features which will improve user experience and productivity but some users may find it difficult to adjust and might need some training to understand the changes which could affect overall satisfaction.”
• Human Writer: “The new software update provides several new features which will improve user experience and productivity. However, some users may find it difficult to adjust. They might need some training to understand the changes that could affect overall satisfaction.”

Improper Use of Articles

The improper use or omission of the articles “a,” “an” and “the” is a pretty common problem with AI-generated content. This is especially the case with noncount or uncountable nouns and abstract concepts. A noncountable noun is a noun that usually cannot be expressed in a plural form. It is not something that can be quantified, like “milk,” “water,” “air,” “money” and “food.” You cannot say, for example, “He had many moneys” or “The airs smelled good this morning.”

• AI: “She gave him advice on how to improve an productivity.”
• Human Writer: “She gave him advice on how to improve productivity.”

Misuse of Prepositions

AI can use incorrect prepositions or place them in the wrong place, especially in idiomatic expressions or phrasal verbs.

• AI: “She is interested for learning.”
• Human Writer: “She is interested in learning.”

Misplaced Modifiers

AI-generated text can contain sentences with misplaced modifiers, which make the sentence unclear or altering the intended meaning.

• AI: “Walking through the park, the flowers were blooming beautifully.” 
• Human Writer: “Walking through the park, I saw how beautifully the flowers had bloomed.”

Inconsistent Use of Tone and Style

Consistent tone can be a problem for any writer, and AI is no different. It can fail to maintain a consistent tone, inappropriately shifting from formal to casual or vice versa. This can happen particularly when transitioning between different parts of a text

• AI: “The company’s profits increased. Wow, that’s awesome!” (A shift from formal to casual).
• Human Writer: “The company’s profits increased. That results were very satisfying.” 

Human Editorial Expertise Is Essential

To avoid these common grammatical issues with AI-generated text, human expertise is essential in the editorial process. Leveraging the skills of a highly skilled human writer, such as one with a background as a journalist, writer or public relations or marketing executive, can ensure that your AI content is no longer machine-like, but is instead reader-friendly. 

Don’t let your content be spoiled by the limitations of AI technology. Combine the power of AI with skilled editing to ensure your message truly connects with your audience. Remember, you need a human writer vs. AI for correcting AI’s common grammatical errors. It’s one of the keys to humanizing AI content.

Ready to leverage Writing For Humans™ to transform your AI-generated content into polished, professional writing? Contact randy@writingforhumans.co — an expert who understands how to bridge the gap between AI’s machine-like efficiency and human creativity.

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