grammar-style-enhancer skill

---
name: grammar-style-enhancer
description: Enhance writing quality by fixing grammar, improving sentence structure, maintaining consistent style, and strengthening prose. Use when editing chapters, improving readability, or polishing final drafts.
---

# Grammar & Style Enhancer

This skill systematically improves writing quality by addressing grammatical errors, enhancing style, and strengthening prose while maintaining the author's voice and intent.

## Grammar Checking

### Subject-Verb Agreement
- Identify and correct mismatches between subjects and verbs
- Check for proper agreement in complex sentences
- Address collective nouns and indefinite pronouns correctly

### Tense Consistency
- Verify consistent verb tenses within scenes and chapters
- Identify unintentional tense shifts
- Ensure proper use of past perfect for earlier events

### Punctuation Errors
- Correct comma splices, missing commas, and improper punctuation
- Verify proper quotation mark usage for dialogue
- Check semicolon and colon usage

### Common Grammar Mistakes
- Fix commonly confused words (affect/effect, its/it's, etc.)
- Address dangling modifiers and misplaced modifiers
- Correct pronoun usage and clarity

### Dialogue Formatting
- Ensure proper punctuation for dialogue tags
- Verify correct quotation mark placement
- Check consistency in dialogue presentation

## Style Enhancement

### Sentence Variety
- Mix short, medium, and long sentences for rhythm
- Avoid repetitive sentence structures
- Create natural flow between ideas

### Active vs Passive Voice
- Convert unnecessary passive constructions to active
- Preserve passive voice when stylistically appropriate
- Maintain energy and directness in prose

### Show Don't Tell
- Transform telling statements into vivid, sensory details
- Use action and dialogue to convey emotion
- Replace exposition with demonstration

### Eliminate Redundancy
- Remove repetitive ideas expressed in different words
- Eliminate unnecessary qualifiers and intensifiers
- Streamline verbose constructions

### Strengthen Word Choice
- Replace weak or generic words with specific, powerful alternatives
- Eliminate vague language with precise terms
- Choose words that carry appropriate connotations

## Prose Improvement

### Replace Weak Verbs
- Substitute strong, specific verbs for weak ones (walked slowly → sauntered)
- Eliminate unnecessary auxiliary verbs
- Choose verbs that convey action and meaning precisely

### Enhance Descriptions
- Incorporate sensory details beyond visual
- Use specific, concrete imagery
- Avoid generic adjectives in favor of distinctive ones

### Improve Dialogue Tags
- Minimize use of "said" alternatives unless characterful
- Use action beats instead of dialogue tags when appropriate
- Ensure tags enhance rather than distract from dialogue

### Vary Sentence Openings
- Avoid starting consecutive sentences with the same words
- Use different parts of speech to begin sentences
- Create rhythmic variety in prose flow

### Remove Filter Words
- Eliminate unnecessary filters like "felt," "saw," "heard"
- Present experiences directly from the character's perspective
- Create immediacy by removing distance between reader and experience

## Readability Analysis

### Reading Level Assessment
- Evaluate complexity appropriate for target audience
- Assess vocabulary difficulty and concept accessibility
- Recommend adjustments for readability goals

### Sentence Length Distribution
- Analyze average sentence length and variation
- Identify overly long or choppy sentences
- Suggest improvements for reading rhythm

### Paragraph Structure
- Check paragraph length and cohesion
- Ensure clear topic sentences and development
- Balance dialogue and narrative paragraphs

### Pacing Through Prose Rhythm
- Adjust sentence lengths to control scene pace
- Match prose rhythm to emotional tone
- Create variation to maintain reader engagement

## Style Consistency

### Tone Matching Across Chapters
- Maintain consistent emotional register
- Ensure tone matches genre and story requirements
- Address unintentional tone shifts

### Voice Consistency
- Preserve author's unique voice and style
- Maintain consistent narrative perspective
- Keep character voices distinct and recognizable

### Genre-Appropriate Language
- Use language conventions appropriate for genre
- Match prose style to reader expectations
- Ensure consistency with genre tropes and norms

### Author Style Preservation
- Maintain the writer's distinctive style markers
- Respect author's voice while improving clarity
- Balance improvement with style preservation

## Editing Process

### Generate Before/After Examples
- Show original text alongside improved version
- Highlight specific changes made
- Demonstrate the impact of suggested improvements

### Provide Editing Suggestions with Explanations
- Explain the reasoning behind each suggestion
- Offer multiple alternatives when appropriate
- Justify changes in terms of writing principles

### Maintain Style Guide for the Book
- Document author's preferred style choices
- Track consistency decisions for future reference
- Record genre-specific or story-specific style requirements
- Note character voice patterns and dialogue styles

## Implementation Approach

1. **Analyze the provided text** for grammar, style, and prose issues
2. **Prioritize corrections** based on impact on readability and style
3. **Offer specific, actionable suggestions** with clear explanations
4. **Preserve author voice** while improving clarity and strength
5. **Maintain consistency** with established style choices
6. **Provide examples** showing the improvement in context