On its Workspace Updates page, Google revealed that it will assist users in improving the quality of their work. As mentioned in the last piece, Google Docs will get a few additional writing tools, including sentence structure suggestions and grammar and spelling corrections.
For any inappropriateness, you’ll notice options in Word Choice, writing in an Active Voice, Conciseness, Inclusive Language, and Word Warnings. Suggestions will be displayed as a purple squiggly line beneath the area where they are being proposed. Consider it a Grammarly extension, but with the new Google suggestions, it would eliminate the need for third-party services entirely.
However, there is a catch. These assistive writing features are not available in all Google Workspace Plans. The following are the functionalities that are available for assistive writing:
- Word choice, active voice, brevity, and inclusivity:
- Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Education Plus are all options.
- Customers with Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Education Fundamentals, Teaching, and Learning Upgrade, Education Standard, Frontline, Nonprofits, G Suite Basic, and Business will be unable to access this feature.
- Words of Caution:
- Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, Teaching, and Learning Upgrade are all available to Business Standard, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, Teaching, and Learning Upgrade customers.
- Customers using Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, Nonprofits, G Suite Basic, and Business do not have access to this feature.
This implies that, for the time being, if you only have a basic plan like Google Workspace Essentials, you won’t be able to use any of the assistive writing tools. When it’s available by the end of April, the writing recommendations will be turned on by default, but they may be turned off via the Tools option at the top of the page.
What are your thoughts on Google Docs providing more assertive recommendations? Wouldn’t it be great if this was included in every Google Workspace plan? Let us know what you think in the comments!