Maxwell Wang Week #1: Written by a Bot

 

    My friends from last year’s English class might remember what I wrote about for our “I Believe” essay final. My writing talked about my belief of the “beauty and clarity” in all forms of writing, including text messages, with capital letters and punctuation, good grammar, and correct spelling, just like what you’d expect to find in an English essay.

    I understand that style of writing isn’t something that people necessarily expect to receive when texting with a teenager, but that is exactly what peers and adults unlucky enough to get a message from a certain 402 area code number will see! 

    I wonder what makes me type this way. Is it the grammar textbook we studied for English 9 Honors quizzes, the textbook I ended up purchasing on eBay so I could always have it? 


Photo credit: Original

    No, probably not. While it was surely the primary resource that strengthened my knowledge of grammar and opened up my eyes to fascinating rules I had never known, the irresistible appeal of polished writing was something that I had already committed to (with varying degrees of success) well before high school. 

    Since as early as I started writing short stories in elementary school that I may or may not prefer to look at anymore, I’ve found myself using periods at the ends of my sentences and capital letters at their beginnings. Never mind that I still got confused about whether I should be putting periods inside or outside of quotation marks up until ninth grade. But if I wanted to be like the authors on the shelves and the real writers out there, I had to stick as closely to the rules as I could, right? 


Photo credit: Original

    As I got older and got a phone, friends would point out that I sounded like a robot when I texted with them. I guess having autocorrect enabled didn’t help much, since it automatically capitalizes for you after each end mark. 

    But this style soon became my identity - something I used in the texts I would come to send, in the forum posts where I maybe shouldn’t have been, and in emails I’d click-clack out to all sorts of people. Sometimes, it made me sound credible and helped me get things I needed. Sometimes, it made me sound quite frank, and rightly so when I felt that way. But it has always been for me a valuable tool of comfort in the vast and, at times, intimidating expanse of communication with others. 

    So I encourage you, the next time you sit down to write, to put a little pizzazz into your words. And before you click send, close the tab, or send it off for the world to see, read back through it and proofread. Do this enough times, and eventually, you won’t need things like Grammarly or another robot to check your work. I mean, how could that be necessary if you're already a robot yourself?


Comments

  1. Sophie LeinerSeptember 2, 2026 at 5:22 PM

    Hello Maxwell! I really enjoyed reading your essay. While I can’t necessarily relate to your story about the perfect grammar you use in texting (my text messages are about as grammatically correct as something written by a toddler), I do have a friend who texts similar to you! Capital letters, punctuation, paragraph formatting—the whole shebang. I often tease her about it, but I do find it an endearing part of her personality.
    Even though your grammar does seem impeccable from what I’m reading in your blog, I find it hard to believe that you sound like a robot in your text messages. I’ve always loved when you can hear someone’s voice/personality through their writing, and your writing definitely has soul that a robot would not have at all! I also really like your use of the word “pizzazz.” What a silly word! I will have to use it more often.

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  2. Arya JohnsonSeptember 2, 2026 at 9:00 PM

    I totally understand where you’re coming from with the passion for grammar (even if I’m not the best at it..). I still vividly remember English 9H and all the grammar quizzes that were difficult to figure out as much as you do. English is such a complex language and the determination to get it right is admirable, especially for reaching your own writing goals! I also remember your essay final in English last year and it’s nice to know that you keep a common theme of what you do and do not believe in. I’m excited to see more of your literary passion!

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  3. Pavan Sai SunkesulaSeptember 2, 2026 at 9:18 PM

    Hi Maxwell, I can definitely relate to having text messages that sound a bit robotic. I change the way I text depending on when or who I am texting, but every now and then I find myself writing complete sentences complete with punctuation. However, when I am texting close friends, my sentences tend to devolve and become so choppy that they have trouble understanding what I am trying to say. For you, it seems like the opposite might be happening where you tend to proofread when messaging people you are close with. I do remember Pacio’s final last year, and while I do agree that your belief was something one would expect to find in a typical English essay, this essay was a little different than most and your topic was quite unique and reflective of your identity. Just like how your friends commented on your texting style, I had some people back in middle school point out that I write a bit like ChatGPT, although I am not sure if that was a compliment or criticism… I liked your humor throughout the blog that helped make things more interesting, like your joke about a “certain 402 area code number.” You were able to slide in these jokes well and stayed on topic. Your advice at the end is definitely going to help some people who are still affected by dependence on grammar tools since they are not allowed for school work, but I will not be applying it to texts or emails since I already proofread too much and doing it even more will just make things worse and stressful for me. Your last line compares yourself to being a robot, which I am glad works out for you since your grammar style fits that description, but in my opinion, I would rather have worse grammar, keeping my style.

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  4. Kan XuSeptember 2, 2026 at 9:57 PM

    As someone who has received your texts before, Maxwell, I can assure you that I don’t really see your texts as robotic; rather, when I see your texts, I think of an encouraging, nice, and approachable person through the screen. I feel like so much is lost by condensing text during messaging, that so much of the nuance in the English language is lost during the process. Half of the time, I can barely tell if my friend is angry, sad, or happy just through their texts alone. It’s always so nice to see someone who can effectively communicate their feelings over any medium, whether that be through text, voice, or emails. I think what I am trying to say is, keep on writing the way you do, Maxwell! It reflects your personality.

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