Antidote is the best and the latest in software designed specifically to help students with their writing assignments by including a comprehensive spell checker, an on-board French dictionary, a sophisticated thesaurus, and grammar and syntax guidelines. Antidote goes well beyond the capacities of Microsoft’s French spell-checker.
Where can I find it?
There are two copies of Antidote, installed on computers #3 and #4 in Williams College’s Language Lab.
How can I use Antidote?
- Type your text using any word processor (Word, Text Edit, Google Docs, etc.). Please type the accents and make a first attempt at correcting your mistakes before trying to correct with Antidote.
- Move your paper to Antidote:
- The best way to have your paper available to you when you work on it on any computers is to use Google Docs.
- Use Word or any other text editor to open your paper. Right-click the paper to see the context menu. There are four different options in the context menu to open the file in Antidote.
- If you do not use Word, Find the Antidote application and start it. Then under Antidote, create a file and cut/paste your text in it. With this method you will lose all formatting but you may reinstate it afterwards.
More information
New tools have been added to the basic functions of Antidote. These new features allow you to scan the entire body of your text after you have corrected it and to spot repetitions, style errors, use of pronouns, etc. While at first you may find this information overwhelming, after a while, it will allow you to improve your writing style. To know more about different functions of Antidote please check the guidebook. You can find the guidebooks on the computer desks #3 and #4 in the language Lab.