How to Make AI Write Like a Human (Not a Grammar Bot)

The Grammar Bot Problem

Here's what I mean by "grammar bot writing":

"In today's digital landscape, content creation has become increasingly important for businesses seeking to establish their online presence. By leveraging AI-powered tools, organizations can efficiently generate high-quality content that resonates with their target audience."

Zero grammatical errors. Complete sentences. Logical flow. And absolutely nobody would ever talk like this.

The problem with most AI text generators isn't that they can't write correctly. It's that they write too correctly. They optimize for grammatical accuracy and logical structure while completely missing what makes writing sound human.

What Makes Writing Sound Human?

Humans break rules. We start sentences with "And" or "But." We use sentence fragments for emphasis. Like this one.

We repeat words for rhythm even when thesaurus-wielding editors tell us not to. We use "very" and "really" even though writing teachers hate it. We write the way we talk, not the way grammar textbooks say we should.

AI trained on "proper writing" misses all of this. It writes like it's taking a grammar test, not trying to connect with a reader.

Step 1: Start with Voice, Not Topic

The single biggest mistake I see: people prompt AI with just the topic.

"Write about email marketing."

The AI has no idea who's speaking, who they're speaking to, or why. So it defaults to generic informational voice.

Instead: Define the Voice First

Before you mention the topic, tell the AI whose voice to use:

"Write in the voice of a marketing director who's skeptical of trends, values data over hype, and speaks directly without corporate jargon. Topic: why email marketing still works."

Or even better, give it actual examples:

"Match the voice and style of these three paragraphs: [paste examples]. Now write about email marketing."

This gives the AI text generator patterns to match instead of falling back on generic patterns.

Real Example: Same Topic, Different Voice Prompts

Generic prompt: "Write about productivity tools"

"Productivity tools are essential for modern professionals seeking to optimize their workflow and enhance efficiency. These applications offer various features designed to streamline tasks and improve time management."

Voice-first prompt: "Write as someone who's tried 47 productivity tools and found most of them make you less productive. Direct, slightly cynical, speaks from experience. Topic: productivity tools."

"Most productivity tools are procrastination with extra steps. You spend an hour setting up your 'system' instead of just doing the work. I know because I've done this exactly 47 times. Here's what actually works."

Same topic. Completely different output. The second one sounds human because it starts with perspective and personality.

Step 2: Break the Grammar Rules AI Follows Too Strictly

AI has been trained on properly edited text. It follows all the rules. Too well.

Give Permission to Break Specific Rules

Include these instructions in your prompt:

• "Use sentence fragments when they add emphasis"
• "Start sentences with And or But when it improves flow"
• "Vary sentence length dramatically — from 3 words to 30"
• "Use repetition for rhythm, not just vocabulary variety"
• "Write how people actually talk, not textbook grammar"

Without explicit permission, AI won't do these things. It's been trained that they're "wrong."

Example: Before and After

AI following strict grammar:

"Content marketing requires consistency, strategy, and patience. It is important to understand that results typically take several months to materialize. Organizations should plan accordingly and maintain realistic expectations."

Same AI, prompted to break rules:

"Content marketing takes time. Like, actually takes time. Not 'post for two weeks and check analytics' time. Months. And most companies quit right before it starts working. Don't be most companies."

The second version uses fragments, repetition, and casual language. It sounds like a human trying to convince you, not a bot reciting facts.

Step 3: Add Specific Humanity Markers

Human writing includes specific elements that signal "a person wrote this." AI rarely includes them unless explicitly told to.

Personal Examples and Stories

Instead of "Many marketers struggle with consistency," write "I watched a marketing team create 30 posts in January and zero in February."

Specific beats general. Always. Tell the AI to include specific examples, not abstract statements.

Conversational Asides

Humans interrupt themselves. We add parenthetical thoughts, em dashes, and clarifying phrases.

AI default: "Content should be valuable and relevant."

Human version: "Content should be valuable — and I mean actually valuable, not just SEO keyword stuffing — and relevant to what your audience cares about right now."

Direct Address

Use "you" early and often. Talk to the reader, not about the topic.

AI default: "Readers appreciate authentic content."

Human version: "You can tell when content is authentic. You can also tell when someone's faking it."

Rhetorical Questions

Humans use questions to engage readers. AI rarely does unless prompted.

Add to your prompt: "Use rhetorical questions to engage the reader and transition between ideas."

Example: "Why do most productivity tools fail? Because they solve the wrong problem."

Step 4: Inject Opinion and Position

Grammar bots present all information neutrally. Humans have opinions.

Make Claims People Could Disagree With

If everyone would agree with your statement, it's too safe. Push further.

Too safe: "AI can be a helpful tool for content creation."

Stronger position: "Most content creators are using AI wrong — treating it like a replacement writer instead of a thinking partner."

The second statement takes a position someone could argue against. That's good. Disagreement means you've said something worth responding to.

Use Absolute Statements Sparingly but Strategically

AI loves qualifiers: "may," "might," "can," "often," "generally." These protect against being wrong but also prevent sounding confident.

Weak: "This approach can generally be effective in many situations."

Strong: "This works. I've tested it with 50 clients. Use it."

Occasionally replace hedged statements with direct claims. It makes AI writing sound more human.

Step 5: Edit for Rhythm and Flow

Even with good prompts, AI tends toward monotonous rhythm. All sentences roughly the same length, same structure, same cadence.

The Three-Sentence Rule

Never let three similar-length sentences sit together. Force variation.

Monotonous AI output:

"Email marketing remains effective in 2025. It offers direct access to customer inboxes. Most platforms provide robust analytics and automation features."

Edited for rhythm:

"Email marketing works. Still. Even in 2025 when everyone claims you need to be on TikTok. Why? Because you own the channel, and most platforms give you analytics that actually matter."

Notice the variation: fragment, full sentence, question, explanation. This creates natural reading rhythm.

Read It Out Loud

If it sounds weird when spoken, it'll feel weird when read. Human writing has conversational flow even in written form.

AI writing often fails the read-aloud test because it's optimized for grammatical correctness, not spoken rhythm.

Edit any sentence that makes you pause unnaturally when reading aloud.

Step 6: Remove the AI Tells

Certain phrases scream "AI wrote this." Learn to spot and eliminate them.

The AI Tell List

If you see these phrases, rewrite:

• "In today's digital landscape..."
• "It's important to note that..."
• "Leveraging [tool/strategy]..."
• "Seeking to [accomplish thing]..."
• "Enable organizations to..."
• "Drive meaningful results..."
• "Unlock the power of..."
• "In conclusion..." or "To sum up..."

These are corporate buzzword phrases that AI has seen thousands of times in training data. They're not wrong. They're just instant markers that AI wrote the content.

Replace with Actual Language

Instead of "leveraging AI tools," just say "using AI tools."

Instead of "In today's digital landscape," start with the actual point you're making.

Instead of "seeking to improve engagement," say "trying to get people to actually read your content."

Simple language beats impressive-sounding phrases every time.

The Complete Prompt Template

Putting all these techniques together, here's a prompt template that produces more human-sounding AI writing:

Voice: [Describe the speaker's perspective, personality, and style. Or paste 2-3 example paragraphs]

Audience: [Who are you talking to? What do they already know?]

Position: [What's your specific take on this topic? What do you believe that others might disagree with?]

Topic: [What you're writing about]

Style guidelines:
• Use sentence fragments for emphasis
• Start sentences with And or But when appropriate
• Vary sentence length from 3 to 30+ words
• Include specific examples, not abstract statements
• Use "you" and direct address
• Include conversational asides with em dashes or parentheses
• Ask rhetorical questions
• Take clear positions; avoid hedge words
• Write how people talk, not textbook grammar
• Avoid corporate buzzwords and AI tells

Yes, this is longer than "write about X." But it produces content that sounds human instead of content you need to completely rewrite.