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Compliment vs Complement 736 Views


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Want even more deets on Compliment vs. Complement? Take a look at our entire grammar section for all the goods.

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Transcript

00:01

Compliment versus Complement, a la Shmoop. Your best friend Lisa showed up at school

00:14

this morning with a new pleather jacket...

00:16

...and you complimented her on finding a jacket that complemented her jeans.

00:22

Fortunately, Lisa was so busy looking awesome that she didn't ask if you were using “compliment”

00:27

with an “i” or “complement” with an “e.”

00:30

The rule is: use “compliment” with an “i” when you want to praise someone or

00:35

something...

00:36

...and use “complement” with an “e” when you think that something goes together

00:40

with something else. For example, use the word “compliment”...

00:44

...“compliment” with an “i”, that is...

00:46

...when you want to compliment your dad on making something other than hot dogs for dinner...

00:51

...or compliment your kid brother for actually hitting the inside of the toilet bowl when

00:56

he takes a leak. Use the word “complement”...

00:58

...that's “complement” with an “e”...

01:00

...when your grandmother gives you a purse that complements your shoes...

01:05

...or your best friend's happy mood complements your own.

01:08

Now, you may be wondering… since “compliment” and “complement” are spelled almost the

01:12

same, how the heck are you supposed to remember which is which?

01:15

Try this trick. “Compliment” with an “i” means you're praising something. Use that

01:21

“i” to remember the phrase “I give compliments”.

01:25

“Complement” with an “e” means you think something goes well with something else.

01:29

Use that “e” to remember the phrase “My complementary shoes complete this outfit.”

01:36

Not that you care about such material things… So, boys and girls, one more time, with feeling.

01:41

Use “compliment” with an “i” when you want to praise someone or something...

01:44

...and “complement” with an “e” when you think that something goes together with

01:48

something else.

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