Sunday School

You know what sucks worse than taking midterms? Writing them.

Since I'm rocking full-fledged teacher mode before 9:00 in the morning on a Sunday, I thought I'd present a little lesson for you. If you're lucky, I'll turn this post into a weekly installment.

In today's lesson plan, we have the difference between complement and compliment.

Complement (to remember: You complete me, so you're my complement.)
Had Jerry Maguire said, "You complement me" instead of "You complete me," his message would have been the same.

Definition: If something complements something else, it makes the other thing perfect, or complete.

For example, if we're thinking about style and using the word as a verb, then:
     * Orange complements blue.
     * Purple complements yellow.
     * Red complements green.

Feel free to use it as a noun, too:
    * Red's complement is green.
    * Orange's complement is blue.
    * Purple's complement is yellow.

Compliment (to remember: I like compliments.)
Definition: an admiring remark or recognition

Use it as a verb: When someone compliments me on my outfit, I feel elated. (You know it's true.)
Use it as a noun: She showered me with compliments to distract me from the vase that she broke.

Complement vs. Compliment: Let's try them in one sentence.

My students' compliments complemented my day.
Translation: My students' kind remarks completed my day.


I hope you learned something today. If not, better luck next Sunday. Feel free to let me know if you need a lesson on something in particular.