We’re constantly perusing web sites, printed marketing materials, etc. and find that grammatical and punctuation errors abound. Here are a few of the most common mistakes we’ve come across recently:

Complement vs. Compliment

• To complement is to bring to completion or perfection. “John and Jane complement each other perfectly.”
• To compliment is to express praise. “I complimented Mary on her great work.”

It’s vs. Its

• It’s is a contraction for “it is.” “It’s a boy!”
• Its shows possession. “The dog yelped when its tail got stuck in the door.”

Quotation Marks

• Periods and commas go inside quotation marks. “I love to go hiking,” she said, “even when it’s raining.”
• Colons and semi-colons go outside quotation marks. “The restaurant now serves ‘freedom fries’; french fries are no longer on the menu.”

Your written materials are a reflection of you and your professionalism, so make sure they’re free of errors. If you’re not confident in your proofreading/editing skills, hire a professional to review your work.