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While writing a resume for a friend, I had a debate with my family over whether or not an adjective should be used to describe how something 'complements' something else.

For example:

"My experience driving trucks complements this job position nicely."

or

"My experience driving trucks complements this job position well."

or

"My experience driving trucks complements this job position."

Which one is better and why?

Thanks for your time!

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  • None of them are good. You have mistakes in all of them.
    – SovereignSun
    Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 5:38
  • Only an adverb can modify a verb; an adjective can't. In your examples "nicely" and "well" are both adverbs!
    – SovereignSun
    Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 7:30

1 Answer 1

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  • My experience in/with driving trucks complements this job position.

You should place in or with after experience. The more common preposition is in however.

Concerning the adverbs after or before complement - you can use them but be careful, since not all adverbs go well with some verbs in some positions. I prefer placing the adverbs of manner before the verb unless they are well, badly, hard, or fast, which should always go after the verb, or if the adverb is not the most important part of the clause or if the object is very long.

  • My experience in driving trucks (nicely) complements this job position (nicely). - Either in mid-position or end-position.
  • My experience in driving trucks complements this job position (well). - Only in end-position.
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    I disagree with a lot of this answer. I don't feel the in is necessary at all, and if you do wish to insert a word there, I feel with is a much better fit. "My experience with driving trucks complements this job position well". As for the adverbs, you're correct in that order can matter with regards to sentence flow and sound, but to my native ear nicely sounds better at the end of this sentence than in the middle.
    – Cantalouping
    Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 6:37
  • @Cantalouping Unfortunately, no preposition after experience sounds wrong here. In some contexts it's okay in others it's not! And whatever you say about adverbs is indeed true. They are all mostly placed after the verb.
    – SovereignSun
    Commented Aug 24, 2017 at 6:56
  • Thanks, but the root of my question is whether or not nicely should be included in the sentence at all. Should complement include an adverb to describe it or not? I never asked if they should go before or after complement... Asking if it should be there at all.
    – mrg95
    Commented Aug 25, 2017 at 1:59
  • @mrg95 If you want it to be there place it else don't. It's up to you to decide whether you want to modify the verb in some way.
    – SovereignSun
    Commented Aug 25, 2017 at 4:49

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