Did You Study Grammar In School?

Quotation Marks and Dialogue

Quotation marks are used to identify words that someone has said. You’ll often find them in fiction, where they signify dialogue, the words spoken by the characters. In newspapers, journalists use quotation marks to signify that something is a direct quote from a person in the article. In academic papers, quotation marks can signify that you are quoting material that was written by someone else. Quotation marks always come in pairs; the first set opens the quote and the second set closes the quote.

American vs. British Quotation Marks

American English and British English differ in the way they use quotation marks. American English uses double quotation marks (“ ”) for quotes and reserves single quotation marks (‘ ’) for quotes within quotes. In British English, the convention is the opposite. Another difference is that in American English, periods and commas go before closing quotation marks. In British English, they go after the closing quotation mark. The guidelines below apply to American English.

Dialogue

When writers become confused about quotation marks, it usually has to do with where to put other nearby punctuation. Below is an example of a conversation between two characters, with their dialogue correctly punctuated.

Martin said, “I’m going over to Jennifer’s house for a few hours.”

“You can’t be serious!” cried Fauntleroy.

“Oh, but I am,” Martin replied.

“How will you get there?” Fauntleroy asked.

“I thought I’d take the bus.”

“And,” Fauntleroy continued, “exactly how long is ‘a few hours’?”

“Probably two or three.”

“Well . . . fine. Tell Jennifer I said hello.”

In the first sentence, Martin makes a declarative statement that ends in a period. The period goes inside the quotation marks. Treat anything within quotation marks as separate from the rest of the sentence you’ve written, and make sure it has its own correct punctuation. If the quote is a full sentence, it must begin with a capital letter, even though it is within the larger structure of another sentence.

The second sentence begins a new paragraph because a different character is speaking. Fauntleroy responds with an outburst, ending with an exclamation mark. When an exclamation mark belongs to the sentence inside the quotation marks, it goes before the closing quotation mark.

In the third sentence, Martin is making another declarative statement. This time, however, the statement is followed by the dialogue tag Martin replied. In dialogue, when a sentence that would normally end in a period is followed by a dialogue tag, the period becomes a comma. It should go before the closing quotation mark.

In the fourth sentence, Fauntleroy’s query ends with a question mark. As with exclamation marks, a question mark goes before the closing quotation mark when it belongs to the sentence inside the quotation marks.

In the fifth sentence, Martin is speaking, but there is no dialogue tag. Writers often omit dialogue tags when the context of a conversation makes it clear who the speaker is.

In the sixth sentence, the dialogue tag Fauntleroy continued appears in the middle of Fauntleroy’s sentence. Notice the placement of the commas after And and continued; commas go before quotation marks. This sentence also contains a quote within a quote, which is enclosed with single quotation marks. Fauntleroy is repeating Martin’s words a few hours.

The final two sentences of the conversation also omit the dialogue tags, because it’s clear which character is speaking in both instances.

Non-Dialogue Quotations

In nonfiction or academic contexts, you may want to quote someone without styling it as dialogue. The same rules for where to put other punctuation in relation to the quotation marks apply. But you should also take care to construct your sentence so that the quoted words fit within it grammatically.

The mayor said his two golden retrievers were “the best dogs in the world” and added that he was not a cat person.

The mayor said his two golden retrievers were “the best dogs in the world. I’m not a cat person.”

In the second example, the sentence begins in the third person and past tense but abruptly switches to the first person and present tense halfway through the quote. The result is jarring for the reader, and sometimes hard to follow.

Scare Quotes

Occasionally, writers enclose certain terms they wish to distance themselves from in quotation marks. Quotation marks used this way are commonly called scare quotes or shudder quotes. It’s a way of implying that you’re using a term in an unusual way or that you don’t necessarily approve of it. For example:

Silicon Valley has fully embraced the “sharing economy.”

The scare quotes around sharing economy suggest that it’s not a fully accepted term. Perhaps the writer feels that it’s jargon or just doesn’t like it. But, unless you’re writing for an audience who is totally unfamiliar with the subject, it’s better to leave the quotation marks out and instead provide enough context to make the meaning of the term clear. Overusing scare quotes will quickly annoy readers, so reserve them for terms that truly require them:

For too many people, “computer security” is an oxymoron.

In the sentence above, the scare quotes are needed to indicate that the writer is not talking about computer security in general, but rather the term itself.

Because scare quotes usually suggest a sniff of disapproval or sarcasm from the writer, you should never use them purely for emphasis or decoration. A sign outside a restaurant that proclaims Best “Flapjacks” in Town will make people stop and wonder why the flapjacks need the scare quotes. Are they really flapjacks? Or are they some kind of inferior imitation? Likewise, if you write someone a note that says I “love” you, the recipient will probably assume that you meant the exact opposite!

Words to Purge From Your Emails

Do your bloated emails need a diet? If an email is too wordy, the recipient may not be inclined to read it carefully. Make your emails brief, clean, and effective by eliminating these unnecessary phrases.

One Potentially Impolite Word

When you type an email, the receiver can’t see your twinkling eyes and impish grin. Certain words, such as “actually,” can seem sarcastic, condescending, or even impolite. Consider these example conversations, and decide which of the two sends the more polite message.:

Boss: Marie, I asked you for the Boulder report this morning. Can you please bring it to my office ASAP?

Reply 1: Actually, I put it on your desk earlier. It should be under your green paperweight. Let me know if you don’t see it.

Reply 2: I put it under your desk earlier. It should be under your green paperweight. Let me know if you don’t see it.

Does version one actually seem a bit snippy? Rather than run the risk of your words being misconstrued, why not leave out the unnecessary phrase “actually” in your emails?

7 Weasel Words and Phrases

Weasel words make you sound unsure or unreliable. In particular, there are seven expressions that should be eliminated if you want to make a good impression on the reader: like, sort of, kind of, maybe, perhaps, might, and can. Let’s look at another sample email with and without the weasels.

Client: Will the package arrive on Monday?

Reply 1: We might be able to deliver the package by Monday. I sort of need your tracking number. Perhaps if you send it, I can see where the package is.

Reply 2: To see exactly where your package is, I need the tracking number. Please send it and I will let you know if the package will arrive by Monday.

Reply two is direct and honest. Doesn’t reply one sound hesitant? If you want to send the impression that you have everything under control, avoid expressions that sound like you are trying to weasel out of something.

3 Add-Nothing Adverbs

Some writers hate adverbs, but most agree that they have their place. Henry James wrote “Adjectives are the sugar of literature and adverbs the salt.” To carry the metaphor forward, salt enhances the taste of food when used in the right proportion. Too much salt spoils a dish. On the other hand, salt has no place in certain edibles. Imagine putting salt in your lemonade, for example! Three adverbs are the worst of the worst because they add nothing important to a phrase. Avoid basically, currently, and seriously. Take a look at these examples to see why you should permanently leave these three words behind.

Message 1: I seriously considered your job offer. Basically, I am writing to decline because I currently have commitments that extend through April 2 of next year. Once they are fulfilled, I will contact you again to discuss what openings you have.

Message 2: I am writing to decline your job offer because I have previous commitments that extend through April 2 of next year. Once they are fulfilled, I will contact you again to discuss what openings you have.

It’s a job offer! Of course you seriously considered it. You are writing in present tense. Therefore, “currently” is extraneous. “Basically” indicates that a statement summarizes the most important aspects of a complicated situation. However, you explained the main points. If your readers need more details, they will ask.

3 Redundant or Imprecise Phrases

We’ve covered several redundant phrases that do nothing more than bloat writing. In an email, where brevity is especially appreciated, these phrases should be cut without delay. Let’s revisit a few of the worst offenders:

As a matter of fact

As a matter of fact means “in reality.” Speakers often use it to correct a misunderstanding or point out an error.

Speaker 1: I don’t eat polenta because I am allergic to wheat.

Speaker 2: As a matter of fact, polenta is a corn product.

Remember when we discussed why “actually” should be avoided? If you read the conversation above aloud, perhaps you might imagine Speaker 2 delivering the correction with hands on hips and a roll of the eyes. Why risk offending your readers? Don’t take for granted that they will understand your motives. It’s always better to make important corrections or clarifications in person. If you must send an email, choose your words carefully. A little tact goes a long way.

In the process of

Dear client, we are in the process of remodeling our store. The Bates location will be closed until further notice.

Will your clients get confused if you take out the phrase “in the process of”? Will they turn up at the storefront scratching their heads? If you reread the sentence without “in the process of,” you still understand why the location is closed. Why state the obvious?

For all intents and purposes

For all intents and purposes means “in effect.” People use it when there may be some ambiguity in a statement of fact. For instance, imagine you are a company owner who wants to discontinue the manufacture of a product. You set the date to cease production. Most of the materials to make the product should be used by that date. If you end up with materials left over, you will continue production for a few more days to avoid waste. Rather than go into exhaustive detail with your workers, you state: For all intents and purposes, production will cease on October 15.

Instead of this wordy phrase, opt for a more precise way of expressing ambiguous details. In the example above, the company owner could say that production is predicted to cease on October 12. Or, she might say that production will cease mid-October. Either way, the workers would understand the general timeframe of the end of production.

If you aren’t convinced, consider another problem that arises with “for all intents and purposes.” Many people use it incorrectly. Rather than take a chance on being one of them, you might want to use a synonym such as “in effect.”

English is full of unneeded filler words. The best emails are clear, direct, and brief. If you want your emails to communicate their purpose, eliminate these superfluous phrases.

Grammarly Insights 2.0: Better, Faster, Smarter

For a while now, we’ve been working on improvements for Grammarly Insights based on your feedback. But until recently, this was an undercover job.

So, it’s with great jubilation that we reveal some big changes making their way to your inbox next week.

1 Monitor Your Trends

Until now, the weekly emails summarized your activity over the previous seven days. Moving forward, we will graph up to four weeks’ worth of progress in the Productivity, Mastery, and Vocabulary sections.

2 Badges (Earn and Learn)

Oh no, a marketing gimmick! We hear you. That’s why we’ve set out to create engaging badges that offer surprises, a lot of personality, and some real history along the way. You’ll get a special link to view an archive of your achievements any time you’d like.

3 Personal Records

You’ll now be alerted when you reach an all-time high for the Productivity and Vocabulary metrics. To be more specific, your total word count and unique word count for each week will be stored over time so that you’ll know when you’ve achieved an all-time personal record.

These next updates are not a one-and-done. We have more ideas for future enhancements. That being said, we want to hear from you. What are some features you’d like to see in future updates to Grammarly Insights? Let us know in the comment section below.

Thank you!

Drew Price, Grammarly Product Marketing Manager

Grammarly Insights FAQs

I’d also like to take this opportunity to provide some answers to common questions and misconceptions about these emails.

How do I earn badges?

Badges are earned through consecutive weeks of writing with Grammarly. This means you’ll have to use a Grammarly product (while logged in) at least once per week in order to keep your streak going. In order to give everyone a rich and rewarding experience, your counter will start fresh when we launch this new product, but we will not reset your streak count again unless you go an entire week without any activity.

Also, you will not have to re-earn badges. You’ll have access to a trophy case page of all of your past achievements. And, each weekly email will let you know how many weeks away your next badge is.

How is Productivity calculated?

Productivity is the total number of words checked by a Grammarly product while you were logged in for the previous week. In most cases, this is equivalent to the total number of words you typed.

However, there are a few corner cases that can cause inflation. Here’s the most common case: if you upload a document that you wrote before this week into the Grammarly Editor, Grammarly will check all of that text and add it to your total word count. It’s also possible that the Grammarly browser extension may check an active text window where you were not the original author of some of the words written. In other words, Grammarly will not be able to differentiate the original author in these cases.

How is Mastery calculated?

Mastery is a proxy for how accurate your writing was when you originally typed it. It is calculated using the following formula: (Number of alerts) / (Number of total words checked)

How is Vocabulary calculated?

Vocabulary is calculated based on the number of unique words that were checked. For example, if you used the word ‘Beautiful’ five times in a week, then it will count as one unique word. However, all five uses of the word will be counted in the Productivity section. This is why Productivity number will almost always be higher than Vocabulary number. (It is possible for you to have a tie if you don’t use any word more than once.)

Function words such as and and the are included in the Vocabulary calculation.

My numbers are different from what I expected!

Please see the above sections to make sure you are defining the metrics the same way we do. If you feel that there is a bug with the data, please report your concern to our Support team at support.grammarly.com.

Is my writing still private?

Yes! Grammarly cares immensely about the privacy and security of your data and personal information. We handle the Grammarly Insights emails with the same strict privacy standards as any other Grammarly feature or product.

You can see the specifics of our privacy policy here.

What is a “unique word”?

Please see the above explanation under “How is Vocabulary calculated?”

I’m too excited to wait for the next weekly email! How do I check my progress on the fly?

At this time, there are no other options for viewing your writing statistics. However, our product team is considering adding personal dashboards into the Grammarly Editor in the future.

Who can answer a question about my weekly stats?

Please send any casual thoughts or questions to @Grammarly on Twitter! If you have a bug to report, then please report your concern to our Support team.

Em Dash: Why Should You Love It?

Writers love em dashes as much as hunters love Swiss army knives. It’s not difficult to understand why. Like the utilitarian knife, em dashes are versatile tools. Once you find out about these handy dashes, you may fall in love with them too.

What Is an Em Dash?

Em dashes differ from other dashes not only in usage, which we will discuss shortly, but also in appearance. In fact, the em dash is named after its length—it’s about the same width as the capital letter M. Its alphabetical cousin, the en dash, is about the same width as the letter N. Figuratively speaking, the hyphen pulled the short end of the stick.

Use Em Dashes to Set Off Parenthetical Information

Em dashes are often used to set off parenthetical information. Using em dashes instead of parentheses puts the focus on the information between the em dashes.

For this usage, make sure you use two em dashes. Use one before the parenthetical information and one after it. Putting spaces before and after an em dash is a matter of preference; just be consistent. Consider the examples below for reference:

While I was shopping—wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles, actually—I ran into our old neighbor.

An etymological dictionary is one of the few books—no, it’s the only book—you’ll ever need.

There has recently been an increase—though opposed fiercely by many people—in alternative education practices.

He was going to call off the project—or was he?—when the client increased the payment.

Traveling—that is, traveling by public transit—can be a relaxing activity if you bring music and reading material along with you.

Use an Em Dash to Set Off Appositives that Contain Commas

An appositive is a small section of extra information that is inserted into a sentence for clarification. Commas are usually used to offset the appositive, but if the appositive contains one or more commas, adding additional commas would be confusing for the reader. When using an appositive that contains a comma, offset it with dashes, instead.

Four of us—Mike, Amanda, Katy, and I—went to the conference last week.

Mr. M. glanced surreptitiously at his watch—his gold, diamond-encrusted watch—and suggested the meeting might adjourn for the day.

If you need something, call my assistant—Catherine, not Margaret—and she’ll help you.

Materialism—always wanting something more, something different—is good for the economy but bad for the soul.

The question words—who, what, when, where, why, and how—are used to retrieve information in English.

Use an Em Dash to Bring Focus to a List

When a sentence begins with an independent clause and ends with a list, you can use a colon between the clause and the list. When the list comes first, it’s better to use a dash to connect the list to the clause. This helps to take three potentially random things and focus them toward one idea<, which is easier for the reader to process.

Dishes, laundry, dusting—they’re all done now, and I need a rest.

Crocodiles, alligators—they both look the same to me and they look equally dangerous!

Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla—all ice cream tastes good, especially on a hot summer’s day.

Do this, do that, go here, go there—there’s so much to do that I don’t actually get much accomplished during the day.

Use an Em Dash to Mark Sharp Turns in Thought

Em dashes can also signal an interruption or a sudden change in the direction a writer was heading with a particular sentence. This technique is best suited for creative or informal writing. If you use it in academic writing, you might look unsure of yourself. Consider the examples below:

Mary, could you—no, Mikey, don’t touch the sharp knife!—Mary, could you please set the table?

Dinner is at 6:30—not 6:29 or 6:31.

Where the heck is my—wait, what was I looking for?

Would you please—oh, never mind.

Em Dash vs. En Dash

En dashes are slightly shorter than em dashes. They also have a different function. The two main uses of en dashes are to indicate number ranges and to act as a kind of super-hyphen for compound modifiers. Learn more about the difference between em dashes and en dashes here.

Question Mark

Without question marks, we’d miss out on all kinds of things: invitations, jokes, the Riddler . . .

No doubt, the question mark is a nice little piece of punctuation. And, best of all, it’s easy to use!

What Is a Question Mark For?

The main purpose of a question mark, perhaps unsurprisingly, is to indicate that a sentence is a question. Direct questions often (but not always) begin with a wh- word (who, what, when, where, why).

Why did the chicken cross the road? Who wants to know? Is it really that important?

But, not all questions are phrased as questions. Sometimes we phrase questions the same way we would phrase a declarative sentence. In speech, the way your voice rises at the end of the sentence usually makes it clear that you’re asking a question and not just making a statement. But in writing, you need a question mark to signal to readers that they should read the sentence as a question.

You came all this way to ask me about a chicken? Cross the road? Never!

Phrasing a question as an imperative or declarative statement is an emphatic way to express surprise, doubt, or disbelief.

Question Marks and Quotation Marks

When your sentence is a straightforward question, the question mark goes at the very end and serves as the terminal punctuation mark. But things can get tricky when you have other punctuation nearby.

At first glance, the rules about question marks and quotation marks can seem complicated. But the logic is fairly simple. Keep the question mark inside the quotation marks if it logically applies to what is enclosed by the quotation marks. You’ll often see this in written dialogue:

The chicken asked, “Why is everyone so concerned about where I’m walking?” “What do you have to hide?” asked the nosy reporter.

If the question mark applies to the sentence as a whole instead of to the phrase inside the quotation marks, put it at the very end:

Haven’t you ever heard the expression “It’s a free country”?

This holds true even when you have a quotation containing a question:

“When I spoke to the chicken, she said ‘Why won’t you leave me alone?’” recalled the reporter.

And for a quoted question containing a quoted statement:

“What did the chicken mean,” the reporter wondered, “when she said ‘It’s a free country’?”

When you have a question mark that applies to both the quoted phrase and the rest of the sentence, just use one question mark:

Who said “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

Question Marks and Parentheses

The rules for question marks and parentheses are similar to the rules for question marks and quotation marks. If a question mark applies to the parenthetical information, place the question mark inside the parentheses:

I saw the chicken (or was it the rooster?) crossing the road.

The chicken wrote a bestselling memoir called My Road (published abroad as Who Needs a Crosswalk?).

When the question applies to the whole sentence, put it outside the parentheses:

Will the chicken cross the road again tomorrow (April 1)?

Indirect Questions

There is one type of question that never takes a question mark: the indirect question. Indirect questions are embedded within declarative statements:

The chicken asked whether anyone wanted to cross the road with her. We all wondered why the chicken was so obsessed with that road.

Sometimes, with one-word questions, it’s hard to decide whether it’s a direct or indirect question. In most cases, it’s fine to treat it as an indirect question:

As the chicken contemplated crossing the road, she asked herself why.

When a Question Mark Isn’t Enough

As useful as the question mark is, sometimes it’s tempting to embellish the end of your sentence with extra punctuation, especially when you’re trying to convey something really surprising and exciting.

Did you hear that the chicken crossed the road and found a million dollars on the other side??? Are you saying the chicken is a millionaire?! Can you believe it‽

If you don’t recognize the symbol at the end of the last sentence, it’s called an interrobang, and it’s a combination of a question mark and an exclamation point. Interrobangs, multiple question marks, and combinations of question marks and exclamation points might be fine for casual writing, but in formal writing, it’s best to limit yourself to just a plain old question mark. Sometimes, you can make the choice easy with just a little rewriting:

Did you hear? The chicken found a million dollars on the other side of the road!

And that’s everything you need to know to go out and use the question mark. What are you waiting for?

10 Common Interview Questions You Need to Know

You landed an interview! It feels great knowing that a hiring manager from a company you’re interested in working for is also interested in you. But now the pressure’s on—you’ve got to rock the interview.

Here are some of the most common interview questions, and our advice for the best way to answer them.

1Tell me about yourself.

This question is among the first that most interviewers ask, so it’s tempting to jump right in and start listing off all the qualities that make you the best person for the job. But resist. You’ll get to those questions soon. This one’s about breaking the ice.

Rather than talking about your professional skills, share something interesting that the interviewer might find relatable. You might talk about your hobbies or an interesting major life event you’ve gone through recently. Don’t forget to include activities like volunteer work. It’s helpful if you can point out how you’ve parlayed your interests into desirable job skills. Your oil painting hobby, for example, might translate to excellent attention to detail.

Be sure to keep the interests you share neutral. You’ll want to keep your participation in things like political rallies low key unless you’re applying for a job where political activity is relevant or expected.

Here’s a tip: Most companies put an emphasis on cultural fit. If you’ve done your research, and you noticed a blog post about the team’s company-wide kayaking trip last summer, this would be a great time to mention your interest in those types of outdoor sports.

2What are your greatest strengths?

Here’s your opportunity to shine and match your skills to the employer’s needs. What professional talents are you most proud of? What do people often compliment you on? If those skills intersect with what you know the employer is looking for, this is the time to talk about them.

Don’t forget about soft skills. If you’re a good listener, or a lifelong learner who’s always trying out new things, or a versatile person who’s able to fill lots of roles, share that information.

Script the answer to this question before your interview. Make lists of your strengths and then figure out which are the most relevant. Write out your answers. Then, pretend you’re a hiring manager and read what you’ve written. How would you react to the answers you just gave? Are there any red flags? Adjust accordingly.

3What are your weaknesses?

Don’t you love this question? It’s like the interviewer is saying, “Tell us why we shouldn’t hire you.” How do you respond?

Avoid mentioning any weaknesses that you don’t already have a plan for addressing. If you admit to being unorganized, tell the interviewer that you’ve started using some cool new apps that are helping you stay on task. However, don’t be afraid to let yourself be a little vulnerable—knowing and acknowledging your flaws shows that you value self-reflection and personal growth.

Can’t think of an honest answer to this question that won’t sink your career chances? Reflect on your last performance review. No one’s perfect, so it’s likely you were told to improve in an area or two. Now you can own up to those problem areas and share your methods for addressing them with the interviewer.

4Tell me about an achievement you’re really proud of.

Be prepared to share a significant professional achievement, and be prepared to back it up.

Just as when you’re writing a resume, remember that “show, don’t tell” is the golden rule. “I single-handedly turned our sales department around” is bragging, but when you say “Under my management, our sales team was able to increase their conversion rate by 87 percent over six months,” you’re showing that your efforts had a measurable effect.

Here’s a tip: Use the STAR method! First, describe the Situation that led up to your accomplishment and the Task you were required to tackle. Then describe the Action you took to address the problem. Finally, share the impressive Results.

5Why are you leaving your current job?

Make sure you keep your answer to this question short and positive. This isn’t the time to badmouth your current or previous employer. Rather than saying something like “There wasn’t enough opportunity for growth” you could say “I’m looking to expand my horizons and move into a more hands-on developmental role, which is where I know I’d excel.”

Things get trickier if you were fired from your last gig. The best response is a neutral one like “Unfortunately, the company and position were a mismatch for me, so I needed to find a new challenge.” Check Business Insider’s tips for other situations and possible answers.

6What brought you to [Company]?

Here’s where your research skills are going to shine! Prior to interviewing, a savvy job-seeker will have spent time on the company’s website and read articles about the company and its key players to develop a feel for its brand presence and culture.

Write down keywords you see frequently on the company’s About Us, Culture, and Employment pages. Look for adjectives used to describe the company and its team. If you see terms like innovative or competitive, you can use them in your answer:

“I’ve been eager to join a team that’s innovating in a way that keeps them competitive in this space.”

Here’s a tip: A word cloud generator can help you identify important keywords on company websites. Simply copy and paste the text from a page into the generator to see some of the prominent adjectives the employer uses.

7Tell me about a time when a customer or colleague disagreed with you. What did you do?

Here’s your chance to prove that you are so chill. Someone disagreed with you, but you kept your cool and worked through it. You could certainly talk about how you were able to persuade someone to see your point of view, especially if the role you’re applying for values that ability. (A sales role would be a good example.) However, this could also be the perfect opportunity to show that you work and play well with others. Try talking about a time when you learned something as the result of a disagreement and how it changed your perspective.

It’s all about story. Pick one that shows conflict with a good outcome and makes a positive statement about your ability to collaborate and grow. The Muse has more advice.

8What would your boss and colleagues say about you?

Honesty is the best policy here for many reasons. If you’re a first-class procrastinator, for example, don’t try to pass yourself off as super efficient. The key to a great interview is to emphasize your strengths while demonstrating an ability to learn and grow from your weaknesses.

Be specific and give examples. It may be true that your colleagues would say you’re a hard worker, but without a story to back that up, you’re just tossing out a cliché the interviewer has probably heard hundreds of times. Instead, tell a story about a time you put in extra effort and your colleagues and friends congratulated you on your hard work.

Look at past performance reviews if you’re having a hard time coming up with a specific example. It’s perfectly okay to quote from a positive review:

“In my last performance evaluation, my boss praised me for my creativity in putting together a new content strategy.”

9Where do you see yourself in five years?

Most job-seekers take this question in one of two directions—they’re either aggressively ambitious (“I want your job!”) or they’re too humble (“I just want to do the best work I can and see where my talents take me.”) Neither answer will do much to win you a position.

Instead, respond in a general way. Rather than saying “I see myself as Director of Marketing,” say “My goal is to be in a position where I can take on new challenges. I’d like to take on more management responsibilities, so I’m on the lookout for opportunities to develop my skills in that area.”

10Why should we hire you?

Don’t you just hate this question? It’s tempting to list your sterling qualities, but odds are that your competitors have a lot of the same qualities, which doesn’t exactly make you stand out. Instead of repeating a laundry list of skills and attributes, try restating what you understand about the company’s needs and the position, and then explaining why you’re a good fit. Here’s an example of that strategy in action from Forbes:

”From what I understand about the job, it’s a position that requires a lot of fast activity during the day, and that’s the kind of job I thrive in. I love to stay busy and wear a lot of hats. Is my assessment of the environment on target?

Dress for the job you want, smile confidently, and offer a firm handshake, but remember to do a little behind-the-scenes interview prep. It can mean the difference between walking away with a sinking feeling and walking away with a job.