Common English Mistakes in Reference Letters by German Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native German speakers from Germany when writing a Reference Letter in English.

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of passive voice

To Whom It May Concern,: it is with great pleasure that it isI recommended that Mr. Thomas Müller isbe considered for the position of Senior Engineer. His skills and dedication were consistently demonstratedhis skills and dedication during his time at our company, and it isI believed that he will be a valuable asset to your team. It is hoped that this letter provides the necessary insight into his capabilities and potential.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Just a few minor tweaks to make the writing active and readable :) Great work! "

To Whom It May Concern: I recommend that Mr. Thomas Müller be considered for the position of Senior Engineer. He consistently demonstrated his skills and dedication during his time at our company, and I believe that he will be a valuable asset to your team. I hope that this letter provides the necessary insight into his capabilities and potential.

To Whom It May Concern, it is with great pleasure that it is recommended that Mr. Thomas Müller is considered for the position of Senior Engineer. His skills and dedication were consistently demonstrated during his time at our company, and it is believed that he will be a valuable asset to your team. It is hoped that this letter provides the necessary insight into his capabilities and potential.

Mistake Example #2

Capitalizing all nouns (following German grammar rules)

To Whom It May Concern,: I am writing this Lletter to recommend my Ccolleague, Anna Müller, for the Pposition of Mmarketing Mmanager. Anna has demonstrated exceptional Sskills in Pproject Mmanagement and has consistently delivered outstanding Rresults for our Ccompany. Her ability to lead Tteams and develop innovative Sstrategies makes her an ideal Ccandidate for this Rrole.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Overall your writing was very professional; it just needed a few tweaks to make things consistent. Good job!"

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter to recommend my colleague, Anna Müller, for the position of marketing manager. Anna has demonstrated exceptional skills in project management and has consistently delivered outstanding results for our company. Her ability to lead teams and develop innovative strategies makes her an ideal candidate for this role.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing this Letter to recommend my Colleague, Anna Müller, for the Position of Marketing Manager. Anna has demonstrated exceptional Skills in Project Management and has consistently delivered outstanding Results for our Company. Her ability to lead Teams and develop innovative Strategies makes her an ideal Candidate for this Role.

Mistake Example #3

Incorrect word order in subordinate clauses

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Mr. Schmidt, who isa dedicated and talented engineeris. During the time thathe inworked for our companyworked, Mr. Smithe consistently demonstrated exceptional skills and a strong work ethic. I am confident that he winll any tbeam a valuable asset willto bany team.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to fix word order issues, among other fixes."

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Mr. Schmidt, who is a dedicated and talented engineer. During the time he worked for our company, Mr. Smith consistently demonstrated exceptional skills and a strong work ethic. I am confident that he will be a valuable asset to any team.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Mr. Schmidt, who a dedicated and talented engineer is. During the time that he in our company worked, he consistently demonstrated exceptional skills and a strong work ethic. I am confident that he in any team a valuable asset will be.