Common English Mistakes by Cantonese Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Cantonese speakers from Hong Kong when writing in English.

Category:Job Applications & Professional Development
Writing for job applications and career growth.
Common Users:Job Seekers, Career Coaches.
Mistake Example #1

Job Applications & Professional Development / Career Portfolio

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

I am very happy to introduce myself in this career portfolio. I have been working in the marketing field for over five years, and I am gooskilled at creating strategies that can help acompanyto grow. In my previous job, I was responsible for leading ateam to achieve itssales targets, and—we have successfully increased revenue by 20% last year.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to sound more native and natural."

I am very happy to introduce myself in this career portfolio. I have been working in the marketing field for over five years, and I am skilled at creating strategies that can help a company grow. In my previous job, I was responsible for leading a team to achieve its sales targets—we successfully increased revenue by 20% last year.

I am very happy to introduce myself in this career portfolio. I have been working in the marketing field for over five years, and I am good at creating strategies that can help company to grow. In my previous job, I was responsible for leading team to achieve sales targets, and we have successfully increased revenue by 20% last year.

Mistake Example #2

Job Applications & Professional Development / Cover Letter

Confusion with countable vs. uncountable nouns ('She has much friends')

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position at your company. I have much experience in digital marketing and have worked on many successful campaigns. My skills include managing social media platforms and creating engaging content, which I believe are important asset for your team. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your company.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"It didn't have issues with much/many."

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position at your company. I have much experience in digital marketing and have worked on many successful campaigns. My skills include managing social media platforms and creating engaging content, which I believe are important asset for your team. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your company.

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing position at your company. I have much experience in digital marketing and have worked on many successful campaigns. My skills include managing social media platforms and creating engaging content, which I believe are important asset for your team. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your company.

Mistake Example #3

Job Applications & Professional Development / Interview Follow-Up Email

Confusion with countable vs. uncountable nouns ('She has much friends')

Dear Hiring Manager, I hope this email finds you well. I wThantedk tyou express myagratituden for theinterview opportunity to interviewlast week.—I truly appreciated the chavnceto learned much norew information about the company. aOur cond I amverysation made me exven more enthusiasticited about the possibility of joining your team. If there is any feedback or further steps, pPleasedon’t hesitate to let me know. Tif there areany next steps or feedback youcan share. I’m grateful for your time and consideration.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"Changes I made were mostly to improve fluidity and readability. "

Dear Hiring Manager, I hope this email finds you well. Thank you again for the opportunity to interview last week—I truly appreciated the chance to learn more information about the company. Our conversation made me even more enthusiastic about the possibility of joining your team. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if there are any next steps or feedback you can share. I’m grateful for your time and consideration.

Dear Hiring Manager, I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to express my gratitude for the interview opportunity last week. I have learned much new information about the company and I am very excited about the possibility of joining your team. If there is any feedback or further steps, please let me know. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Mistake Example #4

Job Applications & Professional Development / LinkedIn Profile

Confusion with countable vs. uncountable nouns ('She has much friends')

As a marketing professional with over five years of experience, I have developed muchany skills in digital marketing and social media strategy. I am passionate about creating innovative campaigns that drive engagement and have received manygreat deal of positive feedbacks from clients. In my previous role, I managed multiple projects and collaborated with many talented teams to achieve successful outcomes.

Text corrected by:
Michele A., Boston, Massachusetts; United States

"I just replaced a word or two to make the English sound more natural. Otherwise, the ideas in this text are clearly expressed."

As a marketing professional with over five years of experience, I have developed many skills in digital marketing and social media strategy. I am passionate about creating innovative campaigns that drive engagement and have received a great deal of positive feedback from clients. In my previous role, I managed multiple projects and collaborated with many talented teams to achieve successful outcomes.

As a marketing professional with over five years of experience, I have developed much skills in digital marketing and social media strategy. I am passionate about creating innovative campaigns that drive engagement and have received many positive feedbacks from clients. In my previous role, I managed multiple projects and collaborated with many talented teams to achieve successful outcomes.

Mistake Example #5

Job Applications & Professional Development / Personal Statement

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

I am writing to express my interest in the position of Marketing Specialist at your esteemed company. I have always been veryliked to work in a dynamic environment where I can use my skills to contribute to the team. In my previous job, I was responsible for many tasks, and I always do my best to make sure everything is done properly.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Almost perfect :)"

I am writing to express my interest in the position of Marketing Specialist at your esteemed company. I have always liked to work in a dynamic environment where I can use my skills to contribute to the team. In my previous job, I was responsible for many tasks, and I always do my best to make sure everything is done properly.

I am writing to express my interest in the position of Marketing Specialist at your esteemed company. I have always been very like to work in a dynamic environment where I can use my skills to contribute to the team. In my previous job, I was responsible for many tasks, and I always do my best to make sure everything is done properly.

Mistake Example #6

Job Applications & Professional Development / Reference Letter

Confusion with countable vs. uncountable nouns ('She has much friends')

To Whom It May Concern,I am writing to recommend Ms. Chan for the position at your company. She has much experience in project management and has demonstrated great leadership skills. Her ability to work under pressure and handle many tasks at once is impressive, and she has received manyuch praises from her colleagues.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Good job! I just needed to change "many" to "much" in the last sentence."

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Ms. Chan for the position at your company. She has much experience in project management and has demonstrated great leadership skills. Her ability to work under pressure and handle many tasks at once is impressive, and she has received much praise from her colleagues.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Ms. Chan for the position at your company. She has much experience in project management and has demonstrated great leadership skills. Her ability to work under pressure and handle many tasks at once is impressive, and she has received many praises from her colleagues.

Mistake Example #7

Job Applications & Professional Development / Resume

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

Objective: Seeking a job inthe marketing field where I can add value to company. I have five years ofexperience in managing social media campaigns and creating content that iseye-catchingcontent. MIn my previous job, I was responsible for increaseing brand awareness and engageing with audiences, which helped thecompanyto grow its market share.

Text corrected by:
Michele A., Boston, Massachusetts; United States

"Just a few small changes were needed. Otherwise it sounds great!"

Objective: Seeking a job in the marketing field where I can add value to company. I have five years of experience in managing social media campaigns and creating eye-catching content. In my previous job, I was responsible for increasing brand awareness and engaging with audiences, which helped the company grow its market share.

Objective: Seeking a job in marketing field where I can add value to company. I have five years experience in managing social media campaigns and creating content that is eye-catching. My previous job, I was responsible for increase brand awareness and engage with audience, which helped company to grow its market share.