Common English Mistakes in Cover Letters by Cantonese Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

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 #2

Overuse of 'very' to emphasize adjectives

Dear Hiring Manager, I am very excited to apply for the position at your veryprestigious company. I am vquitery confident that my skills and experience make me a verhighly suitable candidate for this role. I amvery eager to contribute to your team and help achieve vextremely successful outcomes. Thank you for considering my application, and. I look forward to thevery opportunity to discuss my quapplifications furin detherail.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed tweaking to address overuse of the word "very.""

Dear Hiring Manager, I am very excited to apply for the position at your prestigious company. I am quite confident that my skills and experience make me a highly suitable candidate for this role. I am eager to contribute to your team and help achieve extremely successful outcomes. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my qualifications in detail.

Dear Hiring Manager, I am very excited to apply for the position at your very prestigious company. I am very confident that my skills and experience make me a very suitable candidate for this role. I am very eager to contribute to your team and help achieve very successful outcomes. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to the very opportunity to discuss my application further.

Mistake Example #3

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the position of Marketing Specialist at your esteemed company. I have astrong passion for marketing and believe my skills can bringa big impact to your team. In my previous job, I was responsible for planning many successful campaigns, and I am confident I can do thesame for your company. TI thank you for considering my application, andI hope to have achance to discusstalk further.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Overall your writing was very professional; it just needed a few tweaks to ensure the message is free of errors. Good job! "

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the position of Marketing Specialist at your esteemed company. I have a strong passion for marketing and believe my skills can bring a big impact to your team. In my previous job, I was responsible for planning many successful campaigns, and I am confident I can do the same for your company. I thank you for considering my application and hope to have a chance to talk further.

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to express my interest in the position of Marketing Specialist at your esteemed company. I have strong passion for marketing and believe my skills can bring big impact to your team. In my previous job, I was responsible for planning many successful campaigns, and I am confident I can do same for your company. Thank you for considering my application, and I hope to have chance to discuss further.