Common English Mistakes in Letters Of Intent by Spanish Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Spanish speakers from Mexico when writing a Letter of Intent in English.

Mistake Example #1

Direct translation of Spanish expressions ('I have 25 years' instead of 'I am 25 years old')

Dear Hiring Committee, I am writing to express my interest in the Mmarketing Mmanager position at your esteemed company. I have 10 yearsof' experience in the field, and I am very excited to bring my skills to your team. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the success of your company and to grow professionally. Thank you for considering my application.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

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

Dear Hiring Committee, I am writing to express my interest in the marketing manager position at your esteemed company. I have 10 years' experience in the field, and I am very excited to bring my skills to your team. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the success of your company and to grow professionally. Thank you for considering my application.

Dear Hiring Committee, I am writing to express my interest in the Marketing Manager position at your esteemed company. I have 10 years of experience in the field, and I am very excited to bring my skills to your team. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the success of your company and to grow professionally. Thank you for considering my application.

Mistake Example #2

Misuse of prepositions ('Married with' instead of 'Married to')

Dear Admissions Committee, I am writing to express my strong interest in applying for the Mmaster's program in Bbusiness Aadministration at your esteemed university. I am married witho a wonderful partner and we have decided to move forward with this opportunity to enhance my career prospects. I am confident that my background in finance and my dedication to learning will make me a valuable addition witho your program.

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"This is very well-written. Just be mindful of your use of prepositions: "I am married with a wonderful partner" should be "I am married to a wonderful partner" and "will make me a valuable addition with your program" should be "will make me a valuable addition to your program"."

Dear Admissions Committee, I am writing to express my strong interest in applying for the master's program in business administration at your esteemed university. I am married to a wonderful partner and we have decided to move forward with this opportunity to enhance my career prospects. I am confident that my background in finance and my dedication to learning will make me a valuable addition to your program.

Dear Admissions Committee, I am writing to express my strong interest in applying for the Master's program in Business Administration at your esteemed university. I am married with a wonderful partner and we have decided to move forward with this opportunity to enhance my career prospects. I am confident that my background in finance and my dedication to learning will make me a valuable addition with your program.

Mistake Example #3

Overuse of present continuous ('I am going to the school every day' instead of 'I go to school every day')

Dear Admissions Committee, I am writing to express my interest in the Master's program at your esteemeduniversity. I ambelievinge that this opportunity isalignings perfectly with my career goals, and I am hoping to contribute positively to your academic community. I am looking forward to discussing how my background and skills arewould fitting into the program's requirements.

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

"I changed the present continuous verb tense in some of the phrases to a different verb tense. Otherwise, the ideas in this text are clearly expressed. "

Dear Admissions Committee, I am writing to express my interest in the Master's program at your university. I believe that this opportunity aligns perfectly with my career goals, and I am hoping to contribute positively to your academic community. I am looking forward to discussing how my background and skills would fit into the program's requirements.

Dear Admissions Committee, I am writing to express my interest in the Master's program at your esteemed university. I am believing that this opportunity is aligning perfectly with my career goals, and I am hoping to contribute positively to your academic community. I am looking forward to discussing how my background and skills are fitting into the program's requirements.