Common English Mistakes in Reference Letters by Arabic Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Arabic speakers from Saudi Arabia when writing a Reference Letter in English.

Mistake Example #1

Confusion between masculine and feminine pronouns

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Ahmed for the position at your company. ShHe has worked with me for over three years, and his dedication and skills have always impressed me. I am confident that he will be a valuable asset to your team, and I highly recommend herim for the role.

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"Please be mindful of your use of pronouns for Ahmed: "She has worked" should be "He has worked" and "I highly recommend her for the role" should be "I highly recommend him for the role". "

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Ahmed for the position at your company. He has worked with me for over three years, and his dedication and skills have always impressed me. I am confident that he will be a valuable asset to your team, and I highly recommend him for the role.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Ahmed for the position at your company. She has worked with me for over three years, and his dedication and skills have always impressed me. I am confident that he will be a valuable asset to your team, and I highly recommend her for the role.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of formal expressions ('I am honored to inform you...')

Dear Hiring Manager,I am honored to inform you thatI am writingto submit this reference letter for myesteemed colleague, Mr. Ahmed, who I am privileged to have worked with for several years. It is with great pleasure and utmost respectthat I highly recommend him for the position, as I am confident in his exceptional skills and dedication.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Very nice! I just removed and changed a few words to make the English sound less formal and more natural."

Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to submit this reference letter for my colleague, Mr. Ahmed, who I am privileged to have worked with for several years. It is with great pleasure that I highly recommend him for the position, as I am confident in his exceptional skills and dedication.

Dear Hiring Manager, I am honored to inform you that I am writing this reference letter for my esteemed colleague, Mr. Ahmed, who I am privileged to have worked with for several years. It is with great pleasure and utmost respect that I highly recommend him for the position, as I am confident in his exceptional skills and dedication.

Mistake Example #3

Misuse of verb tense (e.g., 'He go to school' instead of 'He goes to school')

To Whom It May Concern,: I am writing to recommend Mr. Ahmed for the position of software engineer. He hasworked with me for three years and hasshown great dedication and skill. During his time at our company, he haslead many projects and always delivers results on time. I am confident he will be a valuable asset to your team.

Text corrected by:
Camille, Maryland, USA

"I addressed some errors in the use of tenses. "

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to recommend Mr. Ahmed for the position of software engineer. He has worked with me for three years and has shown great dedication and skill. During his time at our company, he has led many projects and always delivers results on time. I am confident he will be a valuable asset to your team.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Mr. Ahmed for the position of software engineer. He work with me for three years and show great dedication and skill. During his time at our company, he lead many projects and always deliver results on time. I am confident he will be a valuable asset to your team.