Common English Mistakes in Reference Letters by Mandarin Chinese Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Mandarin Chinese speakers from Taiwan when writing a Reference Letter in English.

Mistake Example #1

Using overly formal or direct language

To Whom It May Concern,I am writing this letter to strongly recommend Mr. Chen for the position inat youresteemed company. His performance in our department was exemplary, and he hasalways completed histasks withutmost precision. I am confident that he will be a valuable asset to your organization, and I urge you to consider his applicationwith highest priority.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I made some stylistic improvements to tone down the formality a bit while still remaining professional."

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing this letter to strongly recommend Mr. Chen for the position at your company. His performance in our department was exemplary, and he has always completed his tasks with precision. I am confident that he will be a valuable asset to your organization, and I urge you to consider his application.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing this letter to strongly recommend Mr. Chen for the position in your esteemed company. His performance in our department was exemplary, and he always completed tasks with utmost precision. I am confident that he will be a valuable asset to your organization, and I urge you to consider his application with highest priority.

Mistake Example #2

Misuse of singular/plural nouns ('There are much people here' instead of 'There are many people here')

To Whom It May Concern,I am writing to recommend my colleague, Mr. Chen, for the position of Marketing Manager. He has demonstrated exceptional skills and there isare many reasons why he would be a great fit for your team. During ourthe time we have workinged together, he has led several projects successfully and has much experience in managing diverse teams.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Great job! I just polished up the text and changed "there is many" to "there are many"."

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend my colleague, Mr. Chen, for the position of Marketing Manager. He has demonstrated exceptional skills and there are many reasons why he would be a great fit for your team. During the time we have worked together, he has led several projects successfully and has much experience in managing diverse teams.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend my colleague, Mr. Chen, for the position of Marketing Manager. He has demonstrated exceptional skills and there is many reasons why he would be a great fit for your team. During our time working together, he has led several projects successfully and has much experience in managing diverse teams.

Mistake Example #3

Omitting the subject in sentences ('Is important to learn English' instead of 'It is important to learn English')

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Mr. Chen for the position. HIt has been a pleasure to work with him for the past three years. DHe demonstrates strong leadership and problem-solving skills, which are valuable for any team. CI'm confident that he will be an asset to your company.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to replace missing sentence subjects."

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Mr. Chen for the position. It has been a pleasure to work with him for the past three years. He demonstrates strong leadership and problem-solving skills, which are valuable for any team. I'm confident that he will be an asset to your company.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to recommend Mr. Chen for the position. Has been a pleasure to work with him for the past three years. Demonstrates strong leadership and problem-solving skills, which are valuable for any team. Confident that he will be an asset to your company.