Introduction to Grammar Mistakes in Cover Letters
Your cover letter is often your first introduction to a potential employer. While your resume outlines your experience, your cover letter highlights your communication skills, personality, and attention to detail. However, even the most qualified candidates can be rejected due to a few careless grammar mistakes in cover letters. Hiring managers often view these errors as a lack of professionalism or an indicator of sloppy work habits.
Whether you are applying for an entry-level position or an executive role, submitting a flawless application is critical. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the rules of professional writing, break down step-by-step methods to avoid errors, and provide over 50 examples of correct and incorrect usage to help you polish your cover letter.
The Rules of Professional Cover Letter Grammar
A well-written cover letter adheres to standard business English. While creativity is welcome in your content, your grammar must strictly follow established rules. Here are the core grammatical areas where job seekers stumble:
- Subject-Verb Agreement: A singular subject must take a singular verb, and a plural subject must take a plural verb.
- Tense Consistency: Do not jump between past, present, and future tenses unnecessarily. Use the past tense for previous jobs and the present tense for your current roles or enduring skills.
- Proper Punctuation: Misplaced commas, missing periods, and the misuse of semicolons can make sentences confusing and unprofessional.
- Commonly Confused Words: Words that sound alike but have different meanings (homophones), such as their/there/they’re or affect/effect, are highly scrutinized.
- Parallel Structure: When listing items or responsibilities, ensure they follow the same grammatical pattern (e.g., managing, training, and developing—not managing, trained, and development).
Step-by-Step Guide to Eliminating Grammar Mistakes
Follow these steps to ensure your cover letter is grammatically perfect before you hit “send.”
Step 1: Write freely, then edit strictly.
Do not worry about grammar during your first draft. Focus on getting your ideas, achievements, and enthusiasm on the page. Once the draft is complete, switch to editor mode.
Step 2: Read it aloud.
Your ears will often catch awkward phrasing, missing words, and run-on sentences that your eyes skip over.
Step 3: Check for tense consistency.
Scan every verb in your letter. If you are describing a job you left last year, ensure every verb is in the past tense (e.g., managed, designed, spearheaded).
Step 4: Verify subject-verb agreement.
Pay special attention to sentences with complex subjects (e.g., The team of developers is… not The team of developers are…).
Step 5: Run a spelling and grammar check—but don’t rely on it entirely.
Software tools are helpful but can miss context. For example, a spellchecker won’t flag manager if you accidentally typed manger.
Step 6: Have a trusted peer review it.
A fresh set of eyes can spot grammatical blind spots and confusing phrasing.
50+ Examples of Grammar Mistakes in Cover Letters
To help you understand exactly what to look for, here are 50 unique examples organized by category. Each example shows the common mistake alongside the correct, professional phrasing.
Basic Examples (Subject-Verb Agreement & Spelling)
| Incorrect (Mistake) | Correct (Correction) | Reason for Change |
| The team of designers are very creative. | The team of designers is very creative. | “Team” is a singular collective noun. |
| I has five years of experience in sales. | I have five years of experience in sales. | Incorrect verb conjugation for “I”. |
| Im writing to apply for the position. | I am writing to apply for the position. | Missing apostrophe in the contraction. |
| I pay great attention to detial. | I pay great attention to detail. | Careless spelling error. |
| The company is known for it’s innovation. | The company is known for its innovation. | “Its” is possessive; “it’s” means “it is”. |
| I look forward to hear from you. | I look forward to hearing from you. | “Look forward to” requires a gerund (-ing). |
| There is many reasons I am qualified. | There are many reasons I am qualified. | “Reasons” is plural, requiring “are”. |
| I am a hard worker and, a fast learner. | I am a hard worker and a fast learner. | Unnecessary comma before “and”. |
| My skills includes coding and writing. | My skills include coding and writing. | “Skills” is plural, requiring “include”. |
| I am applying for the Manger role. | I am applying for the Manager role. | Missing “a” (spellcheck won’t catch this). |
Intermediate Examples (Tense Consistency & Word Choice)
| Incorrect (Mistake) | Correct (Correction) | Reason for Change |
| In my last job, I manage a team of ten. | In my last job, I managed a team of ten. | Past job requires past tense. |
| This job will affect my career positively. | This job will affect my career positively. | Wait, this is tricky: Affect is the verb, effect is the noun. If you write “have a good affect”, it’s wrong. Let’s fix the mistake: “This job will have a good affect.” -> “This job will have a good effect.” |
| I am experienced in both writing, editing, and design. | I am experienced in writing, editing, and design. | “Both” is only used for two items. |
| My responsibilities included filing, data entry, and to answer phones. | My responsibilities included filing, data entry, and answering phones. | Lack of parallel structure. |
| I have less responsibilities now. | I have fewer responsibilities now. | Use “fewer” for countable nouns. |
| I seen your job posting online. | I saw your job posting online. | “Seen” requires a helping verb (have seen). |
| If I was hired, I would improve sales. | If I were hired, I would improve sales. | Subjunctive mood requires “were”. |
| Between you and I, this is a great fit. | Between you and me, this is a great fit. | Prepositions take object pronouns. |
| I am passionate for marketing. | I am passionate about marketing. | Incorrect preposition usage. |
| The training program had a huge affect on me. | The training program had a huge effect on me. | “Effect” is the noun form. |
Advanced Examples (Punctuation, Modifiers & Clarity)
| Incorrect (Mistake) | Correct (Correction) | Reason for Change |
| Being a top salesperson, my manager gave me an award. | Because I was a top salesperson, my manager gave me an award. | Dangling modifier (the manager wasn’t the salesperson). |
| I have a strong background in finance**, however,** I want to pivot to tech. | I have a strong background in finance**; however,** I want to pivot to tech. | Comma splice. Use a semicolon before “however”. |
| The applicant who I spoke with was helpful. | The applicant whom I spoke with was helpful. | “Whom” is the object of the preposition “with”. |
| I will bring my unique skills to the company, I am eager to start. | I will bring my unique skills to the company. I am eager to start. | Run-on sentence / comma splice. |
| Every employee should bring their laptop. | Every employee should bring his or her laptop. (Or rephrase: Employees should bring their laptops). | “Every employee” is technically singular. |
| I assure you that that will not happen. | I assure you that will not happen. | Redundant word usage. |
| I have 5 years experience. | I have 5 years’ experience. (Or: five years of experience). | Missing possessive apostrophe for time. |
| I am an alumni of Harvard. | I am an alumnus (or alumna) of Harvard. | “Alumni” is plural. |
| Its a privilege to apply for this role. | It’s a privilege to apply for this role. | Missing apostrophe for “It is”. |
| Having reviewed my resume, the interview should be scheduled. | Having reviewed my resume, you can schedule an interview. | Dangling modifier (the interview didn’t review the resume). |
Business & Email Examples (Tone & Phrasing)
| Incorrect (Mistake) | Correct (Correction) | Reason for Change |
| Please find attached herewith my resume. | Please find my resume attached. | Overly archaic and clunky business jargon. |
| I am writing you to express my interest. | I am writing to express my interest. | “Writing you” is informal; add “to”. |
| Attached is my resume and portfolio. | Attached are my resume and portfolio. | Plural compound subject requires “are”. |
| I want to literally change the world with your software. | I want to change the world with your software. | Misuse of “literally” in a professional context. |
| I am uniquely qualified for this role. | I am highly qualified for this role. | “Uniquely” means one-of-a-kind, which is rarely true and sounds arrogant. |
| Please reply back to me. | Please reply to me. | “Reply back” is redundant. |
| Irregardless of the shift, I can work it. | Regardless of the shift, I can work it. | “Irregardless” is not standard professional English. |
| I will follow up with you on next week. | I will follow up with you next week. | Unnecessary preposition. |
| Thank you in advance for your time. | Thank you for your time and consideration. | “In advance” can seem presumptuous. |
| I am reaching out regarding about the job. | I am reaching out regarding the job. | Redundant phrasing. |
ESL & Student Examples (Articles & Prepositions)
| Incorrect (Mistake) | Correct (Correction) | Reason for Change |
| I graduated from the Oxford University. | I graduated from Oxford University. | Do not use “the” before named universities unless it’s “The University of Oxford”. |
| I have an experience in coding. | I have experience in coding. | “Experience” (as a concept) is an uncountable noun. |
| I am interested to work here. | I am interested in working here. | “Interested in” + gerund is the correct English idiom. |
| I have been working here since five years. | I have been working here for five years. | Use “for” with durations, “since” with specific starting points. |
| I did a research on consumer habits. | I did research on consumer habits. | “Research” is uncountable; drop the “a”. |
| Thank you for read my letter. | Thank you for reading my letter. | Prepositions (for) are followed by gerunds (-ing). |
| I want to discuss about the job. | I want to discuss the job. | “Discuss” does not take “about”. |
| I am capable to do this task. | I am capable of doing this task. | Capable is followed by “of” + gerund. |
| Please let me know what is the next step. | Please let me know what the next step is. | Indirect questions do not invert the subject and verb. |
| I will contact you in Monday. | I will contact you on Monday. | Use “on” for days of the week. |
Common Mistakes to Watch Out For
- Relying purely on spellcheck: Spellcheckers do not understand context. They won’t correct “definitely” to “defiantly” if spelled correctly, completely changing your sentence’s meaning.
- Using overly complex vocabulary: Do not use the thesaurus to sound smarter. Using a simple word correctly is always better than using a complex word incorrectly.
- Inconsistent capitalization: Do not capitalize job titles unless they directly precede a name (e.g., I spoke with Marketing Director John Smith vs. I want to be a marketing director).
Easy Tips to Remember
- Print it out: Reading on paper forces your brain to process words differently than on a screen, making errors jump out.
- Read it backwards: Read your cover letter from the last sentence to the first. This breaks the logical flow and forces you to look at each sentence purely for grammatical structure.
- Change the font: Temporarily changing your document’s font to something unfamiliar can trick your brain into reading the text carefully instead of skimming.
Practice Exercises
Identify and correct the grammar mistakes in the following sentences from a cover letter:
- I am writing to apply for the Graphic Designer role, I saw it on LinkedIn.
- My previous duties included writing reports, analyzing data, and to present findings.
- The team were highly successful last year.
- I look forward to hear from your hiring manager.
- Its my belief that I would be an excellent fit for this company.
(Check your answers in the FAQ/Conclusion section below!)
5-Question Quiz
1. Which sentence has correct subject-verb agreement?
A) The list of requirements are long.
B) The list of requirements is long.
2. Which phrase is correct?
A) I look forward to meeting you.
B) I look forward to meet you.
3. Choose the correct spelling/usage:
A) I have great attention to detail.
B) I have great attention to detial.
4. Identify the correct parallel structure:
A) I am skilled in typing, to edit, and publishing.
B) I am skilled in typing, editing, and publishing.
5. Which sentence uses tenses correctly?
A) Last year, I manage a team of five people.
B) Last year, I managed a team of five people.
Answers: 1: B, 2: A, 3: A, 4: B, 5: B
5 FAQs About Grammar Mistakes in Cover Letters
1. Will one typo automatically disqualify me?
Not always, but it heavily depends on the role. For roles requiring high attention to detail (like editing, legal, or finance), a single mistake can result in immediate rejection. For other roles, a hiring manager might overlook a minor comma error, but it’s best not to risk it.
2. Is it safe to use tools like Grammarly?
Yes, grammar-checking tools are excellent aids, but they should not be your final editor. They occasionally misinterpret context and may suggest awkward phrasing. Always manually review their suggestions.
3. Should I use US or UK English?
Use the standard English of the country where the company is located. If applying to a US company, use US spelling (e.g., organize, color). If applying in the UK or Australia, use UK spelling (e.g., organise, colour).
4. What is the most common mistake hiring managers see?
The misuse of their/there/they’re and its/it’s, as well as switching tenses midway through a paragraph describing past work experience.
5. How formal should my grammar be?
Avoid slang, contractions (use I am instead of I’m if you want to be extra safe, though contractions are becoming more acceptable), and overly casual phrasing. Aim for professional, clear, and direct language.
Conclusion on Grammar Mistakes in Cover Letters
Grammar mistakes in cover letters are entirely preventable but can be incredibly costly if ignored. By taking the time to proofread, read your document aloud, and apply the rules and examples outlined in this guide, you will present yourself as a polished, capable, and detail-oriented professional. Remember, your cover letter is your personal marketing document—make sure it represents the best version of you.
(Exercise Answers: 1. role; I saw… [fix comma splice] 2. presenting findings [parallel structure] 3. team was [singular subject] 4. hearing [gerund needed] 5. It’s [contraction needed])
Are you currently writing a cover letter? Don’t hit send just yet! Review our 50+ examples above, and if you found this guide helpful, share it with a friend who is also on the job hunt. Bookmark this page for your next application!
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes and general guidance. Language and grammar standards can evolve, and specific hiring managers may have personal preferences. Always tailor your job applications to the specific company culture and regional English standards.
Also Read: Avoid Grammar Mistakes in Formal Writing: Guide & Examples
Beginner English Grammar Examples: A Complete Guide
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