Grammar in everyday contexts: a job application letter	

Read the extract from an application letter for the job in the advertisement.
Account for the choice of tense in each of the numbered underlined examples (see your notes for uses of the present perfect)

Dear Sir or Madam

(1) I was very interested to see your advertisement for a Hotel Manager in yesterday's South China Morning Post and should like to be considered for this post.

You will see from enclosed CV that (2) I have been working in the catering industry for over ten years, and in a management position for the past three. (3) I have worked in all the principle hotel departments and can claim a detailed understanding of the workings of a large hotel establishment.

During my career(4)  I have been employed in hotels in four different countries - Canada, The United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Hong Kong. (5) I have also attended catering industry conferences in Australia and Switzerland.

For the past two years (6) I have been Assistant Manager at the Island Majestic Hotel in Admiralty.(7)  My work here has given me a good knowledge of the hotel business in Hong Kong, and in particular the conference side of operations as this hotel is a major conference venue.

In my previous job, (8)  I was Deputy Assistant Manger at the International Goodnight Hotel in Bangkok. While in Bangkok (9) I attended courses in Customer Service, Asian cuisine and the Thai Tourist Industry, all of which (10) have given me a deeper understanding of the hotel business in Asia.

Mr Tony Kwok, General Manager of the Island Majestic Hotel, and Mrs Lulu Shinawatra, of the International Goodnight Hotel(11)  have agreed to provide references for me. Their details can be found on my curriculum vitae.

Answers	

1	past simple 	complete action or state happening at a definite time in the past	
2	present perfect continuous	unfinished action / state over a period of time up till now (past simple could also be used in this example)	
3	present perfect simple	complete actions or states within a period of time leading up to the present	
4	present perfect simple	complete states or states within a period of time leading up to the present	
5	present perfect simple	complete states or states within a period of time leading up to the present	
6	present perfect simple	unfinished action / state over a period of time up till now	
7	present perfect simple	past action with a result / importance in the present	
8	 past simple	complete action or state happening at a definite time in the past	
9	past simple 	complete action or state happening at a definite time in the past	
10	present perfect simple	past action with a result / importance in the present	
11	present perfect simple	past action with a result / importance in the present