Sometimes things don’t go the way we planned them. Have you ever been late to class or forgotten someone’s birthday? Do you know how to apologize in English? Let’s take a look at this topic today.
The basic structures are
- Sorry + something
- Sorry for + V-ing something
So, when you are late, you can use either structure:
- I’m sorry I’m late. Not, I’m sorry to late
- I’m sorry for being late.
Here are some more examples
- I’m sorry I missed your party last night.
- I’m sorry for missing your party last night.
- I’m sorry I didn’t call you yesterday.
- I’m sorry for not calling you yesterday.
When native English speakers apologize, they usually say they are sorry and offer a short explanation. In some cultures, an explanation is not necessary with an apology, but it is a usual custom in the English speaking world. Here are some examples:
- I’m sorry I’m late. I missed the train
- I’m sorry for being late to class. I woke up late this morning
- I’m sorry I missed your party last night. I had to work late
- I’m sorry for not calling you yesterday. I fell asleep as soon as I got home from work.
Well, there you have the basics of using sorry in English. I hope you don’t have much chance to use this, but if you need to, use the examples here as a model. Thanks for reading today!
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