Ways to Apologize in English

Ways to Apologize in English

Hello English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. How often do you apologize? I am sure you do it daily.  Read the blog post to learn various ways to apologize in English and the correct ways to respond to apologies. Don’t forget that it is important to explain your reasons for doing something when you apologize.

Ways to apologize

I’m sorry/sorry

The most common way to apologize in English is to say ‘sorry.’ If you want to be more emphatic, you can use the phrases ‘I’m so sorry’, ‘I’m really sorry’, ‘I’m terribly sorry’, etc.

• I’m sorry I’m late, there’s been an accident on my way here.
• I’m so sorry we missed your housewarming party. We’ll find a way to make it up.
• Dad, I’m really sorry for breaking your mug.
• I’m terribly sorry but I didn’t catch your name.

Click here to learn different ways to say “I’m sorry” in English

I apologize

To say ‘I apologise’ is more formal than ‘sorry’ but you can use it at any time, at any place to apologize.

• I apologize if I offended you, it wasn’t my intention.
• We apologize if our notice wasn’t clear.
• The crew of the plane apologizes for any inconvenience caused.
• I think I owe you an apology for not showing up at the party. I lost my house key and I was looking for it all night.

It is my fault/mistake/bad

The phrases ‘my fault’, ‘my mistake’ and ‘my bad’ are very convenient when you want to apologize and say that you accept responsibility for what you did.

• It’s my fault for not telling you that your girlfriend is seeing another man. I’m so sorry, will you ever forgive me?
• Sorry about my bad temper last night. I was a bit upset. It was my mistake.
• Excuse me for such a short note but I was very busy last week. My bad.

Ways to respond to an apology

Here are some phrases you can use to respond to apologies in English.

• It’s OK/alright/fine
• Don’t worry about it / No worries
• It doesn’t matter.
• Don’t bother about it.
• There is no need to apologize.
• I promise it won’t happen again.

Example sentences:

A: I’m sorry I forgot about your birthday.

B: It’s OK. Don’t bother about it.

A: I’m sorry I couldn’t answer your call, I was very busy.

B: It’s alright. It was nothing important.

A: I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful.

B: Don’t worry. We’ll be alright.

A: I’m sorry but the hotel is fully booked for tonight.

B: No worries. We’ll try somewhere else.

A: I’m afraid we can’t pick you up tomorrow. We are setting off early.

B: It doesn’t matter. I’ve already arranged the ride with Jim.

A: I apologise for not going shopping for food. The fridge is completely empty.

B: No need to apologize. I’ve eaten at work.

A: How come there is so little oil in the car tank?

B: Forgive me for taking your car without asking you, Dad. I promise it won’t happen again.

Ways to apologize in English

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