Apology

Apologizing

To apologize is to tell someone that you are sorry for having done something that has caused him inconvenience or unhappiness:

Examples:

I must apologize to Isabel for my late arrival.

I'd like to apologize for my touble making.

Trains may be subject to delay on the northern line. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Here are some expressions you can use to make and respond to apologies

Expressing apology:

v  I do apologize for...

v  I must apologize for...

v  I apologize for...

v  I'd like to apologize for...

v  I am so sorry for...

v  I shouldn't have...

v  It's all my fault.

v  I'm ashamed of...

v  Please, forgive me for...

v  Excuse me for ...

v  I'm terribly sorry for...

v  Pardon me for this...

v  Please, forgive me for my....

v  Please, accept my apologies for...

Accepting apology:

v  That's all right.

v  Never mind.

v  Don't apologize.

v  It doesn't matter.

v  Don't worry about it.

v  Don't mention it.

v  That's OK.

v  I quite understand.

v  You couldn't help it.

v  Forget about it.

v  Don't worry about it.

v  No harm done.

Remember:

"I'd like to apologize" is the short form of "I would like to apologize"

EXERCISE

1. Match the following apologies with the appropriate response.

Expressing Apology		Accepting apology
Please accept my apologies for the mistakes in the report.		a)   That's quite all right. Yesterday you were really in a hysterical state!
I would like to apologize for shouting at you yesterday. I was very nervous. I completely lost control on myself.		b)    Don’t worry about that.
Excuse me! I didn't realize this was your seat.		c)No problem. I won't need it until next semester.
I'm ashamed of not coming to your wedding ceremony!		d)It doesn't matter. Next time try to make sure there are no spelling mistakes.
Please, accept my apologies for stepping on your foot!		e)Never mind. I’ll try to find another one.
I must apologize for not bringing your book.		f)Don't worry about it. All my friends came. It was a fantastic ceremony!
I’m really sorry, Pete, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.		g)That's OK! I think there is another bottle in the refrigerator.
I’m really sorry for taking your DVD!		h) That's all right. In fact, the bus is very crowded
Sorry for drinking all the milk!		i)No harm done. I have got another new DVD.

2. Fill in the blank with the appropriate words to make an apology.

a)     I must ...................... to Richard for my late arrival. (Sorry – apologize – pardon)

b)    I’m.......................... for my bad results at Mathematics. (Happy – ashamed – forgive)

c)     It’s me who was responsible for that problem. It’s all my..................... (Work – plan – fault)