Stop saying 'I'm sorry...' - say THIS instead - 17 more advanced alternative phrases (STORY LESSON)

English with Lucy

491

- Hello everyone and welcome back to English with Lucy.

Today, I have another video with a hidden story.

I hid a story in my last vocabulary video,

it was the one about not using I think.

So, the alternatives for I think.

And I didn't say anything I hid a story within the lesson,

and people went nuts for it.

So, here we are with another one.

Advice websites everywhere will tell you

to stop apologising, to stop saying I'm sorry.

I have got 17 alternatives for you.

They're more advanced, most of them are more advanced,

and some of them are more formal.

They are just nicer,

more elegant ways of apologising to people.

So this video is going to really help you build vocabulary,

particularly if you'd like to improve your pronunciation

and your listening skills even further

then I highly recommend the special method

of combining reading books with listening to the audiobook

version at the same time.

It might sound a little bit complicated, but let me explain,

because it's a really, really amazing method.

Take a book that you have already read in English

or a book that you would like to read in English,

I've got some really good recommendations

in the description box and read that book whilst listening

to the audiobook version on Audible.

Reading alone will not help you with you pronunciation.

English is a very complicated language,

it's not strictly phonetic the way a word is written

or spelled doesn't really give you much indication

as to how it is pronounced in most cases,

but if you listen to a word as you read it,

the next time you see that word,

you'll know exactly how it's pronounced,

and the next time you hear that word,

you'll know exactly how it's spelled or written.

It's such an effective method and the best part is

you can get one free audiobook at the 30 day free trial

on Audible, all you've got to do is click on the link

in the description box and sign up,

and then you can download some of my recommendations.

If you want to improve your listening,

and if you want to improve your pronunciation,

give this method a try because it really does work.

Please do give me your feedback as well,

I love to use it to motivate other students.

Let's get started with the lesson.

This series of examples is going to be delivered

in the format of a letter to the CEO of my company.

Because I've made a mistake, and I have to say sorry.

So the first alternative way for saying I'm sorry

is I owe you an apology.

I owe you apology.

Dear CEO, I owe you an apology for what happened

at the Christmas party.

Dear CEO, I owe you an apology for what happened

at the Christmas party.

Number two is I take full responsibility for my actions.

This one is really quite intense.

It's used in more formal situations,

like if you've messed up at the workplace.

An example, I take full responsibility for my action

I should never have let my hair down

in such an unprofessional way.

I take full responsibility for my actions,

I should never have let my hair down in such

an unprofessional way.

Now, to let your hair down is to allow yourself

to behave more freely than usual, and enjoy yourself.

If you say I'm going to let my hair down tonight,

it means I'm going to really enjoy myself tonight.

I'm not going to behave in my usual way.

The next one is it was wrong of me,

or it was wrong on my part, basically means it was my fault.

An example, I hadn't actually planned to attend.

I just stopped by on the way home from the pub.

This was wrong on my part.

I hadn't actually planned to attend.

I just stopped by on the way home from the pub.

This was wrong on my part.

This was a bad decision.

Now, number four, you can say I'm sorry,

but if you would like to add just a little more emphasis

to emphasise how sorry you really are,

you can add so or very or even both of them,

how does that work?

Well, it's so very sorry.

I'm so very sorry for telling to receptionist

that she looked like marshmallow.

Her pink frilly dress was actually very cute.

I'm so very sorry for telling the receptionist

that she looked like marshmallow.

Her pink frilly dress was actually very cute.

If that's not enough, then you can use number five

which is I'm ever so sorry, I'm ever so sorry,

this is a little posh actually.

I'm ever so sorry for loudly discussing how low

our salaries are,

this should have been discussed in private.

I'm ever so sorry for loudly discussing how low

our salaries are,

this should have been discussed in private.

Now, if that still isn't enough, you can use

terribly or awfully, I'm terribly sorry,

or I'm awfully sorry.

I'm awfully sorry for starting a very successful conga

whilst you were trying to deliver your wonderful

yearly thank you speech.

I'm awfully sorry for starting a very successful conga

whilst you were trying to deliver your wonderful yearly

thank you speech.

Now another option is to say that it was thoughtless

or careless of you.

It was thoughtless of me, it was careless of me, an example?

It was completely thoughtless of me to shout out

hey lady, this isn't the Oscars, get a move on,

when I thought your speech had gone on a little long.

It was completely thoughtless of me to shout out

hey lady, get a move on, this isn't the Oscars,

when I thought your speech had gone on a little long.

Now, number eight.

We could use this one if we're trying to be a little more

formal and this one is used very commonly in written

communication, formal written communication.

It is I sincerely apologise, I sincerely apologise.

An example, I sincerely apologise for acting so despicably

with your husband.

I sincerely apologise for acting so despicably

with your husband.

If you act despicably, then you act terribly.

Now number nine, the beg for forgiveness.

I hope you can forgive me, I hope you can forgive me.

I hope you can forgive me for pulling your husband

on to the dance floor using his tie.

I hope you can forgive me for pulling your husband

on to the dance floor using his tie.

Number 10, if we want to use the passive voice

and make it a little less obvious who we're directing

this at, we can say I hope I can be forgiven.

I hope I can be forgiven.

An example, I hope I can be forgiven for dragging

him onto the buffet table with me.

I hope I can be forgiven for dragging him onto

the buffet table with me.

If you want to express that your intentions weren't bad,

you can say, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to.

I didn't mean to get sour cream dip all over his trousers.

I didn't mean to get sour cream dip all over his trousers.

Or number 12 if you want to express some regret,

you can use I shouldn't have.

I have got a lesson on should have, would have,

and could have or shoulda, woulda, coulda

as I like to call it.

I'll put that up in the card and I'll also link it down

below because it's an important lesson,

especially when you want to express regret.

I really shouldn't have tried to clean the dip off

there and then.

I really shouldn't have tried to clean the dip off

there and then.

Important, there and then is a phrase I think a lot of you

need to know, because I do hear quite a few students

saying in that moment.

But we don't really use that so much,

we are more likely to say there and then,

at least in British English.

We use it to talk about the past, but it means immediately,

I cleaned his trousers immediately.

I cleaned his trousers there and then, in that moment.

Number 13, if I shouldn't have isn't enough,

then you can just say, I deeply regret, I deeply regret.

This is very profound.

I deeply regret telling you to back off

and find your own man when you came over to help.

I deeply regret telling you to back off

and find your own man when you came over to help.

Number 14 is I messed up, I messed up,

which means I made a huge mistake.

For example, I really messed up when I tried

to start a fist fight with you.

I really messed up when I tried to start

a fist fight with you.

Number 15 is a variation on one we heard earlier,

is I was in the wrong, coming from to be in the wrong.

When I caught you in a headlock, I was in the wrong.

When I caught you in a headlock, I was in the wrong.

Important, this is essential vocabulary,

a headlock is when you hold someone's head

by wrapping your arm around their neck.

It's a very important vocabulary for you.

Now, number 16, when you're asking for forgiveness,

you can say I really hope you can find it within you.

I really hope you can find it within you

to forgive me or whatever.

I really hope you can find it within you

to drop the assault charges against me.

I really hope you can find it within you

to drop the assault charges against me.

Now to drop charges against someone is to no longer

officially accuse someone of a crime.

It's often used in the passive used the charges

have been dropped against him,

so you don't know exactly who has dropped the charges.

And number 17, the phrase you should say at the end

of an apology, it won't happen again.

It won't happen again.

I really promise it won't happen again,

so can I have my job back?

I really hope it won't happen again,

so can I have my job back?

Ooh, I don't know if that's really gonna happen.

Yours sincerely, Lucy.

Right, that's it for today's lesson,

I hope you enjoyed it, I hope you learned something.

I've given you 17 wonderful alternatives for saying

I'm sorry in English and also some more vocabulary

Don't forget to check out Audible,

you can claim your free audiobook.

That's a 30 day free trial with Audible by clicking

on the link in the description box,

and I've got loads of recommendations there as well,

and don't forget to connect with me on all

of my social media, I've got my Facebook, my Instagram,

my Twitter, and my personal channel,

which is Lucy Bella Earl, where I talk about everything

that isn't related to English.

I will see you soon for another lesson.