Apologizing and explaining a mistake

1. Real-Life Conversation

Situation: Sarah forgot to submit an important report on time, and she needs to apologize to her manager, Mr. Davis.

Sarah: Good morning, Mr. Davis. I want to sincerely apologize for not submitting the report on time.

Mr. Davis: Sarah, I was expecting that report yesterday. What happened?

Sarah: I completely understand your frustration. I made a mistake—I mismanaged my time and underestimated how long it would take.

Mr. Davis: I see. This report is crucial. We need to send it to the client today.

Sarah: I take full responsibility for my mistake. I have already completed the report and will send it to you within the next 10 minutes.

Mr. Davis: I appreciate your honesty, but please make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Sarah: Absolutely. I promise it won’t happen again, and I will set reminders to avoid missing deadlines in the future.

Mr. Davis: That sounds like a good plan. Thank you, Sarah.

2. Key Phrases for Apologizing and Explaining a Mistake

  • Apologizing:

    • I’m sorry for...

    • I sincerely apologize for...

    • I want to apologize for...

  • Acknowledging a Mistake:

    • It was my fault.

    • I take full responsibility.

    • I made a mistake.

  • Explaining What Happened:

    • I completely understand your frustration.

    • I mismanaged my time.

    • I underestimated how long it would take.

  • Making It Right:

    • I have already fixed the issue.

    • I will make sure it doesn’t happen again.

    • I will take extra steps to prevent this in the future.

3. Practice: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences using the phrases from the lesson.

  1. I ________ for being late to the meeting.

  2. I ________ my mistake and will fix it immediately.

  3. I ________ how important this is, and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.

  4. I ________ responsibility for forgetting to send the email.

  5. I will ________ extra steps to ensure this mistake is not repeated.

Answers:

  1. sincerely apologize

  2. take full responsibility for

  3. completely understand

  4. take full

  5. take

4. Tips for Effective Apologies

  1. Be Honest: Admit your mistake instead of making excuses.

  2. Be Specific: Explain exactly what happened.

  3. Offer a Solution: Show that you are actively fixing the issue.

  4. Learn from It: Ensure you don’t repeat the same mistake.

By practicing these phrases and steps, you can confidently apologize and handle mistakes professionally in English conversations.

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