We use these sentence patterns to apologize.

• I am sorry that I am late.
• She was sorry for calling you fat.

We can also use "sorry" to express regret.

• I am sorry that I bought this coat.
• She is sorry that she helped you. You didn't appreciate it.

Remember that the "be verb" changes the tense of the sentence (present tense, past tense, future tense, etc.)

Subject + be verb + sorry (that) + sentence

• I am sorry that I am late.
• I am sorry I will not be able to come to your party.
• She is sorry that she missed your wedding.
• Mark was sorry that he hurt my feelings.
• They were sorry that they forgot your birthday.

Subject + be verb + sorry for + noun/gerund…

• I am sorry for being late.
• She was sorry for her behavior last night.
• They are sorry for their poor performance.
• We are sorry for forgetting to tell you.
• They were sorry for behaving inappropriately.
• They will be sorry for passing on this offer.

Subject + be verb + sorry about + noun/gerund/noun clause…

"Sorry about" is the same as "sorry for".

• I am sorry about saying that.
• She is sorry about not calling.
• He is sorry about how he talked to you.
• They were sorry about not believing you.
• He is sorry about what he said.
• They are sorry about how the meeting ended.

Bonus Tips and Points

1. We can use negative sentences to show that we do not regret our actions. We make negative sentences by using "be verb + not sorry".

• I am not sorry for being honest.
• She is not sorry for what she did.
• They weren't sorry for showing up late.

2. We can also use "sorry" to politely interrupt somebody or to politely get somebody's attention. We often use this before we make a request.

• I'm sorry, but can you help me with this, please?
• I am sorry, but could I borrow your pen?

3. We can use sentences like the ones below when we are delivering or telling bad news to someone. In these sentences, we are not apologizing for something we did. We are just saying that we feel bad for telling this person some bad news.

• We are sorry to inform you, but your application has been rejected.
• I am sorry to tell you, but you failed the test.
• We are sorry to inform you, but your request has been denied.
• I am sorry to tell you, but your dog died.

Real-World English Conversations

A) I am sorry for being late.
B) No problem.

A) I am sorry that I said that. I didn't mean it.
B) It's okay. Don't worry about it.

A) Sorry for bumping into you.
B) It's cool.

A) She is sorry about yesterday.
B) She should be. She acted very rudely to everyone.

A) I am not sorry that I said that.
B) I am not sorry either. I'm leaving.

A) I am sorry, but can I see your phone for a second?
B) Sure. Here you are.

Study these free English lessons to improve your English speaking. If you learn these common sentence patterns well, then your English speaking will improve greatly and you will be able to have fluent conversations in English in the near future! Study the lessons well, practice using the sentences and questions at home and in real life, and make sure to come back to review the material so you do not forget. If you do these three things, then you will be speaking English like a native English speaker in no time!