Episode Summary

Sorry to bother, but do you say “sorry” too much? We hear business meeting and English small talk phrases using the word “sorry” but there are other phrases that are more precise and don’t sound as apologetic. Sorry is a useful word when you have made a mistake; these business English phrases are better if you vary your use of phrases, your English will sound more fluent and professional.

Here are some examples of how to reduce inappropriate of “sorry” to more precise and useful phrases.

Sorry to bother you, but do you say “sorry” too much? We hear business meeting and English small talk phrases using the word “sorry” but there are other phrases that are more precise and don’t sound as apologetic. Sorry is a useful word when you have made a mistake; these business English phrases are better if you vary your use of phrases. Your English will sound more fluent and professional.

Here are some examples of how to reduce inappropriate use or overuse of “sorry” to more precise and useful phrases.

Instead of saying “Sorry for rescheduling”, acknowledge the other person’s being considerate by saying “Thanks for being flexible”.

Instead of saying “Sorry to bother you”, show appreciation for the other person giving you some of their time by saying “Thanks for carving out time”.

Carving means to slice - we carve meat or an artist called a sculptor carves wood or stone to make a design or the shape of a body. Here, the person is cutting part or carving out part of their time to give it to you.

Instead of saying “Sorry for venting”, acknowledge the other person was patient in listening to you by saying “Thanks for listening”.

• This word “vent” comes from volcanoes. A volcano has a top. If the volcano explodes, fire, smoke and ash come out of the top. Depending on how big the volcano is, and how big the explosion, the damage done can be huge. However, volcanoes sometimes develop a tear or hole in the side of the volcano - this fissure or gap helps to relieve the build up of pressure in the volcano. From the idea of pressure being released, “venting” means we complain or state dissatisfaction. It is similar to the phrase “letting off steam” where pressure builds up inside a tea kettle or engine.

Instead of saying “Sorry for running late”, you can show your appreciation for the other person’s time and patience by saying “Thanks so much for waiting”.

Instead of saying, “Sorry, I had to take that call”, you can show your appreciation for the other persons time and for waiting or being interrupted by saying “Thanks for your patience”.

Instead of saying “Sorry for jumping in” as if you are contradicting or interrupting the other person, you can say “I have an idea that may help”. It shows that you have a contribution to make and your opinion is valuable.

Instead of saying “Sorry for the mistakes”, you can say “Thanks for catching that!”. The other person might have noticed a missing period or full stop in your writing or they may have seen a typo. Here, to “catch” means they noticed something and hoped correct it.

Instead of saying “Sorry, I don’t get it” you can say “Would you repeat that? I just want to be clear”. That means the other person didn’t make a clear explanation. You are at fault for not “getting” or understanding what they said.

Instead of saying “Sorry, does that make sense?” You can say “I’m happy to answer any questions” as an invitation for people to ask questions.

A0088 220225