Teacher Notes
Objectives & Sequence: This lesson is intended to be used as a preview of Grammar 3-2.
The following vocabulary words are used in this activity:
Part One
There are many ways to apologize in English. Read and listen to the following conversations. How do the people apologize? What do the others say to accept the apology?
Conversation #1
A: Are you okay? Are you injured?
B: I'm fine. How about you?
A: Yes, I'm okay too. I am so sorry!
B: What happened?
A: Well, it's not good. We crashed because I was looking at my GPS. I wasn't watching the road.
B: No, that isn't good.
A: I know. Again, I'm deeply sorry.
B: All is forgiven I guess. We're lucky we're both okay. Let's write down our information.
Conversation #2
A: Mr. James?
B: Yes?
A: I would like to apologize for not coming to work yesterday.
B: No, need to apologize. Are you feeling better?
A: Oh, I wasn't sick. I was driving to work yesterday morning when suddenly someone crashed into me on the highway.
B: Oh no! Are you okay?
A: Well, the car isn't, but I am.
Part Two
How to Apologize
When you feel bad about something, there are different ways to apologize:
| For a Small Mistake |
|---|
| Sorry. |
| Oops! Sorry. |
| My fault! |
| Sorry about that. |
| For a More Serious Mistake |
|---|
| I'm so sorry. |
| I am deeply/terribly sorry. |
| I apologize. |
| I want to/would like to apologize. |
Sorry for What?
When you want to say more, you can follow sorry and apologize with for + noun/verb+ing:
- I apologize for my behaviour.
- I would like to apologize for last night.
- I'm sorry for being late.
- I'm so sorry for not listening to you!
How to Accept an Apology
When someone says sorry, there are different ways for you to accept the apology:
| For a Small Mistake |
|---|
| That's okay/alright. |
| Don't worry about it. |
| No problem/No worries. |
| No need to apologize. |
| No harm done. |
| It's all good. |
| For a More Serious Mistake |
|---|
| Apology accepted. |
| I forgive you. |
| All is forgiven. |
Example #1 Example #2 Example #3
Oops! Sorry about that!
That's okay!
Sorry. My fault.
No worries.
I want to apologize for yesterday.
That's okay. I forgive you.
Part Three
Work with a partner. Look at the reasons below, and take turns apologizing:
- You made your partner cry.
- You forgot your partner's birthday.
- You called your partner the wrong name.
- You got angry and shouted at your partner yesterday.
- You didn't help your partner with his/her homework.
Part Four
The words in green in the sentences below make the past continuous tense. The words in blue make the past simple tense. With your partner, talk about the differences in meaning:
- We crashed because I was looking at my GPS. I wasn't watching the road.
- I was driving to work yesterday morning when suddenly someone crashed into me on the highway.