The Sorry Grammar of Sorry Statements—

Which Statements Are Apologies? 

Not all statements with the word “sorry” in them are apologies.  Each of the following statements use the word “sorry” but only one is a true apology. 

1.  I’m sorry it happened and I'm sorry for all the people, fans and family it hurt. Let's move on.

2.  I’m sorry that gasoline is so expensive. 

3.  I’m sorry for the poor kitten trapped in the well.

4.  I’m sorry you were hurt. 

5.  I’m sorry for my actions.  I behaved very badly and you have a right to be very angry. 

An apology is more than a first person statement that has the word “sorry” in it.  Let’s look at each of the five statements to see which qualifies as the true apology.   Click here for an evaulation of the five statements. .