Apologizing to someone

Everybody makes mistakes sometimes. When it happens we need a phrase to tell the other person how really sorry we are and stop them getting really angry. Here are ten phrases.

Sorry.
I'm (so/very/terribly) sorry.
Ever so sorry.
How stupid/careless/thoughtless of me.
Pardon (me).
That's my fault.
Sorry. It was all my fault.
Please excuse (my ignorance).
Please don't be mad at me.
Please accept our (sincerest) apologies.

Explanations

• Phrase 1 is a general short apology. We use this when we bump into people on the street. At other times, it sounds too weak.
• In phrase 2, we use "so", "very" and "terribly" to make the meaning stronger. "Terribly" is the strongest. If we use one of the words in brackets, it is stressed.
• Phrase 3 is quite formal but it's a stronger apology than just "sorry".
• We use phrase 4 to criticize ourselves and the mistake that we have just made.
• We use phrases 6 and 7 to take all the responsibility for what happened. Phrase 7 is a little stronger.
• We use phrase 8 to apologize for our lack of knowledge or ability. We can replace the word in brackets with other nouns, e.g. carelessness, forgetfulness.
• Phrase 9 is asking the other person not to get angry. The tone is quite informal.
• Phrase 10 is often used in formal letters. The word 'sincerest' makes the apology very strong and very formal.