Reply
Fri 26 Feb, 2016 06:41 pm
When you're apologizing to someone in written communication, especially in business correspondence, is it good form to skip on the letter 'I'?
For example:
"We can give you a refund. Apologize for the delayed response"
"Apologize for the delay in my reply"
The writer didn't leave out the 'I's, 'You's, 'We's, etc. in other sentences in the correspondence but for some reason he felt casual and lazy when it came to him apologizing. Isn't it tacky?
p.s. I saw someone giving these kinds of sample sentences to those who do business with English speaking counterparts.
@Jaqen,
Tacky in a business transaction. Acceptable in a personal transaction. But did it come as a text or email? I expect an email to be better thought out then a text.
@Lilkanyon,
I think it's email mostly. There is a Q&A board like this one in Korea. I saw quite a few people asking how to say 'I apologize for this and that' in English. Some of them sound like they're trying to write business correspondence. And this one guy keeps giving this phrase 'Apologize ~', like, to 100 people so far.
@Jaqen,
its a message board not associated with official company transactions? Then its just conversing, no expecations of judegement for grammar I assume
@Lilkanyon,
No, it's just a free site. People ask all kinds of random questions, how do you say ~ in English? However, the guy who tells them to say 'Apologize~' is supposed to be an English teacher who nitpicks other people's answers.
@Jaqen,
Ahh, gotcha. Yeah, its hard to critisize another person's grammar when he's not using the correct form himself.
@Lilkanyon,
Yeah, I find it absurd to start an apology with 'Apologize~' especially in business because in the beginning it almost sounds like an order to apologize.
Selected Answer
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace