sorry again

[Taka]

This is related to the question I asked here:

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...028-sorry.html

Now, in this situation:

So let's suppose friends of mine would like me to return their calls promptly, but I'm lazy about calling. Is it natural to say 'Im sorry my friends, but I'm basically lazy about calling'?

if I say to a friend of mine these instead. do they sound OK as well?


'Im sorry for you, but I'm basically lazy about calling.'
'I feel sorry for you, but I'm basically lazy about calling.'
'I feel sorry, but I'm basically lazy about calling.'

[Barb_D]

So you're asking a cultural question, rather than a grammatical one.

Here is my opinion.

Don't use the first two. I feel it means essentially this:
I am so amazing that you're lucky to have me as a friend. I'm not a very great friend, but the privilege of being my friend worth my failings. I feel sorry for you, actually, because you want to be my friend so badly you'll put up with my bad behavior.

The third one isn't quite right, because you're not really sorry. If you were, you would change your ways.

So your original thread, with the "I'm sorry, but" is right -- it's a polite filler. You acknowledge your failing.

[Taka]

Thanks for the comment, Barb!