[General] I can't go to your party

[Silverobama]

Hi.

My friend asked me to attend his party this Thursday but I can't make it because I have a meeting. I said to him "I'm sorry I can't attend your party, but I have a meeting on for that night".

Is my reply natural?

 

[emsr2d2]

Remove "on for".

 

[Silverobama]

Remove "on for".

Is it better to change "but" to "because"? I think if I use "but" in that sentence, the first part of the sentence should be positive. For example, "I really want to go to your party, but I have a meeting....".

 

[GoesStation]

Is it better to change "but" to "because"? I think if I use "but" in that sentence, the first part of the sentence should be positive. For example, "I really want to go to your party, but I have a meeting....".

Correct.

 

[jutfrank]

It's not just 'better', it's very wrong to use but in the original sentence. We somehow managed to miss that.

 

[emsr2d2]

However, you will hear "I'm sorry I can't ... but ..." (a lot) from native speakers. For me, it means "the problem is".

I'm sorry [that] I can't come to your party but I have a meeting that evening = I'm sorry [that] I can't come to your party - the problem is [that] I have a meeting that evening.

I wonder if part of the issue here is that "I'm sorry I can't ..." means "I'm sorry that I can't". It's not the same as "I'm sorry. I can't ...". It would be wrong to say "I'm sorry. I can't come to your party but I have a meeting that evening". In that context, where "I'm sorry" is a separate sentence, only "because" works before the reason.

The OP used "I'm sorry I can't" in post #1 so I had no problem with "but".

 

[jutfrank]

However, you will hear "I'm sorry I can't ... but ..." (a lot) from native speakers. For me, it means "the problem is".

I'm sorry [that] I can't come to your party but I have a meeting that evening = I'm sorry [that] I can't come to your party - the problem is [that] I have a meeting that evening.

I wonder if part of the issue here is that "I'm sorry I can't ..." means "I'm sorry that I can't". It's not the same as "I'm sorry. I can't ...". It would be wrong to say "I'm sorry. I can't come to your party but I have a meeting that evening". In that context, where "I'm sorry" is a separate sentence, only "because" works before the reason.

The OP used "I'm sorry I can't" in post #1 so I had no problem with "but".

Right. That's not how I read the sentence but I think that might be what Silverobama had in mind.

The conflict could be sorted with a judiciously placed comma:

1) I'm sorry, I can't come because ...
2) I'm sorry I can't come, but ...

Sentence 1 is telling the listener that you are unable to go and giving the reason. The listener is hearing this news for the first time.
Sentence 2 is only giving the reason why you can't go. The listener already knows that you cannot attend.

Which one did you mean, Silver?

 

[Silverobama]

I think I meant both. Now I see where the problem is.

It's always a pleasure to learn from all of you here. Thank you so much.

When I was thinking using "but", I had a pause in my mind after "I'm sorry". That was why I thought "but" wasn't correct there. But now I am totally okay with understanding these two sentences, especially their differences.

Thank you so much!