Excuses, Excuses

Pre-intermediate (A2) 20 minutes
ESL Making Excuses Activity preview for Pre-intermediate A2. Students practice apologising and giving excuses using I'm sorry in a speaking activity.

ESL Making Excuses Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions - Pair Work

In this useful making excuses speaking activity, students practice apologising and giving excuses, starting with 'I'm sorry...' Student A looks at a diary of their partner's behaviour last week and asks for reasons for their actions, e.g. 'Why...

ESL Making Excuses Activity - Speaking: Asking and Answering Questions from Prompts - Pair Work In this useful making excuses speaking activity, students practice apologising and giving excuses, starting with 'I'm sorry...' Student A looks at a diary of their partner's behaviour last week and asks for reasons for their actions, e.g. 'Why were you late for class last Monday?' Student B uses the picture prompt for that day, apologises and gives an excuse with 'I'm sorry...', e.g. 'I'm sorry I was late for class. There was a traffic jam.' Student A listens to each excuse and writes the corresponding day next to the appropriate picture. Afterwards, students swap roles and repeat the process. Finally, students compare worksheets to check their answers.
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The Rascally Robinsons

Intermediate (B1) 35 minutes
ESL Making Excuses Worksheet preview for Intermediate B1. Students learn how to make excuses for different transgressions using matching and writing exercises.

ESL Making Excuses Worksheet - Vocabulary, Reading and Writing Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Categorising, Identifying, Writing Sentences

In this comprehensive making excuses worksheet, students learn how to make excuses for different transgressions. First, students read about...

ESL Making Excuses Worksheet - Vocabulary, Reading and Writing Exercises: Matching, Gap-fill, Categorising, Identifying, Writing Sentences from Prompts In this comprehensive making excuses worksheet, students learn how to make excuses for different transgressions. First, students read about the naughty acts of the four Robinson children and complete each excuse with an appropriate statement. Students then complete common excuses with vocabulary from a box. Next, students match transgressions with excuses and decide whether the excuses are good or bad and sort them accordingly. After that, students underline the phrases for making excuses. Finally, students write their own excuses for different transgressions using the phrases.
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What's your Excuse?

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL Making Excuses Activity preview for Intermediate B1. Students use phrases to make excuses in response to requests, invitations and accusations.

ESL Making Excuses Activity - Speaking: Matching, Identifying, Responding to Statements and Questions, Writing Sentences - Pair Work

In this free making excuses speaking activity, students use a variety of phrases to make excuses in response to requests, invitations and accusations. First...

ESL Making Excuses Activity - Speaking: Matching, Identifying, Responding to Statements and Questions, Writing Sentences - Pair Work In this free making excuses speaking activity, students use a variety of phrases to make excuses in response to requests, invitations and accusations. First, students match requests, invitations and accusations with excuses. Students then underline the phrases that are used to make excuses. Next, in pairs, students take turns reading requests, invitations and accusations to their partner, who gives a suitable excuse for each one. Students then write their partner's excuse in the space provided. Finally, review the excuses students gave for each item as a class.
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Suitable Excuses

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL Making Excuses Game preview for Upper-intermediate B2. Students race to match and complete excuses for requests, invitations, and accusations.

ESL Making Excuses Game - Speaking: Matching, Completing Sentences, Freer and Communicative Practice - Group Work

In this fun making excuses game, students race to match and complete excuses in response to requests, invitations, and accusations. In groups, one student turns over the first situation card and...

ESL Making Excuses Game - Speaking: Matching, Completing Sentences from Prompts, Freer and Communicative Practice - Group Work In this fun making excuses game, students race to match and complete excuses in response to requests, invitations, and accusations. In groups, one student turns over the first situation card and reads it to the group, e.g. 'Would you be able to cover my shift this Saturday?' All the students then race to find a matching excuse card to fit the situation and complete the excuse in their own words, e.g. 'I'd love to, but unfortunately, I already promised to take my kids to the beach this weekend.' The first student to make a suitable match and complete the excuse prompt appropriately wins, keeps the pair of cards, and sets them aside. If a student makes an incorrect match or doesn't complete the excuse appropriately, they are out of the round, and the other students can try to answer. The next student then turns over a situation card from the top of the pile, and so on. The first student to get rid of all their excuse cards is the winner.
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Using Excuse-Making Language

Making excuses in English relies on a set of softening phrases and structures that cushion a refusal or explanation and keep the social relationship intact. When students lack these phrases, they either say nothing or produce a blunt refusal like 'I can't' or 'No,' which can come across as rude or dismissive even when no offence is intended.

This page covers making excuses across A2, B1, and B2 levels, with four activities, worksheets, and games ranging from a picture prompt pair activity to a fast-paced group card race, including one free download.

The table below maps the key situations where excuse-making language is needed in English, with the typical function and an example phrase for each.

SituationFunctionExample Phrase
Asked to do something you cannot or do not want to do Declining a request 'I'd love to help, but I'm afraid I'm completely tied up this week.'
Invited somewhere and unable to attend Declining an invitation 'That sounds great, but unfortunately I already have plans.'
Accused of doing something wrong Defending behavior 'I know it looks bad, but I honestly didn't realize the deadline was today.'
Late or absent without prior warning Explaining a failure to appear 'I'm so sorry I'm late. There was a problem with the trains.'
Failed to complete a task or obligation Explaining non-completion 'I'm really sorry I haven't sent it yet. I've been dealing with a family matter.'
Behaved in a way that upset someone Apologizing and explaining 'I didn't mean to be short with you. I've been under a lot of pressure lately.'

When to Use Excuse-Making Language

Turning down a request at work: When a colleague or manager asks you to take on something you genuinely cannot handle, softening the refusal with an excuse maintains the relationship while still saying no, as in 'I'd really like to help, but I'm completely snowed under right now.'

Getting out of a social invitation: When a friend or acquaintance invites you somewhere and you cannot attend or do not want to go, a polite excuse with a brief reason avoids an awkward silence or a flat no, as in 'I'd love to come, but I'm afraid I've already made other plans.'

Responding to a complaint or accusation: When someone challenges your behavior directly, excuse-making language lets you acknowledge their concern and offer a reason without sounding defensive or dismissive, as in 'I understand why you're frustrated. I should have let you know sooner, but things got completely out of hand.'

3-Step Framework for Teaching Excuse-Making Language

1. Study the Language Before Producing It: Before students attempt any excuse production, give them a model dialogue to study so they can see how a well-formed apology and excuse fits together. A diary-based pair activity then puts that model to work: one student asks their partner about a week of real-life transgressions, for example 'Why were you late for class last Monday?' while the other uses a picture prompt to apologize and give an excuse starting with 'I'm sorry...' The dialogue model does the scaffolding work so students are never producing cold.

2. Build Range and Accuracy on Paper: Once students have the core structure, move them to written practice that broadens their excuse vocabulary and sharpens their judgment. A sequence that moves from matching transgressions to excuses through to categorizing those excuses as good or bad trains students to think critically about the language, not just reproduce it. Writing their own excuses for different transgressions at the end gives them a bridge into spoken production.

3. Push Towards Independent Production: With the language consolidated, move students into a competitive card race where they have to match a situation to an excuse and complete it in their own words under time pressure. The stakes keep engagement high: the first student to make a suitable match and complete the excuse prompt appropriately wins the cards, while a student who makes an incorrect match or fails to complete the excuse appropriately is out of the round.

Common Mistakes with Excuse-Making Language

Mixing up the two structures after 'I'm sorry': Students often mix the two correct patterns that follow 'I'm sorry,' producing a hybrid form that combines 'sorry for' with a clause instead of choosing either 'sorry for' with a gerund or 'sorry' with a clause. Wrong: 'I'm sorry for I was late to the meeting.' Correct: 'I'm sorry I was late to the meeting.' or 'I'm sorry for being late to the meeting.'

Giving an excuse without an apology: Students often jump straight into explaining the reason for their behavior without first acknowledging the impact on the other person, which can make the excuse sound self-justifying rather than genuinely apologetic. Wrong: 'I didn't come to class because I was sick.' Correct: 'I'm sorry I missed class. I wasn't feeling well.'

Common Questions About Teaching Excuse-Making Language

What is a fun game for practicing excuse-making phrases?

In the game Suitable Excuses, one student reads a situation card aloud, for example 'Would you be able to cover my shift this Saturday?' and the group races to find a matching excuse card and complete it in their own words. A student who makes an incorrect match or fails to complete the excuse appropriately is out of the round.

What is a good activity for practicing excuse-making language?

Covering requests, invitations, and accusations in one activity gives students practice across the full range of situations where excuse-making language is needed. In the free activity What's your Excuse?, pairs take turns reading each prompt type to their partner, who gives a suitable excuse in response, and students write down their partner's excuse after each turn.

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