因过失或疏忽做错了事，给别人带来了麻烦或损失，发觉后要立即写信给对方赔礼道歉，这是一种礼貌。道歉信要写得坦率，诚恳。
1、因未能践约赴宴致歉unable to keep one's promise
dear miss nancy,
much to my regret i was unable to keep my promise to attend your birthday party last saturday, owing to the fact that my little son was suddenly taken ill early that day.
hoping to see you soon.
truly yours,
tom
亲爱的南希小姐：
小儿上周六突然生病，因此未能应约赴生日宴，殊觉抱歉，希原谅，再见。
2、因迟复来信致歉because of answering one's letter late dear david:
i am afraid that you will think me unpardonably negligent in not having answered your letter dated 7, december sooner, but when i have told you the reason, i trust you will be convinced that the neglect was excusable. when your letter arrived, i was just in hong kong. as my family could not forward it to me during my absence, it has been, therefore, lying on my desk until the moment when i took it up. now
the first thing i have to hasten to do is to write to you these few lines to express my deep regret.
i enjoyed many pleasant sights during my trip. i shall be pleased to give you an account to of them when i see you next.
sincerely yours,
tom
亲爱的戴维：
请原谅我收到您12月7日的来信后迟迟未复，现将原因告诉您，相信您一定会谅解的。您的来信到来时，我正巧在香港，家人无法及时转递。你的信一直放在我写字台上，直到我回到才看见，拖至今天才回信，深表歉意。 这次出去旅行饱览了许多美丽景色，下次见到您时，将告诉您一切。
3、因未能及时还书致歉unable to return borrowed book on time dear kate:
excuse me for my long delaying in returning to you your
“robinson crusoe” which i read through with great interest. i had finished reading the book and was about to return it when my cousin came to see me. never having seen the book, she was so interested in it that i had to retain it longer. however, i hope that in view of the additional delight thus afforded by your book, you will overlook my negligence in not returning it sooner.
thanking you again for the loan.
sincerely yours,
tom
亲爱的凯特：
我迟迟未能归还您的那本《鲁滨逊飘流记》，请原谅。该书我读得津津有味。读完后，正预备归还您时，我的表妹来访，见这本书也感兴趣，定要借去一读。为了让别人也能分享您那本书所给予的乐趣，我不能及时归还。我想再延迟些日子奉还，谅您不会介意的。
再次感谢您的慷慨。
4、因遗失借书致歉because of losing a borrowed book
dear frank:
i am terribly sorry to tell you that i have lost the valuable book you were so kind to lend me last week. i read it everyday and intended to finish it next month. last night when i came to my room, it was nowhere to be found. i will try to recover it as soon as possible. if i fail to find it, i will get a new book for you.
but i am afraid it can never take the place of the old one. old books are like old friends. once lost, they can never be replaced. they are connected with cherished associations which the new ones can never have. and for this irrecoverable loss, i am to blame. i was so careless with my things. this is a warning to me to be more careful in the future.
yours truly,
tom
亲爱的弗兰克：
很抱歉，上星期您借给我的那本书竟遗失了。我每天都在看，准备下个月看完。昨晚我回到我的卧室，到处也找不到那本书。我将尽力找到它。万一找不到，我只好买一本新的还您。
但是，新书恐怕不能代替那本旧书吧！旧书跟旧友一样，一旦失去就不能再得。旧书与往事相连，这种不可弥补的损失，皆由我起。我对待一切太大意了，这次给我一个警告，叫我以后要小心。