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Make Excuses for Other People

15 September 2014 by Marc

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A lot of us have unreliable friends. Sometimes it makes us feel good to cover for them. Here’s a post to help you make excuses for them.

Present Tenses

If someone is late, it’s best to give an excuse about where they are now instead of where they might have been.

Poor:

He was at the pub last night.

Better:

I’m sure he’s on his way.

Qualify Your Idea

Sometimes you don’t honestly know why someone is late or absent. You can use markers of certainty to help your excuse.

I bet her car has broken down or something.

I’m sure she’s on her way.

I’m certain they wouldn’t be late without a good reason.

Contrast Normal Behaviour with the Current Situation

Sometimes you can help support your friends by giving examples of their normal behaviour.

He’s usually early. I’m sure something has happened.

She’d normally phone. I bet her phone is broken or the battery is flat.

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Posted in: Grammar, Situation Tagged: a2, b1, certainty, excuses, presenttense

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