Sorry about is used to apologise for something or to say you feel bad that something happened. People use it to apologise for a small inconvenience (Sorry about the noise) or to sympathise with someone's bad luck (I'm sorry about your exam). A short Sorry about that is said right after an awkward moment.
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sorry about + noun/-ing; Sorry about that!; feel sorry for + person
- Sorry about the mess in the kitchen; we're still unpacking after the move.
- I'm really sorry about your exam results, especially after all your hard work.
- Sorry about the late reply, I was travelling all last week.
What changed
First versionI'm sorry about that I missed your call yesterday.
RevisionI'm sorry about missing your call yesterday.
It's tempting to put a full clause straight after about: about that I missed. But a preposition like about can't be followed by a clause with its own subject. You need the -ing form: sorry about missing. Or drop the preposition: I'm sorry that I missed your call.
When you pity a person, say feel sorry for: I feel sorry for Anna, she works every weekend. And you can also apologise for your own slip with for + -ing: Sorry for being late means the same as Sorry about being late.
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Oops, I've just spilled coffee on your notes. ___!
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Sorry about that — After a small awkward moment, native speakers use the set phrase Sorry about that. Sorry for it sounds unnatural: people don't respond like that.
Write a short apology to a colleague: say what you're apologising for and offer a way to put it right.
Sorry about the delay with the report. I'll send you the final version by noon tomorrow.
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