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sorry for bothering you vs sorry to have bothered you

Both phrases are correct, but they're used in slightly different contexts. 'Sorry for bothering you' is used when apologizing for the act of bothering someone in the present moment. On the other hand, 'Sorry to have bothered you' is used when apologizing for bothering someone in the past. The choice between the two phrases depends on the timing of the action being apologized for.
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Explained by Miss E.
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: September 14, 2024 • 20077 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used when apologizing for bothering someone in the present moment.

"sorry for bothering you"

This phrase is used to apologize for causing inconvenience or disturbance to someone at the current time.

Examples:

  • Sorry for bothering you with all my questions.
  • I just wanted to ask you something, sorry for bothering you.
  • Hello ,and thank you for asking. " I'm sorry for bothering you " the apology took place after the action of 'bothering" has finished .
  • Aug 7, 2021 ... Sorry for bothering you guys with this kind of stuff. But since 2 or 3 possible updates of Openplanet i got this .dll error message out of ...
  • Oct 15, 2017 ... Why do narcissists say, "I'm sorry for bothering you", when they try to hover? All related (48).
  • Apr 2, 2021 ... Sorry for bothering you miss, but I need you to help me with something☺️. Meme. r ...
  • Feb 23, 2020 ...Sorry for bothering you” is absolutely fine in the circumstances you describe. If you're looking for alternatives you could use…
  • Nov 11, 2014 ... "Sorry for bothering you" would refer to the past. You have asked someone a question, he had to stop what he was doing, and you are apologizing.
  • May 26, 2024 ... Stephanie Tucker Howerton Sorry for bothering you, does grief ever go away? I lost my daughter in a fire accident , at this moment each day ...
  • Sep 24, 2024 ... Hey @Junko3, sorry for bothering you, but I need some help after the last email I sent the support team, in which i answered questions they ...
  • sorry to bother you or sorry for bothering you: Which phrase is more common? See common English phrases at wordvice.ai/grammar.

Alternatives:

  • Apologies for disturbing you.
  • Sorry to trouble you.
  • I hope I'm not interrupting.
  • I'm sorry to disturb you.
  • Excuse me for taking up your time.

This phrase is correct and is used when apologizing for having bothered someone in the past.

"sorry to have bothered you"

This phrase is used to apologize for causing inconvenience or disturbance to someone at a previous time.

Examples:

  • I wanted to apologize for the mistake I made earlier. Sorry to have bothered you.
  • Sorry to have bothered you with my request yesterday.
  • Apr 13, 2008 ... "Sorry to have bothered you" sounds more formal and British to me. In America, we're more likely to say "Sorry if I bothered you" or "Sorry I bothered you".
  • Aug 20, 2022 ... The difference is one is correct, one is incorrect; Sorry to have bothered you, is usually something you would say when you've taken up ...
  • Oct 31, 2022 ... 191K likes, 1167 comments - chloe_t on October 31, 2022: "I'm sorry to have bothered you... But could I choke the life out of your body, ...
  • Dec 7, 2020 ... The difference is one is correct, one is incorrect; Sorry to have bothered you, is usually something you would say when you've taken up ...
  • May 29, 2023 ... I'm sorry to have bothered you… But could I choke the life out of your body, mister? · Comments Section · Community Info Section · More posts you ...
  • Feb 2, 2023 ... Finally, thank you very much and sorry to have bothered you with the request I have already made to you for lesma (I will not use it). Thank ...
  • Sep 1, 2021 ... I'm sorry to have bothered you with this. I just wasn't sure what else to do. Thanks so much,. Jalisa. image001.png. Ivan_Strahof September 3 ...
  • Jan 6, 2016 ... I'm terribly sorry to have bothered you about this and I'm sure this is a common problem, I'm just at my wits end. Thank you. Lizz Gilmore's ...
  • Feb 7, 2022 ... Sorry to have bothered you all. Yours respectfully. Chris. 0. Answers. Blindeddie Member Posts: 1,559 Expert. February 2022 Answer ...
  • Mar 2, 2019 ... Sorry to have bothered you with such a simple mistake. (I wonder when/why I started tapping with two fingers? Obviously recently). All is ...

Alternatives:

  • I apologize for bothering you.
  • I'm sorry for disturbing you.
  • Apologies for the inconvenience.
  • Forgive me for the trouble.
  • I regret causing you any inconvenience.

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