如果你是個遲到大王，這句話你一定要學：Sorry to keep you waiting.(對不起，讓你久候)。這句話不論在日活生活或在電話在線要別人久等都可用得著，此外也可說：Sorry I couldn't be on time.(對不起，我不能準時到達)。

對話

A: Hey Marcus, where were you? We've been expecting you all night.

B: Sorry to keep you waiting. I had an important meeting and it ran over.

A: How's business been recently?

B: Well, not too bad.

甲：唏，馬吉斯，你去了哪兒?我們整晚等著你。

乙：對不起，要你們久候。我有個重要會議，開到過了時。

甲：生意最近如何?

乙：蠻不錯吧。

有些人遲到，會說：Sorry to keep you waiting，有些則會說：Sorry to have kept you waiting.(對不起，要你們久候了)，究竟哪個說法才正確?

說為現(xiàn)在的事抱歉，sorry之后用‘to + 原形動詞(infinitive)’或‘that + 子句(clause)’都可以，例如：(1) I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's a long-distance call for you.(對不起，打擾了，有長途電話找你)。(2) I'm sorry (that) I'm late(對不起，我遲到了)。

說為過去的事抱歉，sorry之后用‘for/about + ing形式動詞’或‘to have + 完成時動詞(perfect tense)’或‘that + 子句’，例如：(1) I'm sorry for calling you a liar.(我曾說你不誠實，真對不起)。(2) I'm sorry to have called you a liar. (3) I'm sorry (that) I called you a liar.

遲到者說‘要你們久候了’，那等候在他到達時即成過去，所以有I'm sorry to have kept you waiting這說法。不過，由于等候才剛剛結束，當作現(xiàn)在的事并無不可，所以也有I'm sorry to keep you waiting. 的說法，兩句意思沒有什么分別。

遲到最好可以解釋原因。一個常見原因是交通阻塞：I got stuck in traffic.(我在車輛之中動彈不得)或Traffic was slow.(路上車輛緩慢)。另一原因是：I overslept.(我睡過了頭)或My alarm didn't go off.(鬧鐘沒有響)。當然，真正的原因可能是時間估計錯誤：I misjudged the time.