She went to her boss and apologised ______ being so slow.

She went to her boss and apologised ______ being so slow.

• A. about
• B. to
• C. for
• D. with

Answer: (C)

The phrase apologise for is the standard way to express regret about something you did or about a situation. After for you use a noun or a verb in the -ing form to name the reason. In this sentence the reason is the state of being slow, so being so slow fits perfectly as the thing she regrets. The person she’s speaking to is already clear (her boss), so the sentence focuses on what she’s apologising for, not to whom. Other prepositions don’t work here. Saying apologised about would be non-idiomatic for this verb in this context, and apologised with would not connect correctly to the reason either. Using the -ing form after for is the natural construction.

The phrase apologise for is the standard way to express regret about something you did or about a situation. After for you use a noun or a verb in the -ing form to name the reason. In this sentence the reason is the state of being slow, so being so slow fits perfectly as the thing she regrets. The person she’s speaking to is already clear (her boss), so the sentence focuses on what she’s apologising for, not to whom.

Other prepositions don’t work here. Saying apologised about would be non-idiomatic for this verb in this context, and apologised with would not connect correctly to the reason either. Using the -ing form after for is the natural construction.