20 keywords used for admitting mistakes and past unreal situations, along with their

meanings and examples:

1. Apologize
 Meaning: Express regret for a mistake or offense.
 Example: "I want to sincerely apologize for my oversight in the project."
2. Acknowledge
 Meaning: Accept or admit the existence or truth of something.
 Example: "I acknowledge that I should have double-checked the details."
3. Confess
 Meaning: Admit to wrongdoing or a mistake.
 Example: "I must confess, I forgot to submit the report on time."
4. Admit
 Meaning: Agree that something is true, especially when it's a mistake.
 Example: "I admit that I made an error in judgment."
5. Recognize
 Meaning: Identify and acknowledge the existence or validity of something.
 Example: "I recognize that I failed to meet the deadline."
6. Own up to
 Meaning: Take responsibility for one's actions or mistakes.
 Example: "I need to own up to the fact that I was careless with the details."
7. Accept fault
 Meaning: Acknowledge that one is responsible for a mistake.
 Example: "I accept fault for the misunderstanding in the communication."
8. Fess up
 Meaning: Informally confess to a mistake or wrongdoing.
 Example: "It's time to fess up—I forgot to pick you up from the airport."
9. Culpable
 Meaning: Deserving blame or responsibility for a mistake.
 Example: "I am culpable for the error in the financial report."
10. Take the blame
 Meaning: Accept responsibility for a mistake or failure.
 Example: "I'm willing to take the blame for the project's delay."
11. Express remorse
 Meaning: Convey deep regret or sorrow for a mistake.
 Example: "I express remorse for any inconvenience caused by my actions."
12. Be accountable
 Meaning: Accept responsibility for one's actions or decisions.
  Example: "It's important to be accountable for our mistakes and learn from
them."
13. Regret
 Meaning: Feel sorry or disappointed about a past action.
 Example: "I deeply regret not meeting the expectations for the team."
14. Own mistake
 Meaning: Acknowledge and take responsibility for one's own error.
 Example: "I need to own this mistake and work on rectifying it."
15. Face the consequences
 Meaning: Accept the results or effects of one's actions, whether positive or
negative.
 Example: "I am ready to face the consequences of my poor decision."
16. Mea culpa
 Meaning: Latin for "my fault" or "I am to blame."
 Example: "This is my mea culpa—I should have been more careful."
17. Fall short
 Meaning: Fail to meet expectations or standards.
 Example: "I realize I fell short of what was expected for the project."
18. Error in judgment
 Meaning: A mistake made due to poor decision-making.
 Example: "I made an error in judgment by not consulting the team before
proceeding."
19. Overlook
 Meaning: Fail to notice or consider something.
 Example: "I overlooked the importance of getting approval before making
changes."
20. Missed the mark
 Meaning: Failed to achieve the desired result or meet expectations.
 Example: "I missed the mark on delivering the project on time."

short conversations about taking responsibility for mistakes in past unreal situations:

1. Forgetting a Friend's Birthday

Quan forgot to wish his friend Linh on her birthday.

Quan: Linh, I feel terrible. I completely forgot your birthday last week.
Linh: Seriously, Quan? It's okay, but you owe me a belated birthday treat now!

Quan: Absolutely, Linh. I'll make it up to you, I promise.

2. Losing Important Documents

Anh accidentally misplaced important documents for a group project.

Anh: Guys, I messed up. I can't find the project documents anywhere.

Mai: Oh no, Anh! The deadline is tomorrow. What happened?

Anh: I think I left them at the library, but it's closed now. I should have double-checked
before leaving.

Mai: It's okay, Anh. Let's work together to figure this out and talk to the professor.

3. Breaking a Friend's Item

Tuan accidentally broke Lan's favorite mug.

Tuan: Lan, I have to tell you something. I accidentally broke your favorite mug.

Lan: Seriously, Tuan? That was a gift!

Tuan: I know, Lan. I'll buy you a new one and be more careful next time.
4. Missing an Important Call

Phuong missed a call about a job interview.

Phuong: I can't believe it! I missed the call for the job interview.

Hien: What happened, Phuong?

Phuong: I left my phone on silent. I should have been more attentive. I'll call them back
and apologize.

5. Not Completing Assigned Tasks

Trung and Hoa were supposed to complete different tasks for a school event.

Trung: Hoa, I'm sorry. I didn't finish my part of the tasks for the school event.

Hoa: Trung, we agreed on deadlines. Now what do we do?

Trung: I'll work on it tonight and have it ready by tomorrow. I'll make it up to you.

6. Misplacing Classroom Keys

Thao, the class representative, misplaced the keys to the classroom.

Thao: Everyone, I made a mistake. I can't find the keys to the classroom.

Nam: Seriously, Thao? How are we going to get in for our meeting?

Thao: I'll talk to the janitor and get a spare key. I should have been more responsible.

7. Accidentally Deleting Important Files

Cuong accidentally deleted crucial files from the shared drive.

Cuong: Team, I messed up. I accidentally deleted important files from the shared drive.

Linh: What? Those were crucial for the presentation!

Cuong: I'll try to recover them, Linh. I should have been more careful. I'm sorry.

Long conversation
Conversation 1: Apologizing for a Missed Deadline

Trang and Minh are classmates working on a group project. Trang missed a deadline, and they are
discussing the situation.

Trang: Hey Minh, I need to talk to you about the project. I'm really sorry, but I missed the deadline
for our part.

Minh: Oh no, Trang! What happened? We were supposed to submit it yesterday.

Trang: I know, and I feel terrible about it. I had some unexpected family issues that required my
immediate attention.

Minh: I'm sorry to hear that, Trang. But next time, let me know in advance so we can figure
something out together. Our team is counting on us.
Trang: You're right, Minh. I should have communicated better. I take full responsibility for this. Is
there anything I can do to make it up to you and the team?

Minh: Well, for now, let's see if we can submit the project late with an explanation. But in the future,
let's make sure we keep each other in the loop about any challenges we're facing.

Trang: Absolutely, Minh. I'll make sure to be more proactive about it. I appreciate your
understanding.

Minh: No worries, Trang. We all make mistakes. Let's just learn from this and move forward together.

Conversation 2: A Missed Opportunity

Hai and Lan are friends who were planning to attend a workshop together, but Hai forgot to register,
and they are discussing the situation.

Hai: Lan, I have something to confess. I forgot to register us for the workshop this Saturday.

Lan: Oh no, Hai! We were really looking forward to it. How did that happen?

Hai: I had it on my to-do list, but I got caught up with other tasks and completely forgot. I take full
responsibility for this oversight.

Lan: It's disappointing, Hai. We've been talking about attending this workshop for weeks.

Hai: I know, Lan. I feel awful about it. I'm really sorry.

Lan: Well, there's not much we can do now. The registration is closed. Just be more careful in the
future, okay?

Hai: You're right, Lan. I should have been more organized. I'll make it up to you. How about I treat
you to lunch this weekend?

Lan: That sounds like a good idea, Hai. Let's make sure we plan better next time and not miss out on
opportunities like this.

Hai: Definitely, Lan. I appreciate your understanding, and I'll do my best to avoid such mistakes in
the future.