Words (Core Vocabulary)
- compliment / you look great / nice job / delicious
- appreciate / grateful / thanks a lot / much appreciated
- apologize / sorry for / mix-up / delay / inconvenience
- acknowledge / take responsibility / make it right
- no worries / all good / don’t mention it (responses)
Phrases (Give → receive → thank → apologize)
Compliments (give)
- Great job on the presentation—clear and engaging.
- Love your jacket— looks great on you.
- This is delicious— did you use a new recipe?
Receiving compliments
- Thanks, I appreciate it.
- That means a lot—thank you.
- Thanks—team effort!
Thanks (levels & contexts)
- Thanks so much for your help today.
- Really appreciate you staying late.
- Thank you in advance for checking (use sparingly—can feel pushy).
Apologies (effective)
- I’m sorry about the mix-up—I’ll fix it and follow up today.
- Sorry I’m late—traffic was heavy; thanks for waiting.
- I gave the wrong info—my mistake; here’s the correct link.
Responding to apologies
- No worries— thanks for fixing it.
- All good— appreciate the follow-up.
Contextual Examples (Natural, everyday)
- After help: Thanks again— couldn’t have done it without you.
- Small mistake: Sorry about the noise earlier—we’ll keep it down.
- Receiving praise: Thanks! I’ve been practising.
Collocations & Phrases (bold the key words)
- give a compliment
- accept graciously
- express gratitude
- acknowledge an error
- state a fix
- follow up promptly
Canadian Cultural Context (How to sound natural & polite)
- “Sorry” is common—use it to acknowledge impact, then solve the issue.
- Avoid heavy self-downplaying after a compliment; a simple “Thanks!” is perfect.
- Thank service staff with please/thanks and a smile.
Extra Mini-Patterns (plug-and-play)
- Compliment: “Great job pulling that together—super clear.”
- Thanks: “Really appreciate your help—thank you.”
- Apology: “Sorry about the confusion—I’ve corrected it and sent the update.”