Accept an apologY, but present apologiES?

[Tamara]

Hi

I always hear:

(to) accept an apology (singular)
(to) make/present (my) apologies (plural)

Hmm… Is there any deep reason for that?
Do you think I can create the next my-own-Rule-number-N?
Or not?
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Mister Micawber]

.
No; please accept my apologies works too-- it actually gets more Google hits:

202,000 English pages for "accept my apology"
418,000 English pages for "accept my apologies"
31,600 English pages for "accept an apology"
26,700 English pages for "accept apologies"

Your alternatives sound a little uncommon to me, especially 'present', which I don't recall hearing. However, Ms Google says:

345 English pages for "make my apology".
12,400 English pages for "make my apologies"
89,700 English pages for "make an apology"
51,900 English pages for "make apologies"

32 English pages for "present my apology"
205 English pages for "present my apologies.
216 English pages for "present an apology"
23,300 English pages for "present apologies"

A bit inconclusive, I think. Perhaps we should try the plural more thoroughly:

597,000 English pages for "accept our apologies"
192 English pages for "make our apologies"
180 English pages for "present our apologies"

Hmm. The only rule that appears to me is that accept collocates consistently more highly with apology/ies than the other verbs do.
.
_________________
Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Tamara]

Hi

Sorry, Mister Micawber, I tried to ask a right question but by a wrong way (‘unintelligibly’)

What I meant was that the plural form is (more often?) heard (by me, personally ) when smb.begs (smb.'s) pardon (= ask to accept his/her/their apologiES), whereas
a singular one – when smb. accept (all those offered apologiES) (=accepts AN apology ).
It’s strange for me, but I clearly hear that.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the statistics, it didn’t get in my head to ask Mr. Google for word-combinations.
Interesting!

(Actually "make my apology" and "present my apology" – what is usually said from the first person (when begging smb’s pardon) - are quite rare! )

Tamara
_________________
It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Yankee]

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Your question wasn't unintelligible, Tamara. This may just be another example of your getting lots of "local" input which may (or may not) be more generally valid. Every region within a country has a few of its own special language idiosyncrasies - no matter what country you're in.

But, both Ms AND Mr Google tend to provide good indications of what is most generally valid.

Amy

PS
I've never in my life "presented" an apology. Like MM, I'd never heard that collocation before. Have you heard "offer an apology"?

[Alan]

Hi Tamara,

You hear:

[Tamara]

Thank you, Alan. I've got the point.

Also, I understand that Mr. Google covers more 'written English' (even though many of us sometimes try to use 'spoken forms' when chatting informally).

Thanks, Amy, for your response.