When does ”I’m afraid” function as a reference to ”unfortunately?

I have had a friend write me “im afraid I’ll stay at home tonight” and i asked him what

did he mean and he said clearly.

How can anybody explain me to use this software? Can I say ”am afraid today ill be late..”?

Thank you for the review of the website! 🙂

Asked on February 27, 2021 in Meaning.
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1 Answer(s)

How can I soften your refusal? Presumably you had asked your friend to do something with you that evening; it would not have been very polite of them to say bluntly “I can’t – I’m staying at home.” Yes, you can say “I’m afraid I’ll be late today” (note the capital I and the apostrophes), meaning “I’m sorry that I have to tell you this, but…”

Answered on February 27, 2021.
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