“Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I've been swamped.”

English Lesson: Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I've been swamped.

A professional contact calls you. He left a voicemail message for you last week, but you forgot to call him because you were so busy. After saying hello, you apologize and explain why you haven't called him back.

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I've been swamped.

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(something) has been (adjective)

Use "has been___" or "have been ___" when you're describing a situation that started at some time in the past and is still continuing now:

Sales have been pretty good.

It's especially common to use "has been ___" with "this week", "today", "this year", or other phrases that indicate the current time period:

I've been worried about this all day.

get back to (someone)

To "get back to" someone means to respond. You can "get back to" someone who sent you an e-mail or left a telephone message.

You can also use "get back to ___" to talk about answering someone's question later:

Please get back to me by the end of the day.

(someone) is swamped

When someone is very busy at work, you can describe them as "swamped".

A: Hey, do you want to go out for lunch?

B: I can't today. I'm swamped.

The word "swamp" means a big pool of mud. So when you're "swamped" with work, it's like being stuck in a pool of mud that you can't get out of.

If someone is busy but not extremely busy, just use the word "busy" instead.

Sorry I (did something)

When you're sorry about something, use this phrase to explain what it is you're sorry about:

Sorry I didn't listen to you.

Sorry I was late.

This is the same as using "that":

I'm sorry that I was late.