Using "to excuse," "to forgive," & "to pardon"

Excuse, forgive, & pardon can be followed by an object + the gerund or for + an object + the gerund (both common in spoken English). These three verbs can also be followed by a possessive adjective + the gerund, but this is more formal and less likely to be used in spoken English. These examples are marked with an asterisk (*). Excuse, forgive, & pardon can also be followed by nouns.

Examples
  • Excuse me interrupting.
  • Excuse me for interrupting.
  • *Excuse my interrupting.
  • Excuse the interruption.
  • I can't forgive him lying to me.
  • I can't forgive him for lying to me.
  • *I can't forgive his lying to me.
  • I can't forgive his lies.