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If て form is used alone what can it mean? from what I've found on my own it
can be a request similar to てください as well as a direct command, but are there
other ways to use it alone besides to link two verbs together? The reason I
ask this is I saw the phrase "おそくなって すみません". I know It says sorry I'm late due
to the fact that おそくなって is the て form of to be late but I'm confused as to why
the て form was used here.

Sorry if the answer is obvious here and thank you for any assistance
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T17:47:24.403
23919
2015-04-22T17:55:30.657
10247
question
verbs
Te form standing alone
In this case, the 〜て form is just acting as "and" to connect separate clauses.

>   * 昨日、買い物にいって、たこ焼きを食べて、[阪神]{はん・しん}タイガースの試合をみました。 → Yesterday I went
> shopping, (and) ate takoyaki, and watched the Tigers game.
>   * おそくなってすみません。 → I was late (and) I'm sorry.
>
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T17:55:30.657
23920
2015-04-22T17:55:30.657
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23919
answer