Humanities & Social Sciences 3 (2016 9) 595-603 ~ ~ ~ УДК 81.33 The Problem of Identifying the Semantic Situation of Apology (Based on Modern British Literature) Anastasiya S. Dubovik* Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University named after V.P. Astafev 89 Lebedevoy Str., Krasnoyarsk, 660049, Russia Received 23.12.2015, received in revised form 10.01.2016, accepted 24.02.2016 As far as is known, speech means of apology are used in natural communication in many, if not all, linguocultures. <...> The formulas of apologies fulfi l an important social function that is the restoration of social balance and harmony between the participants of verbal interaction. <...> It is a well-known fact that communication formulas with the semantics of apology are most often used to express an apology itself. <...> However, due to their polysemous nature, they also express other meanings. <...> The use of formulas of apology in different linguocultures is extremely various. <...> They can be used for the implementation of many other communication purposes. <...> Keywords: modern British lingouculture, formulas of apology, semantic situation, semantic situation of apology, classifi cation of apologies. <...> Traditional linguistic analysis, which is focused on studying a single linguistic formula, usually does not take into account its nearest context environment, this formula in conditions and sociocultural specifi cs of use and, as a consequence, does not identify the real communicative value of environment. <...> Meanwhile, natural communicative linguistic formulas with the semantics of apology are widely used in English-speaking cultures to express the meanings which are not directly related to apology, such as regret, sympathy, condolence, outrage and others. <...> Moreover, another problem is the area of research on identifying and studying semantic situations with formulas of apologies or semantic situations of apology, as well as the translation of these formulas and situations into other languages taking into account the cultural specifi cities of the country of the target language. <...> The Problem of Identifying the Semantic Situation of Apology… This article analyzes the semantic situations of apology in British linguoculture based on the novel “Bridget Jones’s Diary» by the modern British author Helen Fielding. <...> Introduction Semantic and social-behavioral situations of “blame”, “apology”, “regret” and others that arise during verbal between people <...>