Asked by: Ismael Prosacco
Score: 4.9/5
(45 votes)
«But» is often used at the end of a sentence to say that something or someone is the antithesis of something else.
Can you end a sentence with anything but?
What does it mean by ‘anything but’ when it is put at the end of sentence, such as the following sentences? It means it was anything but that. And that refers back to the previous description in the sentence. You would not repeat the words — I am just putting them in to show which words are being referred to.
Is it grammatically correct to end a sentence with but?
It’s grammatical, common, not very formal. I think but in such a sentence is more of an adverb or interjection than a conjunction. But other people might argue that it’s a conjunction that’s been moved. It’s not English, to my ear at least.
Why do Aussies say but at the end of a sentence?
Contributor’s comments: «But» can be the second last word in a sentence, if you also use «eh». … Contributor’s comments: «But» at the end of a sentence is used in Sydney where it is the same as putting «but» at the beginning of a sentence. Thus «But I didn’t do it!» is the same as saying «I didn’t do it, but!»
What are you not supposed to end a sentence with?
1 In formal writing
It’s not an error to end a sentence with a preposition, but it is a little less formal. … But if you’re writing a research paper or submitting a business proposal and you want to sound very formal, avoid ending sentences with prepositions.
45 related questions found
Is it proper to end a sentence with at?
“There is nothing wrong with ending a sentence with a preposition like ‘to,’ ‘with,’ ‘for’ or ‘at,’” Merriam’s notes. … All credible language authorities agree: It’s not a grammar error to end a sentence with a preposition. It’s a shame more people don’t realize it.
Why do we use as?
We use as to introduce two events happening at the same time. After as with this meaning, we usually use a simple (rather than continuous) form of the verb: As the show increases in popularity, more and more tickets are sold daily. When you get older, moving house gets harder.
How do you say goodbye in Australian slang?
Hooroo = Goodbye
The Australian slang for goodbye is Hooroo and sometimes they even Cheerio like British people.
What do Aussies call their girlfriends?
Aussie Nicknames for Girlfriends and Wives
There are many terms of endearment that can be used for the woman in your life — sweetheart, angel, boo, love, bebé (the latter nicked from Spanish nicknames).
How do you say hello in Australian?
1. G’day. One of the first things you’ll hear when in Australia, is the classic “G’day, mate”, which is basically the same as saying, “good day”, or “hello”.
Can you end a sentence with us?
It’s perfectly standard in British English. Yes. I always write US (and UK), so the problem doesn’t arise but in theory if I were to write U.S. at the end of a sentence I definitely wouldn’t write U.S..
Is by a preposition word?
“By” is usually a preposition but sometimes acts as an adverb. It can be used in many ways, but today we will talk about four uses as a preposition and show you where it is placed in a sentence.
What is a dangling preposition?
A dangling preposition (also called a hanging preposition or stranded preposition) refers to a preposition whose object occurs earlier in the sentence, or else does not have an object in the sentence at all. It is left “dangling,” “hanging,” or “stranded” because it does not form a complete prepositional phrase.
Why do people end sentence with but?
«But» is often used at the end of a sentence to say that something or someone is the antithesis of something else.
What does anything but boring mean?
It means exactly what it says. Maybe it’s happy. Maybe it’s scary. Maybe it’s exciting. Maybe it’s horrible.
Where can I use anything but?
You use anything but in expressions such as anything but quiet and anything but attractive to emphasize that something is not the case. I will be anything but quiet on Saturday night!
How do you say sorry in Australian?
When you say “sorry” to an Australian, most likely you will hear, “You’re right.” This is their response, meaning “That is okay.” Goodbye for an Aussie could be, “See ya later,” “Take it easy,” or “Hoo roo.”
How do you say Girl in Australian slang?
It’s usually Sheila I believe — it’s just a girl’s name which, for some reason, has come to be used to denote all females there.
What is Australian slang for excellent?
Bottler : something excellent. Bottling : his blood’s worth: he’s an excellent, helpful bloke.
What is the most Australian word?
The 25 most common Australian slang words
- See ya this arvo — See you this afternoon.
- Being dacked – When someone pulls your pants down.
- Give a wedgie – When someone pulls your pants up your bum.
- Dunny — toilet, bathroom – D’ya know where the dunny is, mate?
Is it rude to say see ya?
They are both casual forms of saying goodbye. So depending on who your teacher is and what relationship you have with them you could say «See you,» or «see you later,» neither are rude. Unless, your teacher is a very strict and formal person I would avoid using those forms.
What is the difference between AS and because?
The difference between Because and As is that because introduces a reason for an action done and addresses the direct cause whereas as introduces also a reason but not necessarily the cause. Because it tells the reason why something happens and Because stands for a cause.
What is it called when you use like or as?
Simile (pronounced sim—uh-lee) is a literary term where you use “like” or “as” to compare two different things and show a common quality between them. A simile is different from a simple comparison in that it usually compares two unrelated things. For example, “She looks like you” is a comparison but not a simile.
What is using like or as?
A simile is a comparison of two things using the words «like» or «as.» For example: He was as big as a house. The party was like a funeral.
Pin
In English, conjunctions are a part of speech that connect words and group words/clauses together. For example: “My phone got wet but it still works.”
The word but is coordinating conjunction and one of the most commonly used conjunctions in the English language. Here are 75 example sentences with but conjunction.
Read also: Types of Conjunctions with Examples
- I walked to the beach but it was foggy, so I didn’t swim.
- I bought her flowers but she forgot to come to work.
- I took her out for dinner, but she didn’t eat it.
- She listened to me, but she didn’t understand it.
- I stayed at home but my wife went to the party.
- We went out for dinner, but the kids were noisy so we came home early.
- A new article came out slamming the popular diet program, but I believe it is more of a writing style choice.
- I was looking forward to it all day long, but when I got home my wife told me we could not go to dinner after all.
- He did not want to try it at first but after seeing everyone eat he had to give in.
- The beginning of the movie is slow but then picks up speed after that.
- The weather was nice but hot.
- The bear attacked us but we ran away.
- I think you should do something but I’m not sure what exactly.
- That was the best game I saw yesterday but it wasn’t very good.
- He said he couldn’t come but my mother told me he just wanted to stay home and watch tv all day.
- It’s a good hotel but my room is too small!
- I wanted to go out but I was too tired.
- I have been studying Chinese for months but still have problems with pronunciation.
- We can help you with your resume but we charge a fee for this service.
- I like dancing, singing and playing the piano but not at the same time.
- You can do it by yourself but it will be difficult and messy to clean up later.
- Life is hard but love is harder.
- We are busy but happy.
- He was old but he was also really sweet.
- The defendant was charged with assault and his lawyer claimed he acted in self defence but he was found guilty.
- ECT is dangerous but the side effects can be worse than the disease.
- In this case I don’t think that it is acceptable that a man without a criminal record isn’t allowed to work as a taxi driver because of this but I think that the law needs to be changed to make it more logical.
- I’ve been here a lot in the past but this time felt really uncomfortable.
- My sister is a doctor but she will never leave her little girl.
- Play it safe, but be as creative as you like as well!
- You can find clothes at great prices but they don’t always look good with other things in your wardrobe.
- Some people like to go on holiday and never come back, but you need to carry on working and paying the bills and everything else.
- Studies suggest that students who study more tend to get better grades, but this does not imply that those who study more will also get better grades.
- You can’t be fearless, but it is good to be brave, which is the opposite of being scared.
- He has a big mouth, but everything he says cannot be true.
- It was better than I thought but I was still disappointed.
- They are good at marketing but not good at production.
- What you see isn’t always what you get but it can be!
- Never try to look for perfection in others, because you will find flaws in everyone but yourself.
- I love my new dress but it’s too expensive.
- I don’t think he likes me, but I will talk with him.
- He is a good boy but he is lazy.
- The book is good but I don’t like the end.
- I like football, but not basketball.
- She was enjoying her meal, but it took too long to arrive.
- I didn’t buy it, but will look for it online.
- You can go home now, but you must be back by midnight.
- She is poor but she is happy.
- He looks smart but he is really bad.
- Tom loves his country but he doesn’t like politics.
- The train was early but I could not catch it.
- They didn’t like it but they bought it anyway.
- She worked hard for the exam but she failed anyway.
- I liked that restaurant, but it was crowded.
- I didn’t like that restaurant, but I did like the desserts.
- I’m not hungry, but he is very hungry .
- I didn’t go to the movies last night, but John did.
- You can go to school today, but you have to work hard.
- She didn’t want to go out tonight, but she doesn’t need to get up early tomorrow.
- The dress was expensive but it had to be replaced.
- The computer is cheap but good value for money.
- It was cheap but it had to be replaced at once.
- The shoes are comfortable but they need new heels.
- I like the furniture but I am not sure if I should keep them.
- The printer is complicated but so efficient.
- The students are studying hard but they are not doing well.
- Jonathan is smart but shy.
- I went with Lee but he didn’t come with me.
- I will go with him but where will you go?
- I am happy because my family came on time, but my friend is late.
- Some university students but not all like to socialize with other students.
- Jeremy Clarkson is married but not happy.
- All of our staff are paid fairly but it’s still difficult to survive on your wage.
- Mark Zuckerberg is an American billionaire but was raised in White Plains, New York.
- The average person should eat meat but I am a vegetarian.
Pin
Read also
- Conjunction Sentences (50 Examples)
- Sentences with Although Conjunction (87 Examples)
- No Sooner Than Sentences (31 Examples)
- Examples with Neither Nor (50 Sentences)
- Sentences With Semicolons (;) 50 Examples
- Sentences with Either – or
- 50 Example Sentences with However
- Do Does Did Sentences (50 Examples)
- Has Have Had use in sentences | 50 Examples
- Was Were Sentences | 50 Examples
- There is – There are Sentences | 50 Examples
- Is am are sentences in English (50 Examples)
-
#1
One of the uses of ‘but’ is its occurrence as a qualifying adverb at the end of the sentence…For example:
1.That was a lovely cat, but.(=that was a truly lovely cat.)
2.’She’s lovely’.’Isn’t she but’, said Jimmy.
3.’I like your cafe’, I said truthfully, for something to say. ‘I am not staying but’. she said.
I want some explanation about the use of ‘but’ in this way and the meaning of ‘but’ in these case…
-
#2
Where did you see this? They are incorrect as far as I know..
-
#3
I would never use «but» at the end of a formal sentece. It’s a coordinatung conjunction, so it’s always meant to connect two thoughts.
-
#4
Where did you see this? They are incorrect as far as I know..
From the book of Modern English Usage by Fowler.
-
#5
I’m curious what the publication year of that book is.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a native English speaker who would ever say any of those three sentences or use «but» in that way. It’s just not common usage.
If I saw that in any of the documents I was editing for work, I would remove it and recast the sentence.
-
#6
But the book says it is somewhat natural in Australian English, Irish English and in some parts of South Africa, or may be in other part of the English speaking nations…
-
#7
Oh, I’m sorry. I should have clarified my post by saying that you’d be hard-pressed to find a native American English speaking-person say this. I can’t speak for Austrailian or Irish English. Their usage could certainly be different.
-
#8
I will hold off then, as I am neither from Australia, Ireland, nor South Africa..
However, I have heard a lot of English from the above places, but never «but» at the end of a sentence.
-
#9
Informally (and usually spoken) one might find «but» tacked on at the end of a sentence implying that there is more being unsaid — and that it is rather opposite of what is already said. Sort of a verbal elipsis.
«That was a lovely cat, but …. (I am horribly allergic and shall now go blow my nose for the next hour.)»
-
#10
One of the uses of ‘but’ is its occurrence as a qualifying adverb at the end of the sentence…For example:
1.That was a lovely cat, but.(=that was a truly lovely cat.)
2.’She’s lovely’.’Isn’t she but’, said Jimmy.
3.’I like your cafe’, I said truthfully, for something to say. ‘I am not staying but’. she said.I want some explanation about the use of ‘but’ in this way and the meaning of ‘but’ in these case…
In the first sentence, even in the New World, the «but» is a qualification — the can was lovely, but had some unlovely characteristic(s) that the speaker doesn’t want to enumerate. Or it’s a qualification about the speaker’s feelings.
That was a lovely cat, but she scratched up all the furniture.
That was a lovely cat, but I’m glad she’s gone.In your second example, in American, the «but» is for emphasis:
— She’s lovely!
— Isn’t she but! = Isn’t she just! = Isn’t she really lovely!
-
#11
Informally (and usually spoken) one might find «but» tacked on at the end of a sentence implying that there is more being unsaid — and that it is rather opposite of what is already said. Sort of a verbal elipsis.
«That was a lovely cat, but …. (I am horribly allergic and shall now go blow my nose for the next hour.)»
But the usage of ‘but’ in this case is clearly not like that…
-
#12
Informally (and usually spoken) one might find «but» tacked on at the end of a sentence implying that there is more being unsaid — and that it is rather opposite of what is already said. Sort of a verbal elipsis.
«That was a lovely cat, but …. (I am horribly allergic and shall now go blow my nose for the next hour.)»
Yes, in that case it is used as a coordinating conjunction, and it’s coordinating between the first clause and a clause that is intentionally left out. I understand that usage completely, but the one in the original post seems off.
-
#13
In the first sentence, even in the New World, the «but» is a qualification — the can was lovely, but had some unlovely characteristic(s) that the speaker doesn’t want to enumerate. Or it’s a qualification about the speaker’s feelings.
That was a lovely cat, but she scratched up all the furniture.
That was a lovely cat, but I’m glad she’s gone.In your second example, in American, the «but» is for emphasis:— She’s lovely!
— Isn’t she but! = Isn’t she just! = Isn’t she really lovely!
I got your point, but how is this in the following sentence:
‘I like your cafe’, I said truthfully, for something to say. ‘I am not staying but’. she said.
-
#14
In American English, you can use the word «though» in all of your example sentences and it would sound so much better. Maybe in other English speaking countries they use the word «but» to mean «though» ??? I agree with Aidanriley that you would rarely if ever hear an American say «but» at the end of a sentence unless it was some teenager slang or something like that.
-
#15
I know teenager slang, it’s not
I take this: ‘I am not staying but’ to mean
«…; however, I am unable to stay», otherwise it sounds rude to me. Thoughts?
-
#16
I am way past teenager age so I had no idea. (Although, I have teenage daughters and they have never used that grammar either.) I think «I am not staying but» means, «I’m not staying though». Since I’ve never heard «but» at the end of sentences, it is only a guess.
-
#17
I don’t think there’ll be a conclusion, since we can’t really find one that fits all three. My conclusion is that you shouldn’t use that form
-
#18
I am way past teenager age so I had no idea. (Although, I have teenage daughters and they have never used that grammar either.) I think «I am not staying but» means, «I’m not staying though». Since I’ve never heard «but» at the end of sentences, it is only a guess.
That’s what it sounds like to me too, but …..
-
#19
The second two make sense as «though», but the first one?
1.That was a lovely cat, but.(=that was a truly lovely cat.)
That was a lovely cat, though. Though what?
-
#20
That’s what I am pointing out, this can not be replaced by ‘though’…
-
#21
The second two make sense as «though», but the first one?
1.That was a lovely cat, but.(=that was a truly lovely cat.)
That was a lovely cat, though. Though what?
In the first example, with the cat, the meaning is a bit different. The but indicates that there is a qualification or condition that is left unspoken, as in «that was a lovely cat, but she scratched my furniture.»
-
#22
Looks like the entire population of the British Isles is having a day off from the forum today … except me
Adam: I do hear but used in this way from time to time in the UK. I may even use it myself occasionally … yes, I think I do.
Which edition of Fowler did you see this in?
I wouldn’t call it a
common
usage by any means, but it happens.
-
#23
Looks like the entire population of the British Isles is having a day off from the forum today … except me
Adam: I do hear but used in this way from time to time in the UK. I may even use it myself occasionally … yes, I think I do.
Which edition of Fowler did you see this in?
I wouldn’t call it acommon
usage by any means, but it happens.
My salvation. So, what does it mean?
-
#24
Looks like the entire population of the British Isles is having a day off from the forum today … except me
Adam: I do hear but used in this way from time to time in the UK. I may even use it myself occasionally … yes, I think I do.
Which edition of Fowler did you see this in?
I wouldn’t call it acommon
usage by any means, but it happens.
It is revised third edition by Burchfield…
-
#25
Well, it means pretty much what Adam wrote in his first post:
1.That was a lovely cat, but.(=that was a truly lovely cat.)
2.’She’s lovely’.’Isn’t she but’, said Jimmy.
3.’I like your cafe’, I said truthfully, for something to say. ‘I am not staying but’, she said
As someone said before, the buts in (1) and (2) are slightly different in that they emphasize what goes before rather than (erm….) ‘contradicting’ it. As someone also said the but in (3) is pretty much equivalent to though.
EDIT: Ooh! here’s an article about it (which I’m too lazy to read), but here’s a quote from it:
English sentence-final but (reported for Scottish, Australian, and New Zealand English in the sci.lang discussion in November 2006) apparently arose in several different ways, to judge from the uses reported for it. For Scottish, Sylvie Hancil (posting as «sylh») identified the following uses:
contrastive meaning (‘though’)
intensive meaning (‘really’)
in most of the cases, a particle used for interactive reasons to show the other speaker he/she can speak.
Last edited: Nov 15, 2009
-
#26
If it is recorded speech, then take it as described in previous posts. If it is not recorded speech, then in it wrong, incorrect, unidiomatic, etc. in American English, even if the writer is trying to explain cricket test matches. Other Englishes may have other views on this.
-
#27
The conclusion is that it exists … but not in the USA.
-
#28
The conclusion is that it exists … but not in the USA.
Not quite! You will find this usage in the US:
«Her boyfriend is cute, but …..»
(……. he’s married.)
«I’d really like to come, but …..»
(I’m very tired.)
-
#29
Yes but that’s a different kettle of fish, Bella.
Her boyfriend is cute but. = Wow! her boyfriend is cute!
-
#30
Yes but that’s a different kettle of fish, Bella.
Her boyfriend is cute but. = Wow! her boyfriend is cute!
If you want to talk about fish, we’ll have to start a new thread!
-
#31
Kettle of fish!? Oh gosh, hahaha. I need a book of British idioms, I can’t stop laughing. (That’s a compliment, not a criticism)
Her boyfriend is cute but.
If someone said that here, I’d think they meant he has a cute butt.
-
#32
The conclusion is that it exists … but not in the USA.
I just came across this usage of «but» in an American novel. It’s a teenager from the East Coast who uses it. Looking for an explanation got me here, and I thought I should add to the thread that it does exist in the USA too. No idea as to how commonly, though:
«Whoever did it really hates you», he said in a voice like he was very sorry to tell me the bad news, but.
I don’t know if it is for emphasis or it should be «though», though.
-
#33
I’ve just come across this thread and am surprised nobody pointed out that this usage is actually quite common in informal speech in Glasgow. You simply put the «but» at the end of the sentence instead of the beginning — not unlike the way «though» is used in other parts of the UK.
So: «I’d like to go, but I can’t afford it.» becomes «I’d like to go. I can’t afford it, but.»
And if it’s okay with «though», why not with «but»?
-
#34
Hi,
I am currently writing a thesis on ‘but’ as a final discourse particle, which I came across during my stay as an assistent teacher of German in Glasgow. I found this discussion while doing research, and I would love to use some of the examples given in this thread for my paper. Would it be ok for you if I quoted some of them?
Thank you
Carolin
-
#35
I recall hearing this type of construction in some old television series set in the North of England (either Tyneside or Yorkshire, as I recall). I don’t hear it round here (Derby) and I’ve certainly never heard it anywhere to the south of here.
-
#36
Hi,
I am currently writing a thesis on ‘but’ as a final discourse particle, which I came across during my stay as an assistent teacher of German in Glasgow. I found this discussion while doing research, and I would love to use some of the examples given in this thread for my paper. Would it be ok for you if I quoted some of them?
Thank you
Carolin
Hi Carolin — welcome to the forums!
I think that in an academic paper you might be better off using examples from printed sources…. The article which ewie linked to in post 25 would be a useful source. You might also find some good examples searching in google books on «it isn’t, but» or «(s)he isn’t, but»: I’ll see if I can find some.
-
#37
Hi Carolin — welcome to the forums!
Thank you!
And thank you for your concern
I AM using corpora (SCOTS) and dictionaries, and I already have loads of substantial material
but some parts of the discussion would fit perfectly well for my introduction, since the thread shows that the use of «but» in final position is restricted to some varieties of English and causes problems for some speakers… I wouldn’t include any names, of course!
-
#38
I thought this was going to be a short thread. It turned out to be anything but.
-
#39
Hi,
I am currently writing a thesis on ‘but’ as a final discourse particle, which I came across during my stay as an assistent teacher of German in Glasgow. I found this discussion while doing research, and I would love to use some of the examples given in this thread for my paper. Would it be ok for you if I quoted some of them?
Thank you
Carolin
If it’s here, you can quote it — it was kind of you to ask.
-
#40
I thought this was going to be a short thread. It turned out to be anything but.
Brilliant.
Hello Carolin! As a 17 year-old American teenager living in the United states, we find nothing incorrect about using but to end our sentences.
But can be used to portray numerous emotions in our conversations, it’s not really the word it’s self, but what ‘but’ stands for in those situations.
-
#41
«But» is often used at the end of a sentence to say that something or someone is the antithesis of something else.
Speaker #1: That girl is so mean!!
Speaker #2: No, she’s everything but! (she’s completely opposite of mean)
Speaker #1: That guy seems nice.
Speaker #2: Are you kidding? He’s anything but. (He’s completely opposite of nice)
In both cases, the adjective has been omitted, but it is understood.
-
#42
«But» is often used at the end of a sentence to say that something or someone is the antithesis of something else.
Yes — but that is not the usage of «but» at issue in this thread — which is «but» at the end of a sentence meaning «though», «just» or «really».
-
#43
Yes — but that is not the usage of «but» at issue in this thread — which is «but» at the end of a sentence meaning «though», «just» or «really»
.
Oops. My bad.
-
#44
thanks, that’s great
-
#45
Hi all, I know this is an old thread but as an English speaking Australian I think I can clear up a lot of the confusion over the usage of the word but at the end of a sentence.
I did not realise my usage of the word but in this way caused confusion outside of Australia until I entered into my relationship with my wife who when we met did not speak English at all and I did not speak her language of Spanish.
I would regularly use the word but at the end of a sentence and she would always answer with “but what?”
In this she was making the same assumption that most of you are making in this thread which is that by putting but at the end of a sentence we are leaving a qualification or statement unsaid.
This is not the case, we are simply repositioning the location of the word but from the beginning of the statement to the end of the statement without changing the meaning of the sentence.
This is most easily recognisable in example 3.
It is a lovely cafe, I’m not staying but.
The standard English way of saying this sentence is…
It is a lovely cafe, but I am not staying.
Example 1 could be said to be either the use of the but in lieu of though or the reordering of the words also as in..
But it is a lovely cat.
And example 2 is the use of but instead of though.
The movement of the word but to the end of a sentence is not to change the meaning (I.e. to turn it into an opposing statement as some suggest) it is just an Australian linguistic anomaly which is very common here.
I hope this clears this up for anyone still interested in this thread
Cheers
-
#46
Hello everyone, I’m reading this in 2022. I love reasoned discourse over English usage. I have no experience with hearing ‘but’ used at the end of a sentence but enough people have interpreted it to mean an emphasis on what preceded it, rather than a negation, it intrigues me. I wonder if my comment here might not be helpful:
Might not it have something to do with how I voice it? In my imagination, I could say “this is a lovely cat, but” in more than one way. My tone of voice, emphasis, and how I say the word ‘but’ (stretch it out, curtly shorten it…) change its meaning!
-
#47
Might not it have something to do with how I voice it?
Certainly. Spoken English depends a great deal on intonation, and both spoken and written English depends a great deal on context. The OP gives very little context, so each person replying on here has to guess at the context. Different people might imagine different situations and so come up with different meanings.
For me, the obvious interpretation of (1) «That was a lovely cat, but» is that it was actually a horrible cat in every respect apart from its loveliness, using «but» at the end of a sentence to imply a stronger negative than the positive that has just been mentioned. However, the OP tells us that the meaning is that it was a truly lovely cat, which I cannot visualise at all.
(2) is a use I recognise, using «but» to emphasise agreement:
A: She’s lovely.
B: Isn’t she but.
This is clearly a regional usage but I would not like to say what region it was from. It sounds entirely natural to me, which suggests southern England, which is where I am from.
(3) includes some context: ‘I like your cafe’, I said truthfully, for something to say. ‘I am not staying but’. she said. However I cannot make sense of it at all. Are there two speakers? Does «She said» belong with what follows and not have anything to do with the two spoken lines? There is clearly a mistake, because the full stop after «but» is followed by «she» in lower case, but what the mistake is, I could not say. Neither:
Me: I like your cafe.
She: I am not staying but.
nor
Me: I like your cafe. I am not staying but.
fit into any pattern of speech or dialect that I am familiar with. The second could be interpreted as «but» meaning «nevertheless» or something like that, but it is not a use I recognise.
Sentences with the word But?
But
Examples
- «he has the one but will need a two and three to go with it»; «they had lunch at one»
- «her feelings of affection are dormant but easily awakened»
- «the job is (just) about done»; «the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded»; «we’re almost finished»; «the car all but ran her down»; «he nearly fainted»; «talked for nigh onto 2 hours»; «the recording is well-nigh perfect»; «virtually all the parties signed the contract»; «I was near exhausted by the run»; «most everyone agrees»
- «an absent stare»; «an absentminded professor»; «the scatty glancing quality of a hyperactive but unfocused intelligence»
- «not totally abstinent but abstemious»
- «the absurd predicament of seeming to argue that virtue is highly desirable but intensely unpleasant»- Walter Lippman
- «don’t do it on my account»; «the paper was rejected on account of its length»; «he tried to blame the victim but his success on that score was doubtful»
- «she must have seen him but she gave no sign of acknowledgment»; «the preface contained an acknowledgment of those who had helped her»
- «You should act like an adult»; «Don’t behave like a fool»; «What makes her do this way?»; «The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people»
- «Gielgud played Hamlet»; «She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role»; «She played the servant to her husband’s master»
- «the action is no longer in technology stocks but in municipal bonds»; «gawkers always try to get as close to the action as possible»
- «you may actually be doing the right thing by walking out»; «she actually spoke Latin»; «they thought they made the rules but in reality they were only puppets»; «people who seem stand-offish are in reality often simply nervous»
- «to be nominally but not actually independent»; «no one actually saw the shark»; «large meteorites actually come from the asteroid belt»
- «adept in handicrafts»; «an adept juggler»; «an expert job»; «a good mechanic»; «a practiced marksman»; «a proficient engineer»; «a lesser-known but no less skillful composer»; «the effect was achieved by skillful retouching»
- «He alluded to the problem but did not mention it»
- «an affluent banker»; «a speculator flush with cash»; «not merely rich but loaded»; «moneyed aristocrats»; «wealthy corporations»; «a substantial family»
- «he apologized subsequently»; «he’s going to the store but he’ll be back here later»; «it didn’t happen until afterward»; «two hours after that»
- «an all-right movie»; «the passengers were shaken up but are all right»; «is everything all right?»; «everything’s fine»; «things are okay»; «dinner and the movies had been fine»; «another minute I’d have been fine»
- «a very amateurish job»; «inexpert but conscientious efforts»; «an unskilled painting»
- «an amazed audience gave the magician a standing ovation»; «I stood enthralled, astonished by the vastness and majesty of the cathedral»; «astounded viewers wept at the pictures from the Oklahoma City bombing»; «stood in stunned silence»; «stunned scientists found not one but at least three viruses»
- «Leonardo studied the human body»; «he has a strong physique»; «the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak»
- «Anyhow, he is dead now»; «I think they’re asleep; anyhow, they’re quiet»; «I don’t know what happened to it; anyway, it’s gone»; «anyway, there is another factor to consider»; «I don’t know how it started; in any case, there was a brief scuffle»; «in any event, the government faced a serious protest»; «but at any rate he got a knighthood for it»
- «the answer is obviously wrong»; «she was in bed and evidently in great pain»; «he was manifestly too important to leave off the guest list»; «it is all patently nonsense»; «she has apparently been living here for some time»; «I thought he owned the property, but apparently not»; «You are plainly wrong»; «he is plain stubborn»
- «irrigation often produces bumper crops from apparently desert land»; «the child is seemingly healthy but the doctor is concerned»; «had been ostensibly frank as to his purpose while really concealing it»-Thomas Hardy; «on the face of it the problem seems minor»
- «He was found guilty but appealed immediately»
- «with heads close together»; «approximate leaves grow together but are not united»
- «an argumentative discourse»; «argumentative to the point of being cantankerous»; «an intelligent but argumentative child»
- «a technically perfect but arid performance of the sonata»; «a desiccate romance»; «a prissy and emotionless creature…settles into a mold of desiccated snobbery»-C.J.Rolo
- «their military is the largest in the region»; «the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker»
- «he changed the arrangement of the topics»; «the facts were familiar but it was in the organization of them that he was original»; «he tried to understand their system of classification»
- «did not quite turn all the way back but looked askance at me with her dark eyes»
- «a tiny but assured income»; «we can never have completely assured lives»
- «the baby began to cry again»; «she held the baby in her arms»; «it sounds simple, but when you have your own baby it is all so different»
- «He tried to balloon around the earth but storms forced him to land in China»
- «the association should get rid of its elderly members—not by euthanasia, of course, but by Coventry»
- «most churches baptize infants but some insist on adult baptism»
- «it was an excellent kick but the ball hit the bar»
- «the architecture was a kind of bastard suggesting Gothic but not true Gothic»
- «I had known her before»; «as I said before»; «he called me the day before but your call had come even earlier»; «her parents had died four years earlier»; «I mentioned that problem earlier»
- «a fine-looking woman»; «a good-looking man»; «better-looking than her sister»; «very pretty but not so extraordinarily handsome»- Thackeray; «our southern women are well-favored»- Lillian Hellman
- «through the valley and beyond»; «to the eighth grade but not beyond»; «will be influential in the 1990s and beyond»
- «agreed to provide essentials but nothing beyond»
- «I knew his name perfectly well but I had a temporary block»
- «puritanic distaste for alcohol»; «she was anything but puritanical in her behavior»; «blue laws»
- «a bluff but pleasant manner»; «a bluff and rugged natural leader»
- «the second baseman made a bobble but still had time to throw the runner out»
- «She studied hard but failed nevertheless»; «Did I fail the test?»
- «a boring evening with uninteresting people»; «the deadening effect of some routine tasks»; «a dull play»; «his competent but dull performance»; «a ho-hum speaker who couldn’t capture their attention»; «what an irksome task the writing of long letters is»- Edmund Burke; «tedious days on the train»; «the tiresome chirping of a cricket»- Mark Twain; «other people’s dreams are dreadfully wearisome»
- «Sorry to trouble you, but…»
- «The rubber ball bounced»; «These particles do not resile but they unite after they collide»
- «he’s got plenty of brains but no common sense»
- «Mozart was a child genius»; «he’s smart but he’s no Einstein»
- «Familiarity with danger makes a brave man braver but less daring»- Herman Melville; «a frank courageous heart…triumphed over pain»- William Wordsworth; «set a courageous example by leading them safely into and out of enemy-held territory»
- «The bar keeper threw them out, but they continued to wrangle on down the street»
- «They breasted the mountain»; «Many mountaineers go up Mt. Everest but not all summit»
- «The treatment cured the boy’s acne»; «The quack pretended to heal patients but never managed to»
- «He provides for his large family by working three jobs»; «Women nowadays not only take care of the household but also bring home the bacon»
- «Byron lives on not only in his poetry, but also in his creation of the `Byronic hero’ — the persona of a brooding melancholy young man»
- «his proposal was nothing but a house of cards»; «a real estate bubble»
- «build a defense on nothing but the accused person’s reputation»
- «he swung late on the fastball»; «he showed batters nothing but smoke»
- «I was merely asking»; «it is simply a matter of time»; «just a scratch»; «he was only a child»; «hopes that last but a moment»
- «she reported several anonymous calls»; «he placed a phone call to London»; «he heard the phone ringing but didn’t want to take the call»
- «she cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle»; «I yelled to her from the window but she couldn’t hear me»
- «I am busy right now—can you call back in an hour?»; «She left a message but the contractor never called back»
- «looking careworn as she bent over her mending»; «her face was drawn and haggard from sleeplessness»; «that raddled but still noble face»; «shocked to see the worn look of his handsome young face»- Charles Dickens
- «She lost the game but carried the match»
- «`I know it’s hard’, he continued, `but there is no choice'»; «carry on—pretend we are not in the room»
- «it was a case of bad judgment»; «another instance occurred yesterday»; «but there is always the famous example of the Smiths»
- «it sounds good but what’s the catch?»
- «She didn’t know what her classmates were plotting but finally caught on»
- «he used sarcasm to upset his opponent»; «irony is wasted on the stupid»; «Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own»—Jonathan Swift
- «injunction were formerly obtained by writ but now by a judicial order»
- «he was certain to fail»; «his fate is certain»; «In this life nothing is certain but death and taxes»- Benjamin Franklin; «he faced certain death»; «sudden but sure regret»; «he is sure to win»
- «it’s all over but the shouting»
- «a female form in marble—a chilly but ideal medium for depicting abstract virtues»-C.W.Cunningham
- «his Utopia is not as chimeric commonwealth but a practical improvement on what already exists»- Douglas Bush
- «his Utopia is not a chimerical commonwealth but a practical improvement on what already exists»- Douglas Bush
- «The team should have won hands down but choked, disappointing the coach and the audience»
- «a scenic but devious route»; «a long and circuitous journey by train and boat»; «a roundabout route avoided rush-hour traffic»
- «the lead climber looked strong still but his partner often slumped in his ropes»
- «he had coarse manners but a first-rate mind»; «behavior that branded him as common»; «an untutored and uncouth human being»; «an uncouth soldier—a real tough guy»; «appealing to the vulgar taste for violence»; «the vulgar display of the newly rich»
- «a very getatable man»; «both oil and coal are there but not in getatable locations»
- «Please state your case as succinctly as possible»; «he wrote compactly but clearly»
- «there was a brief period of conciliation but the fighting soon resumed»
- «he deserved nothing but condemnation»
- «there have been plenty of general declarations about willingness to meet and talk, but conspicuously no mention of time and place»
- «Englishmen like to visit the Continent but they wouldn’t like to live there»
- «we thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true»
- «disjunctive conjunctions like `but‘, `or’, or `though’ serve a contrastive function»
- «like a wild young colt, very inquisitive but very coy and not to be easily cajoled»
- «the gimmick would convince none but the most credulous»
- «spoken with a straight face but crossed fingers»; «crossed forks»; «seated with arms crossed»
- «the curved tusks of a walrus»; «his curved lips suggested a smile but his eyes were hard»
- «children are customarily expected to be seen but not heard»
- «She dabbles in astronomy»; «He plays around with investments but he never makes any money»
- «he saw the rewards but not the risks of crime»; «there was a danger he would do the wrong thing»
- «She wrote the letter on Monday but she dated it Saturday so as not to reveal that she procrastinated»
- «everyone was aware of the approaching doom but was helpless to avoid it»; «that’s unfortunate but it isn’t the end of the world»
- «adopted a degage pose on the arm of the easy chair»- J.S.Perelman; «she may be detached or even unfeeling but at least she’s not hypocritically effusive»; «an uninvolved bystander»
- «cooking was fine but it was the savoring that he enjoyed most»
- «is dejected but trying to look cheerful»
- «the socialists are further handicapped if they believe that capitalists are not only wicked but also devilishly clever»
- «the buyout negotiation lasted several days»; «they disagreed but kept an open dialogue»; «talks between Israelis and Palestinians»
- «advertising that strives continually to be different»; «this new music is certainly different but I don’t really like it»
- «the action was not offensive to him but proved somewhat disobliging»
- «plants of several distinct types»; «the word `nationalism’ is used in at least two distinct senses»; «gold is distinct from iron»; «a tree related to but quite distinct from the European beech»; «management had interests quite distinct from those of their employees»
- «Originally distress was a landlord’s remedy against a tenant for unpaid rents or property damage but now the landlord is given a landlord’s lien»
- «it was a good drive but the ball ended up in a divot»
- «his evasion of his clear duty was reprehensible»; «that escape from the consequences is possible but unattractive»
- «dogged persistence»; «dour determination»; «the most vocal and pertinacious of all the critics»; «a mind not gifted to discover truth but tenacious to hold it»- T.S.Eliot; «men tenacious of opinion»
- «a dowdy grey outfit»; «a clean and sunny but completely dowdy room»
- «but in so many other areas we still are dragging»
- «he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway»
- «the play was dramatically interesting, but the direction was bad»
- «not openly liberal but that is the trend of the book»; «a broad movement of the electorate to the right»
- «ancient Greek had the dual form but it has merged with the plural form in modern Greek»
- «they admitted the force of my argument but remained dubious»
- «I thought she had just been in a bad mood for thirty years, but the doctor called it dysthymia»
- «it was not the typing but the earphones that she disliked»
- «his contention contains more than an echo of Rousseau»; «Napoleon III was an echo of the mighty Emperor but an infinitely better man»
- «the first seven councils through 787 are considered to be ecumenical councils by both the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church but the next fourteen councils are considered ecumenical only by the Roman Catholic church»
- «The other children egged the boy on, but he did not want to throw the stone through the window»
- «he isn’t stupid, but he isn’t exactly a genius either»; «I don’t know either»; «if you don’t order dessert I won’t either»
- «the ephemeral joys of childhood»; «a passing fancy»; «youth’s transient beauty»; «love is transitory but it is eternal»; «fugacious blossoms»
- «erratic winds are the bane of a sailor»; «a temperamental motor; sometimes it would start and sometimes it wouldn’t»; «that beautiful but temperamental instrument the flute»- Osbert Lancaster
- «her husband seemed to know many of the people who were named, but he replied evasively when asked who they were»
- «after going out of his way to help his friend get the job he felt not appreciated but used»
- «expressions of good will»; «he helped me find verbal expression for my ideas»; «the idea was immediate but the verbalism took hours»
- «it was a mere glance, but the eye contact was enough to tell her that he was desperate to leave»
- «the British call Z zed and the Scots call it ezed but Americans call it zee»; «he doesn’t know A from izzard»
- «too facile a solution for so complex a problem»; «it was a neat plan, but bound to fail»; «a slick advertising campaign»
- «he lost his faith but not his morality»
- «one of them was safe but they were unable to save the faller»; «a faller among thieves»
- «the message was addressed not just to employees but to every member of the company family»; «the church welcomed new members into its fellowship»
- «a little less posh but every bit as stylish as Lord Peter Wimsey»; «the stylish resort of Gstadd»
- «he lost the mate to his shoe»; «one eye was blue but its fellow was brown»
- «in the middle ages feria was used with a prefixed ordinal number to designate the day of the week, so `secunda feria’ meant Monday, but Sunday and Saturday were always called by their names, Dominicus and Sabbatum, and so feria came to mean an ordinary weekday»
- «a fiddling sum of money»; «a footling gesture»; «our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war»; «a little (or small) matter»; «a dispute over niggling details»; «limited to petty enterprises»; «piffling efforts»; «giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction»
- «These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation»; «His movie received a good review»; «I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions»
- «he had his flaws, but he was great nonetheless»
- «The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing»
- «the composition presents problems for students of musical form»; «a visual pattern must include not only objects but the spaces between them»
- «Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the former is remembered today»
- «belief in a world filled with…formless but often malevolent beings»
- «the frame enhances but is not itself the subject of attention»; «the frame was much more valuable than the miror it held»
- «God’s grace is manifested in the salvation of sinners»; «there but for the grace of God go I»
- «the function of an auger is to bore holes»; «ballet is beautiful but what use is it?»
- «the toaster was still functional even after being dropped»; «the lawnmower is a bit rusty but still usable»; «an operational aircraft»; «the dishwasher is now in working order»
- «when hearts were young and gay»; «a poet could not but be gay, in such a jocund company»- Wordsworth; «the jolly crowd at the reunion»; «jolly old Saint Nick»; «a jovial old gentleman»; «have a merry Christmas»; «peals of merry laughter»; «a mirthful laugh»
- «he discussed the general but neglected the particular»
- «a dry climate kind to asthmatics»; «the genial sunshine»; «hot summer pavements are anything but kind to the feet»
- «the city was called Stabroek by the Dutch but was renamed Georgetown by the British in 1812″
- «the gilded and perfumed but inwardly rotten nobility»; «meretricious praise»; «a meretricious argument»
- «global war»; «global monetary policy»; «neither national nor continental but planetary»; «a world crisis»; «of worldwide significance»
- «in the Book of Ezekiel Gog is a ruler from the land of Magog but in the Book of Revelation Gog and Magog are nations under the rule of Satan»
- «The payment had originally been due on April 1 but we had a grace period which expired in June.»
- «the resolute but unbroken Germany, grievously wounded but far from destruction, was able to lay the firm foundations for military revival»
- «he grabbed the hammer by the handle»; «it was an old briefcase but it still had a good grip»
- «gruff voices»; «the dog’s gruff barking»; «hoarse cries»; «makes all the instruments sound powerful but husky»- Virgil Thomson
- «I’m not very good at hacking but I’ll give it my best»
- «he gave a great halloo but no one heard him»
- «on the one hand…, but on the other hand…»
- «the kangaroo’s forearms seem undeveloped but the powerful five-fingered hands are skilled at feinting and clouting»- Springfield (Mass.) Union
- «the Prime Minister was wearing a grey suit and a white shirt with a soft collar, but his neck had become thinner and the collar stood away from it as if it had been bought haphazard»
- «a hardheaded appraisal of our position»; «a hard-nosed labor leader»; «completely practical in his approach to business»; «not ideology but pragmatic politics»
- «the boss hoped the plan would succeed but he wasn’t willing to do the heavy lifting»
- «he’s hot at math but not so hot at history»
- «She hunted for her reading glasses but was unable to locate them»
- «negative identification can only be accomplished through biometric identification»; «if a pin or password is lost or forgotten it can be changed and reissued but a biometric identification cannot»
- «illusive hopes of finding a better job»; «Secret activities offer presidents the alluring but often illusory promise that they can achieve foreign policy goals without the bothersome debate and open decision that are staples of democracy»
- «her impassive remoteness»; «he remained impassive, showing neither interest in nor concern for our plight»- Nordhoff & Hall; «a silent stolid creature who took it all as a matter of course»-Virginia Woolf; «her face showed nothing but stolid indifference»
- «the power of the Secretary of State in London increased gradually but imperceptibly»
- «his importunity left me no alternative but to agree»
- «he listened but resented the imposition»
- «refloating the ship proved impractical because of the expense»; «he is intelligent but too impractical for commercial work»; «an impractical solution»
- «mites are arachnids, but they have a lot in common with insects»; «property held in common»
- «in fact, it was a wonder anyone survived»; «painters who are in fact anything but unsophisticated»; «as a matter of fact, he is several inches taller than his father»
- «the study was criticized for incompleteness of data but it stimulated further research»; «the rawness of his diary made it unpublishable»
- «an earthy but not indecent story»; «an indecent gesture»
- «his indecision was only momentary but the opportunity was lost»
- «an indifferent performance»; «a gifted painter but an indifferent actor»; «her work at the office is passable»; «a so-so golfer»; «feeling only so-so»; «prepared a tolerable dinner»; «a tolerable working knowledge of French»
- «making indirect but legitimate inquiries»; «an indirect insult»; «doubtless they had some indirect purpose in mind»; «though his methods are indirect they are not dishonest»; «known as a shady indirect fellow»
- «the routine but indispensable ceremonies of state»
- «the two specimens are actually different from each other but the differences are almost indistinguishable»; «the twins were indistinguishable»; «a colorless person quite indistinguishable from the colorless mass of humanity»
- «the little boy’s parents think he is spirited, but his teacher finds him unruly»
- «Clinton smoked marijuana but never inhaled»
- «Beethoven’s manuscript looks like a bloody record of a tremendous inner battle»- Leonard Bernstein; «she thinks she has no soul, no interior life, but the truth is that she has no access to it»- David Denby; «an internal sense of rightousness»- A.R.Gurney,Jr.
- «a charming but thoroughly insincere woman»; «their praise was extravagant and insincere»
- «I bought this house not because I want to live in it but to sell it later at a good price, so I am speculating»
- «a sidecar is a smooth drink but it has a powerful kick»
- «he was in Paris recently»; «lately the rules have been enforced»; «as late as yesterday she was fine»; «feeling better of late»; «the spelling was first affected, but latterly the meaning also»
- «Tom and Dick were both heroes but only the latter is remembered today»
- «her income was laughably small, but she managed to live well»
- «He thought of a reply but let it go»
- «I’m pretty beat up but I don’t feel licked yet»
- «it is a good plan but it has serious limitations»
- «`let me show you my etchings’ is a rather worn line»; «he has a smooth line but I didn’t fall for it»; «that salesman must have practiced his fast line of talk»
- «live copy is ready to be set in type or already set but not yet proofread»
- «We lost the battle but we won the war»
- «a mischievous but lovable child»
- «He made to speak but said nothing in the end»; «She made as if to say hello to us»
- «psychologically similar but materially different»
- «a meaningless endeavor»; «a meaningless life»; «a verbose but meaningless explanation»
- «compliant and anxious to suit his opinions of those of others»; «a fine fiery blast against meek conformity»- Orville Prescott; «she looked meek but had the heart of a lion»; «was submissive and subservient»
- «The famous professor mentored him during his years in graduate school»; «She is a fine lecturer but she doesn’t like mentoring»
- «the tribe was relatively safe on the mesa but they had to descend into the valley for water»
- «well-meaning but misguided teachers»; «a mistaken belief»; «mistaken identity»
- «misused words are often laughable but one weeps for misused talents»
- «comfortable but modest cottages»; «a simple rectangular brick building»; «a simple man with simple tastes»
- «monetary rewards»; «he received thanks but no pecuniary compensation for his services»
- «it was not dull grey as distance had suggested, but a mottle of khaki and black and olive-green»
- «some call the mujahidin international warriors but others just call them terrorists»
- «sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me»
- «a brilliant but narrow-minded judge»; «narrow opinions»
- «he recognized her neediness but had no time to respond to it»
- «they now have a new leaders»; «my new car is four years old but has only 15,000 miles on it»; «ready to take a new direction»
- «his bookcases were filled with nothing but novels»; «he burned all the novels»
- «She volunteered to drive the old lady home»; «I offered to help with the dishes but the hostess would not hear of it»
- «one of his cardinal convictions was that Britain was not run as a democracy but as an oligarchy»; «the big cities were notoriously in the hands of the oligarchy of local businessmen»
- «The doctors operated on the patient but failed to save his life»
- «she drove but well but her reckless passing of every car on the road frightened me»
- «had a witty but overweening manner»; «no idea how overweening he would be»- S.V.Benet; «getting a little uppity and needed to be slapped down»- NY Times
- «It has only sprinkled, but the roads are slick»
- «a graceful but not yet fully perfected literary style»
- «a kind of speculation that was permissible in cosmology but inadmissible in medicine»
- «physical exercise»; «physical suffering»; «was sloppy about everything but her physical appearance»
- «they could still receive the sound but the picture was gone»
- «the characters were well drawn but the plot was banal»
- «She poisoned her husband but he did not die»
- «people come and go, but the population of this town has remained approximately constant for the past decade»; «the African-American population of Salt Lake City has been increasing»
- «he wanted his portrait painted but couldn’t spare time for the sitting»
- «practically orientated institutions such as business schools»; «a brilliant man but so practically inept that he needed help to cross the road safely»
- «she gave the trophy but he made the presentation»
- «Theodore Roosevelt said `Speak softly but carry a big stick'» (1858-1919)
- «He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt»; «She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber»; «She pretends to be an expert on wine»
- «he teaches at the medical school but his fortune came from private practice»; «lawyers in private practice are in business and must make a profit to survive»
- «it was a long pull but we made it»
- «Pyongyang is Korea’s oldest city but little of its history has been preserved»
- «this may not insure success but it will represent a quantum leap from last summer»
- «quarks have not been observed directly but theoretical predictions based on their existence have been confirmed experimentally»
- «he surrendered but asked for quarter»
- «speak softly but carry a big stick»; «she spoke quietly to the child»; «the radio was playing softly»
- «he gave the attic a good rummage but couldn’t find his skis»
- «I try to reach out to my daughter but she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me»
- «when the measured speech of the chorus passes over into song the tones are, remotely but unmistakably, those taught by the orthodox liturgy»
- «he ignored their teases»; «his ribbing was gentle but persistent»
- «they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights»; «Certain rights can never be granted to the government but must be kept in the hands of the people»- Eleanor Roosevelt; «a right is not something that somebody gives you; it is something that nobody can take away»
- «he writes with his right hand but pitches with his left»; «hit him with quick rights to the body»
- «the rooms were very small but they had a nice view»
- «a roomy but sparsely furnished apartment»; «a spacious ballroom»
- «the error in the calculation was attributable to rounding»; «taxes are rounded off to the nearest dollar but the rounding error is surprisingly small»
- «he gave us the results in round numbers, but their roundness didn’t affect the point he was making»
- «want nothing from you but to get away from your uncivil tongue»- Willa Cather
- «wealthy by inheritance but saving by constitution»- Ellen Glasgow
- «a score were sent out but only one returned»
- «the golfer hit the ball well but his putting was spotty»
- «a hard but seasonable frost»; «seasonable clothes»
- «hardly more than a boy but firm-knit and self-confident»
- «separate but equal»; «girls and boys in separate classes»
- «cheerfully bearing reproaches but shamefaced at praise»- H.O.Taylor
- «his shooting was slow but accurate»
- «upon the hill stood a single tower»; «had but a single thought which was to escape»; «a single survivor»; «a single serving»; «a single lens»; «a single thickness»
- «yogurt made with skim milk»; «she can drink skimmed milk but should avoid butter»
- «a slow walker»; «the slow lane of traffic»; «her steps were slow»; «he was slow in reacting to the news»; «slow but steady growth»
- «curled his lip in a supercilious smile»; «spoke in a sneering jeering manner»; «makes many a sharp comparison but never a mean or snide one»
- «the amount of energy falling on the earth is given by the solar constant, but very little use has been made of solar energy»
- «It doesn’t seem fair somehow»; «he had me dead to rights but somehow I got away with it»
- «it looked like a sphere but on closer examination I saw it was really a spheroid»
- «he uses other people’s ideas as a springboard for his own»; «reality provides the jumping-off point for his illusions»; «the point of departure of international comparison cannot be an institution but must be the function it carries out»
- «the police are now back at square one after having arrested and released 27 men»; «she has tried to diet but always ends up back at square one»
- «war was declared in November but actual fighting did not begin until the following spring»
- «The old man was stooping but he could walk around without a cane»
- «he was supremely confident»; «He seemed irritated at Edouard’s questions but, apart from that, sublimely unconcerned»; «she remained sublimely oblivious to the possible havoc she might have caused»
- «a tame Christmas party»; «she was one of the tamest and most abject creatures imaginable with no will or power to act but as directed»
- «temporal matters of but fleeting moment»- F.D.Roosevelt
- «they used to do the threshing by hand but now there are machines to do it»
- «on the geological time scale mankind has existed but for a brief moment»
- «the Pennsylvania Dutch tole watering can might be a reproduction but it looks convincing»
- «he enjoyed selling but he hated the travel»
- «a person struck by a log as it was thrown onto a road could maintain trespass against the thrower but one who was hurt by stumbling over it could maintain and action on the case»
- «his worry over the prospect of being fired»; «it is not work but worry that kills»; «he wanted to die and end his troubles»
- «he told the truth»; «he thought of answering with the truth but he knew they wouldn’t believe it»
- «but there is still a twilight zone, the tantalizing occurrences that are probably noise but might possibly be a signal»; «in the twilight zone between humor and vulgarity»; «in that no man’s land between negotiation and aggression»
- «war was breaking out in Europe, but she unconcernedly planned for a holiday»
- «continued seeing him but on an unengaged basis»
- «the unexpressed terms of the agreement»; «things left unsaid»; «some kind of unspoken agreement»; «his action is clear but his reason remains unstated»
- «the production was professional but uninspired»
- «unskilled in the art of rhetoric»; «an enthusiastic but unskillful mountain climber»; «unskilled labor»; «workers in unskilled occupations are finding fewer and fewer job opportunities»; «unskilled workmanship»
- «an unspectacular but necessary task»
- «a styleless way of dressing»; «expensive but styleless country tweeds»; «wearing unstylish clothes»
- «She used to call her mother every week but now she calls only occasionally»; «I used to get sick when I ate in that dining hall»; «They used to vacation in the Bahamas»; «she used to be his best friend and now they are enemies»
- «`in venter’ is legal terminology for `conceived but not yet born'»
- «a large but wieldy book»
- «they trembled before the wrathful queen»; «but wroth as he was, a short struggle ended in reconciliation»
- «he looked at her, not wrathfully now, but quizzically»
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
Home > Vocabulary Lessons > |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Copyright © 2015 ENGLISHCOLLOCATION.COM TERMS OF USE | CONTACT | PRIVACY POLICY |
- Dictionary
- B
- But
- Sentences
- ‘You said you’d stay till tomorrow.’—’I know, Bel, but I think I would rather go back.’
- They need to recruit more people into the prison service. But another point I’d like to make is that many prisons were built in the nineteenth century.
- Please excuse me, but there is something I must say.
- ‘I don’t think I should stay in this house.’—’But why?’
- Europe will be represented in all but two of the seven races.
- This is but one of the methods used to try and get alcoholics to give up drink.
- ‘B-b-b-b-but‘ I stuttered.—’Never mind the buts,’ she ranted.
- He cut his knee but didn’t cry
- I like opera but my husband doesn’t
- We can’t do anything but wait
- We never go out but it rains
- Nothing is impossible but that we live forever
- My, but you’re nice
- They saved all but one of the pigs
- He was but a child
- It’s a rainy day: warm, but
- We cannot choose but (to) stay
- He is a villain, but he has some virtues
- I am old, but you are young
- It never rains but it pours
- I don’t question but you’re correct
- It’s not so high but we can jump it
- He is but a child
- I heard it but now
- He did it, but good
- Not a man but felt it
- If I had but known
- It has to be done – no ifs or buts.
- «Supposin’ the chap ain’t dead, but?» Regan persisted.
- I have no choice but to leave.
- I am not rich but (I am) poor; not John but Peter went there
- She is very old but still attractive. You told me I could do that, but she said that I could not.
- It never rains but it pours.
- Away but the hoose and tell me whae’s there.
- Everyone but Father left early. I like everything but that.
- No one replied but me.
- There is but one God.
- But for the excessive humidity, it might have been a pleasant day.
In the English language, the word “but” is also used for multiple purposes. It can serve as a conjunction, a preposition, an adverb, or a noun in sentences.
- Conjunction
This word is commonly categorized under conjunctions because it can connect two clauses together and form a single sentence. In the sample sentence below:
She stumbled but didn’t fall.
The word “but” links together the clauses “she stumbled” and “didn’t fall,” and is therefore considered as a conjunction.
Definition:
a. used to introduce something contrasting with what has already been mentioned
- Example:
- He was called, but he did not answer.
b. used to indicate the impossibility of anything other than what is being stated
- Example:
- One cannot but sympathize with the old man.
2. Preposition
Sometimes, the word “but” is classified as a preposition that means “except.” It is commonly used after the words all, any, no, every, none, nothing, etc. In the sample sentence below:
This is nothing but an insult.
The word “but’ is considered as a preposition that means “other than.”
Definition:
a. except; apart from; other than.
- Example:
- She teaches nothing but ballet all day long.
3. Adverb
In some cases, the word “but” can be used as an adverb that means “merely,” and can modify a verb or an adjective. For instance, in the sample sentence below:
She is but a shadow of her old self.
The word “but” is an adverb that can also mean “nothing but” or “only.”
Definition:
a. no more than; only
- Example:
- He is but a child.
4. Noun
Other times, this word is also categorized as a noun that refers to an argument against something. Take for example, the sentence below:
There are no buts when it comes to regulations.
In this sentence, the word “but” is used as a noun that also means “objection.”
Definition:
a. a reason someone gives for not doing or agreeing with something
- Example:
- I told you, no buts.
The word but is one of the seven coordinating conjunctions in English (the others are and, or, so, for, nor, and yet). It’s used to connect two statements that contrast or contradict each other in some way.
For example, learning English is difficult but fun! But getting into the specifics of such commonly used words can be tricky. This article will answer some questions you may have about how to use but.
When do I use a comma?
According to standard grammar, a comma is used before a coordinating conjunction to connect two independent clauses.
An independent clause is a clause with both a subject and a verb so that it can stand on its own. If the second clause does not contain a subject, then no comma is needed.
- He liked the meal, but not the dessert. (No comma)
- He liked the meal, but didn’t like the dessert. (No comma)
- He liked the meal, but he didn’t like the dessert. (Here, the subject is listed both times, making both clauses independent. A comma is appropriate.)
However, this is a rule that not many native speakers are aware of. Most people will place commas according to where they would naturally make a small pause while speaking.
When do I use “but rather”?
While but can be used to contrast two statements, it can also be used in the construction “not this but that.” For example:
- It wasn’t a drought but more of a dry spell.
This sentence is saying that whatever happened wasn’t a drought. Instead, it was a dry spell. To convey this idea, we use the conjunction but. We could also replace this with the phrase but rather.
- It wasn’t a drought but rather more of a dry spell.
The phrase but rather could also just be a combination of but and rather in their separate usages.
- You’d think he would break up with her face-to-face. But rather than doing that, he decided to do it over the phone. (Here, but is used as a contrast to the previous sentence, not in combination with rather.)
What’s the difference between “but” or “yet”?
But and yet are conjunctions with very similar meanings, and usually, when you can use the word yet, you can replace it with but.
The difference is that yet means something more like “despite that” or “regardless of that.” Grammatically speaking, it has a concessive meaning.
- He’s given her so many red flags, yet she still wants to be with him. (In other words, He’s given her so many red flags. Despite that, she still wants to be with him.)
- I attended every lecture in the class, and yet I still don’t understand anything. (It’s possible to use yet with and, making it more of an adverb than a conjunction.)
- Apparently, she keeps a calendar, yet she always forgets about the plans she makes.
In all these examples, you could probably replace yet with but and still have it make sense.
- He’s given her so many red flags, but she still wants to be with him.
- I attended every lecture in the class, but I still don’t understand anything.
- Apparently, she keeps a calendar, but she always forgets about the plans she makes.
The difference is that but only creates a simple contrast. If you really want to say, “This is true, but none of it really matters because…”, then yet is a much better way to convey that nuance.
When can I use “but” at the beginning of a sentence?
While you may have formally been taught that a sentence can’t begin with a conjunction, the reality is that you can begin any sentence with a conjunction. The two following examples basically mean the same thing:
- I’ll come with you and keep you company if you want. But I’m not going to enjoy it.
- I’ll come with you and keep you company if you want, but I’m not going to enjoy it.
Why make a clause with a conjunction its own separate sentence? It depends on how you like to break up your sentences.
Periods usually convey more of a break between ideas than commas do. You might also want to avoid run-on sentences that use too many commas.
When do I use “but also”?
The phrase but also is similar to but rather, but instead of meaning “not this but that,” it means “not just this but also that.” It’s used to add even more additional information than might be expected.
- They not only spilled beer all over the floor but also broke one of the lamps.
- You’re not just a mother but also a friend.
When using this phrase, be sure to create parallel constructions if you want to be grammatically correct. This means linking phrases of the same kind together.
In the following sentence, the placement of the word only makes it so that it connects nouns together, therefore making it a parallel construction.
- He doesn’t know only Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
This next sentence is incorrect because it connects a verb (“to know”) with nouns (“Portuguese and Italian”).
- He not only knows Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
When I can I use “but not limited to”?
You can use the phrase including but not limited to when you want to list some items in a category, but you also want to indicate there are many more besides that.
It basically means the same thing as the word including by itself but emphasizes the high amount of things in a given category. Usually, this phrase is found in legal contexts, maybe because the wording is more precise.
- The job involves many tasks, including but not limited to serving customers, checking inventory, cleaning the workspace, and taking phone calls.
- Natural language processing has a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to chatbots, language translation, sentiment analysis, and spell check.
- The book covers many topics, including but not limited to the Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, and Jim Crow laws.
What’s the difference between “but” and “although”?
This question is tricky because although can have two different usages.
The first is to mean “despite the fact that” or “even though,” which is like saying, “What I’m about to say doesn’t really matter.” In this case, the clause that although introduces will usually come before the main clause.
- Although it was scorching outside, we still decided risk sunburns and go hiking.
- Although I had a test the next morning, I decided to go out with my friends and ended up coming home late.
Then there is the second usage of although, which is to mean the same thing as but, except it tends to indicate more of an afterthought rather than a firm contrast.
This is usually when although comes after the main clause, which is how you’ll be able to tell the difference between the two meanings.
- I really didn’t want to go to the show, although it did end up being somewhat interesting. (This can be like saying, Now that I think about it, it was sort of interesting.)
- Mark’s thinking about transferring schools, although I’m not sure why. I thought he liked it here. (Using although instead of but indicates that the main topic is about Mark, not what the speaker thinks.)
If you want to create a contrast or transition between what you were just talking about and a topic that’s just as important, it might be better to use but instead of although, such as in this sentence:
- Mental illness can be difficult or awkward to talk about, but there are many ways we can be supportive.
The main point is not that mental illness is a difficult subject. Instead, the speaker is trying to transition into a topic they want to talk about. This makes but a much more appropriate choice than although.
What’s the difference between “but” and “except”?
Except (that) is another conjunction that means something similar to but, except it indicates more of an exception than a contrast (I just used it now!).
Maybe you want to state something that’s true except for one detail. In that case, except will help you convey that better than but.
- He and I are on good terms, except he still needs to pay me the money he owes.
- We have everything we need for dinner, except that I still need to buy oil.
- A: Everything’s fine, except…
B: Except what?
Don’t confuse this with the phrase except for, which is used as a preposition, not a conjunction. You can only follow it with noun phrases.
- Everyone submitted their entries on time except for him.
- He and I are on good terms, except for the fact that he still needs to pay me the money he owes.
Practice
Time for some practice! The following sentences each have an error in them. Try to spot them and see if you can correct them.
- It’s not the concerts themselves rather the social experience that I enjoy.
- I can teach you how to play many genres, including and not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues.
- He drives not only poorly but also can’t park properly.
- A lot of times, we follow rules, but don’t really understand why.
- He spent hours and hours more on the painting, but it still looks bad. (What could you replace but with to show that his work was useless?)
- Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an exception?)
- Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an afterthought?)
Answers:
- It’s not the concerts themselves but rather the social experience that I enjoy. (You need the whole phrase but rather, not just rather.)
- I can teach you how to play many genres, including but not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues. (“Including and not limited to” is not a standard expression.)
- He not only drives poorly but also can’t park properly. OR Not only does he drive poorly, but he also can’t park properly. (Either of these makes the sentence a parallel construction.)
- A lot of times, we follow the rules but don’t really understand why. (The second clause is not an independent clause, so you don’t need to use a comma.)
- He spent hours and hours more on the painting, yet it still looks bad. (Now, you can tell more how useless his effort was.)
- Overall, the movie was great, except the ending could have been better. (Now, it’s specified that the ending was really the one thing wrong with the movie.)
- Overall, the movie was great, although the ending could have been better. (Now, it sounds more like the speaker doesn’t care as much about the ending.)