Grammar using the word but

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.

1. It’s not the concerts themselves rather the social experience that I enjoy.
2. I can teach you how to play many genres, including and not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues.
3. He drives not only poorly but also can’t park properly.
4. A lot of times, we follow rules, but don’t really understand why.
5. 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?)
6. Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an exception?)
7. 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:

1. It’s not the concerts themselves but rather the social experience that I enjoy. (You need the whole phrase but rather, not just rather.)
2. 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.)
3. 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.)
4. 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.)
5. He spent hours and hours more on the painting, yet it still looks bad. (Now, you can tell more how useless his effort was.)
6. 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.)
7. 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.)

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.”

What is the first word of a sentence called?

incipit

Do you put a comma after but?

Often, a coordinating conjunction will connect two independent clauses — like the word “but.” But — and it’s a big but — your middle school teacher may have told you to always throw a comma before “but.” Don’t do that! You should only put a comma before “but” when connecting two independent clauses.

Where do I put a comma?

Comma Use

1. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. …
2. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause.

How do you use but?

The rule for but is the same as that for the other six coordinating conjunctions: and, for, or, nor, so, and yet. If the conjunction precedes an independent (main) clause, use a comma: “Jack tried a new diet, but he still gained weight.”

Why do we use but?

We use but as an alternative to except (for), apart from and bar to introduce the only thing or person that the main part of the sentence does not include. It is often used after words such as everyone, nobody, anything, anywhere, all, no, none, any, every.

What is the purpose of the word but?

We use but to link items which are the same grammatical type (coordinating conjunction). But is used to connect ideas that contrast.

Can sentences begin with but?

Of course, there are style guides that discourage it, but it’s perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with “but” when writing. … By all means, start sentences with “but” from time to time, but remember that “but” also belongs after a comma.

Can you end a sentence with but?

Sentence-final but as it is known is a well documented feature of English as spoken in Ireland, much of Scotland and also in Australia and New Zealand. Although it is perfectly grammatical, it is not considered formal and won’t be seen in formal writing or documents.

What’s another word for but?

What is another word for but?

nevertheless	yet
however	though
although	still
all the same	be that as it may
but still	despite that

How do you start sentences?

Creative Sentence Structures

1. Begin with a verb ending with -ing. …
2. Begin with a verb ending with -ed. …
3. Begin with a prepositional phrase. …
4. Begin with an adverb. …
5. Begin with an adjective. …
6. Begin with a phrase that tells when. …
7. Begin with a phrase that tells where. …
8. Begin with a sound word.

How do you use the first place in a sentence?

1 —used at the end of a sentence to indicate what was true or what should have been done at the beginning of a situation We should never have gone there in the first place. I didn’t care much for the job in the first place.

Coordinating conjunctions, such as “but,” are generally used to join two parts of a sentence together. But is it ever acceptable to start a sentence with the word “but”? Read on to find out more!

What the Traditionalists Say

You may have had it drummed into you for years that you cannot begin a sentence with “but.” This rule is a particular favorite of schoolteachers and is thought to prevent the overuse of the word, which is common in children’s speech. For instance:

✘ We went to the library to pick up our textbook. But it wasn’t available, so we looked online. But we couldn’t find it online either…

However, look at this example from Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick:

“Despairing of him, therefore, I determined to go to bed and to sleep; and no doubt, before a great while, he would follow me. But previous to turning in, I took my heavy bear-skin jacket…”

No one could accuse Melville of writing sloppy English. So why does he use sentences that begin with a coordinating conjunction?

When Is It Okay to Start a Sentence with “But”?

The truth is, there is no hard and fast rule against starting a sentence with “but”—as long as the sentence is formed correctly. Since this word is intended to connect two thoughts together, it’s important that your sentence contains a main clause. That means it should include a subject and a verb and can stand on its own. 

You should also consider the audience for your writing. Although it may be perfectly acceptable to start a sentence with “but” in informal writing, such as in social media content and blog posts, it’s best avoided if you want to achieve a formal tone. For data-driven documents, such as case studies and text books, try using alternative expressions like “however” or “nevertheless.” One caveat: when writing literature or poetry, “but” can be used at the beginning of a sentence to achieve dramatic effect (see the Moby-Dick example).

Be Aware of Style Guides!

When weighing up whether to use “but” at the beginning of a sentence, check to see if you need to adhere to a particular style guide. Style guides are used in the publishing world to set standards for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Your style guide may specify that sentences shouldn’t begin with a coordinating conjunction. But if not (see what I did there?), the use of “but” at the beginning of a sentence is never truly off limits.

Expert Proofreading

Finally, if you are in any doubt at all about your use of English, why not get your writing proofread? Submit a free trial document today!

But as a linking word

We use but to link items which are the same grammatical type (coordinating conjunction). But is used to connect ideas that contrast.

The phrase but not is common:

The room has been painted but not in the colour that I asked for.

I’d love to go for a pizza with you but not tonight.

But meaning ‘except’

But means ‘except’ when it is used after words such as all, everything/nothing, everyone/no one, everybody/nobody:

The cleaning is done now, all but the floors. They still have to be washed.

I arrived at the airport and realised that I’d brought everything but my passport!

Everyone but Anna has checked in.

Nobody but the receptionist was left in the lobby of the hotel.

We use object pronouns after but (me, you, him, us, etc.) even in subject position:

Everybody but me has paid.

No one but him would get a job like that.

In formal situations, we can use subject pronouns after but:

Everyone but she knew how the drama was going to end.

But for + reason

But for is used to introduce the reason why something didn’t happen:

But for the traffic, I would have been here an hour ago. (The traffic was very heavy – if it weren’t for the traffic, I’d have been here an hour ago.)

They would have been badly injured but for the fact that they were wearing seat belts. (They were wearing seat belts – if it weren’t for the fact that they were wearing seat belts, they would have been badly injured.)

All but meaning ‘almost completely’

I had all but finished the essay when the computer crashed and I lost it all.

His parents had all but given up hope of seeing him again.

As ruakh and Barrie have pointed out, but is a coordinating conjunction. Logically, it means the same as and, unlike the other coordinating conjunction, or, which is quite different.
The difference between and and but is not logical or even semantic, but rather pragmatic.

If A is true and B is true, both conjoined constructions in the set {A and B, A but B} indicate this fact. However, A but B carries in addition a presumption to the effect that the speaker did not expect B given A, or believed that A‘s being true would normally contradict B, or was for some other reason surprised that B is true in this context.

There is no special technical term to denote this except, possibly, contrastive. It is not, however, negation, of any sort.

The word but is a useful word that often ominously precedes a lot of bad news or tough criticism. But is a word that appears in many of our sentences and is one of the most commonly used words in the English language. But–and this is a big but–we might be overusing the word just a bit. It makes sense why we would overlay on but; after all, it is a short little word that can easily connect sentences together. However, there are so many other words and phrases that sadly aren’t getting to shine with but hogging all the spotlight. The word but may not like it, but it is time for but to butt out and let someone else slip into our sentences for a little while.

What does but mean, and why do we use it so much?

The word but is often used in two major ways: to express a contrast or to express an exception. The sentence Jenny is tall, but her parents are short is an example of but used to show contrast; Jenny’s height is totally different from her parents’. The sentence Everyone but Rahul was right-handed shows how but is used to express exception; Rahul is the only left-handed person, which makes him unique from everybody else.

In addition to having these two very common uses, the word but is also one of the seven coordinating conjunctions. In short, coordinating conjunctions allow us to easily connect independent sentences by simply using a comma. For example, we can combine the two shorter sentences Rabbits are fast and Turtles are slow into the larger sentence Rabbits are fast, but turtles are slow. This is a fairly easy way of combining sentences, so we often rely on but to join sentences together.

That isn’t all, though. Besides its big job as a conjunction, but can also be used as a preposition as in We tried everything but the kitchen sink or as an adverb as in There is but one road that leads to safety. With how versatile and useful the word but is, it is no wonder that we might overwork it sometimes!

Alternatives of contrast

The first major way we use but is to show contrast, contradiction, or opposition. Luckily for us, there are plenty of other words we can use to show relationships like these. In fact, we can find one among but’s coordinating conjunction friends in the word yet. Because yet is also a coordinating conjunction, we can swap it in for but without even needing to change the sentence. For example:

•  We need a new car, but we can’t afford one.
•  We need a new car, yet we can’t afford one.

While yet is an easy substitution for but to mean contrast, it isn’t the only option. Some other useful words and phrases that can fill in this role include:

•  although, despite, however, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, still, though, even though, on the other hand

Typically, we can use one of the above words/phrases in place of but while only making small changes to our sentences and without changing the sentence’s meaning. For example:

•  The flight is on Saturday, but it might be delayed because of snow.
•  The flight is on Saturday. However, it might be delayed because of snow.

Put some fun into your language by using these alternatives to fun.

Make the swap

The following pairs of sentences show how we can express a contrast by first using but and then by swapping it out for a similar word. Notice that the new sentences still express the same meaning.

•  The painting looks great, but something is still missing.
•  The painting looks great, yet something is still missing.

•  The soldiers were heavily outnumbered, but they stood their ground anyway.
•  The soldiers were heavily outnumbered. Nevertheless, they stood their ground anyway.

•  Jessie and James act mean, but they are good people at heart.
•  Jessie and James act mean. Still, they are good people at heart.

Alternatives of exception

The second major way that we use but is to express an exception. Again, we have a variety of different words and phrases with the same meaning that we can use to give but a break. Some of these words include:

•  except, barring, save, without, excluding, minus, disregarding, omitting, aside from, not including, other than, apart from, leaving out

Most of the time, we can even substitute one of these words/phrases into a sentence without needing to change anything else. For example:

•  Every student but Ryan enjoys basketball.
•  Every student except Ryan enjoys basketball.

Make the swap

The following pairs of sentences show how we can state exceptions by first using but and then swapping it out for a similar word or phrase. Take note that the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change.

•  All the animals but the tigers are sleeping.
•  All the animals apart from the tigers are sleeping.

•  I like all flavors of ice cream but mint.
•  I like all flavors of ice cream other than mint.

•  Every guard was loyal but one.
•  Every guard was loyal, save one.

You can review all these alternatives in our word list here.

Change the sentence

It might be the case that the word but is just not the word we were looking for. In that case, we may need to take more drastic action and really change up a sentence. We might exchange but for a different word that alters the meaning of the sentence or even rewrite our sentences entirely.

Sometimes, we may want to frame our sentence in a way in which we don’t put two things in opposition or contrast, even if they are different. For example, we may just want to present two different options or state two different but equally important opinions.

Whatever our reasons, we have several different ways we could get but out of the sentence. The simplest way, which often won’t involve changing a sentence too much, is to swap out but for one of the other coordinating conjunctions. For example:

•  I like dogs, but I don’t like cats. (Two opposing thoughts.)
•  I like dogs, and I don’t like cats. (Two equal, different thoughts.)

•  She might win big, but she might lose it all. (Two contrasting thoughts.)
•  She might win big, or she might lose it all. (Two alternative outcomes.)

If we can’t use a different coordinating conjunction, we will often need to make more significant changes to our sentences in order to follow proper grammar. So, we might use a subordinating conjunction or split our clauses apart into separate sentences. For example:

•  We wanted to go to the beach, but it rained all day.
•  We didn’t go to the beach because it rained all day.

•  Keith needed new shoes, but he couldn’t afford them.
•  Keith needed new shoes. However, he couldn’t afford them.

Examples

Let’s look at different ways we can take but out of a sentence. You’ll notice that some of the sentences will change their grammar or even their meaning after but is replaced.

•  Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, but he doesn’t work there.
•  Jason lives at Camp Crystal Lake, and he doesn’t work there.

•  She wants a new pony, but only if she can name it Pinkie Pie.
•  She wants a new pony under the condition that she can name it Pinkie Pie.

•  I didn’t practice much, but I won the game anyway.
•  Despite the fact that I didn’t practice much, I won the game anyway.

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You’ll use some terms frequently in your written work. “But” is one of these words: the twenty-second most common word in English, in fact! Consequently, you shouldn’t worry too much about the repetition of “but” in your writing. But if you find yourself using it in every other sentence, you might want to try a few alternatives. How about the following?

Other Conjunctions

“But” is a conjunction (i.e., a linking word) used to introduce a contrast. For example, we could use it in a sentence expressing contrasting opinions about Queen guitarist Brian May and his hairdo:

I like Brian May, but I find his hair ridiculous.

One option to reduce repetition of “but” in writing is to use the word “yet:”

I like Brian May, yet I find his hair ridiculous.

“Yet” can often replace “but” in a sentence without changing anything else, as both are coordinating conjunctions that can introduce a contrast.

Alternatively, you could use one of these subordinating conjunctions:

• Although (e.g., I like Brian May, although I find his hair ridiculous.)
• Though (e.g., I like Brian May, though I find his hair ridiculous.)
• Even though (e.g., I like Brian May, even though I find his hair ridiculous.)

As subordinating conjunctions, these terms can also be used at the start of a sentence. This isn’t the case with “but,” though:

Though I like Brian May, I find his hair ridiculous. – Correct

But I like Brian May, I find his hair ridiculous. – Incorrect

Other subordinating conjunctions used to introduce a contrast include “despite” and “whereas.” If you’re going to use “despite” in place of “but,” you may need to rephrase the sentence slightly. For instance:

Despite liking Brian May, I find his hair ridiculous.

I like Brian May’s guitar solos, whereas I find his hair ridiculous.

How to Use “However”

One common replacement for “but” in academic writing is “however.” But we use this adverb to show a sentence contrasts with something previously said. As such, rather than connecting two parts of a sentence, it should only be used after a semicolon or in a new sentence:

I like Brian May’s guitar solos. However, I find his hair ridiculous.

I like Brian May’s guitar solos; however, I find his hair ridiculous.

“However” can be used mid-sentence, separated by commas. Even then, though, you should separate the sentence in which it appears from the one with which it is being contrasted. For instance:

I like Brian May’s guitar solos. I do, however, find his hair ridiculous.

Here, again, the “however” sentence contrasts with the preceding one.

Other Adverbial Alternatives to “But”

Other contrasting adverbs and adverbial phrases can be used in similar ways to “however” above. Alternatives include:

• Conversely (I like Brian May’s guitar solos. Conversely, I find his hair ridiculous.)
• Nevertheless (I like Brian May; nevertheless, I find his hair ridiculous.)
• In contrast (I like Brian May’s guitar solos. In contrast, I find his hair ridiculous.)

One popular phrase for introducing a contrast is “on the other hand.” In formal writing, though, this should always follow from “on the one hand:”

On the one hand, I like Brian May’s music, so I do admire him. On the other hand, his hairstyle is terrifying, so I do worry about him.

Finally, if you’re ever unsure which terms to use as alternatives to “but” in writing, having your document proofread by the experts can help.