How to use the word but

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!

How do you use but in a sentence examples?

“I want to go to the party, but I am so tired.” “I like her, but I don’t like her friend.” “I studied for the test, but I don’t think I did well.” “I’m hungry, but I have nothing to eat.”

How do you use but?

But can be used in the following ways:

1. As a conjunction (connecting two phrases or clauses): She’s 83 but she still goes swimming every day.
2. As a preposition (followed by a noun): There’s been nothing but trouble since he came.
3. As an adverb: We can but hope that things will improve.

What does the word but do in a sentence?

The conjunction but means “on the contrary,” and is used to indicate contrast or opposition between elements in a sentence.

What is but an example of?

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.

Can a sentence start with but?

There’s no rule against beginning a sentence with but. Sure, it’s a wise admonition from middle-school English teachers that novice writers avoid beginning a series of sentences with but. In July we went to Six Flags. But it rained that day.

Is there a comma after but?

According to editors and grammarians, there is no comma after the word but at the beginning of a sentence.There is really only one comma rule that mentions conjunctions: a comma goes before a coordinating conjunction that separates two independent clauses.

What is a BUT statement?

conjunction. ˈbət Essential Meaning of but. 1 —used to introduce a statement that adds something to a previous statement and usually contrasts with it in some way I don’t know her, but my husband does. He wants to go to the movies, but I want to go to the museum.

Can we use but instead together?

You can use them together when “but” and “instead” don’t form the same idea in a sentence: You needed to go to the hospital but instead you went to the cinema.

Is but then grammatically correct?

It’s not incorrect, but it doesn’t use the phrase in the way that it is used to introduce a fact which explains why the preceding remark is not as surprising as it might seem on its face.

How do you not use but?

“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.)

What word type is but?

But can be a preposition, an adverb, a noun or a conjunction.

What type of grammar is but?

A conjunction (also called a connective) is a word such as and, because, but, for, if, or, and when. Conjunctions are used to connect phrases, clauses, and sentences. The two main kinds are known as coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.

Is but a conjunction?

Coordinating conjunctions allow you to join words, phrases, and clauses of equal grammatical rank in a sentence. The most common coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so; you can remember them by using the mnemonic device FANBOYS.

Do you need a comma before but?

Comma Before But
If you are joining two independent clauses, use a comma before the word but. Where the but is not joining two independent clauses, do not use a comma.

How do you punctuate But?

You should always use a comma before but when joining two independent clauses. A comma after but is only necessary if you’re using it as literary device to draw attention to something.

How do you use but in the middle of a sentence?

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.

Can you put but after a period?

It’s not a grammatical question. It’s a question of style preference. If the person you’re writing for prefers not to start a sentence with “But”, then you don’t. Otherwise, it’s perfectly fine, as long as the full stop is called for and as long as you’re not creating some other error by doing so.

Is but a disjunction?

Adjective “Or” and “but” are disjunctive conjunctions.

Is Butt a bad word?

Saying butt is more childish than offensive. Butt is a four-letter word, though using it won’t get you in much trouble — It’s much less offensive than ass.The used end of a cigarette is called a butt, too. But you’ll hear it more often in phrases like “Get your butt in here!”

Can I use but instead in a sentence?

For example, if I wanted to say “No salí, sino que me quedé en casa”: – I didn’t go out, but instead I stayed at home (It sounds good to me and I am almost sure that is correct).

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.)

но, а, однако, зато, кроме, только, кроме, возражение, кто бы не

союз ↓

наречие ↓

предлог ↓

существительное ↓

местоимение ↓

прилагательное ↓

Словосочетания

hopes that last but a moment — надежды, которые длятся лишь мгновение  
no one there but me — никто, кроме меня  
the last but one — предпоследний  
the wine, sweet but headachy — вино, приятное, но от него болит голова  
to be but a few steps — быть рядом, в двух шагах  
but this is well-known — но ведь это всем известно  
beauty is but skin deep — внешность обманчива  
he used to smoke this brand of cigarettes, but he switched — раньше он обычно курил эту марку сигарет, но теперь он перешел на другую  
but yesterday — но вчера  
nothing but — ничего кроме; только; исключительно  
but then (again) — разг. но в то же время  

Примеры с переводом

Возможные однокоренные слова

butter  — масло, сливочное масло, грубая лесть, намазывать маслом, грубо льстить
butting  — предел, граница
butty  — бутерброд, компаньон, товарищ, пайщик по подрядной работе
rebut  — опровергать, отвергать, давать отпор, отражать

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

What is but used for in a sentence?

But can be used in the following ways: As a conjunction (connecting two phrases or clauses): She’s 83 but she still goes swimming every day. As a way of starting a new sentence and connecting it to the previous sentence: It was in Cairo that he met Nadia. But that’s another story.

What happens when you use but in a sentence?

The word BUT negates or cancels everything that goes before it. And is generally accepted as a signal that the really important part of the sentence is coming up. When you use it most people listening to you will give more attention and more weight to what you say after you say BUT.

How do you start a sentence with but?

Of course, there are style guides that discourage it, but it’s perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with “but” when writing. I was thrilled! That very day, I started peppering my writing with sentences starting with conjunctions. But one shouldn’t go overboard!

Why you should never use the word but?

The first part of each new statement is negative, so it gets heard and believed even though it’s followed by a “BUT”. However, a “BUT” will strip a negative statement of its gravity and increase the weight of the positive statement that follows.

What is but in grammar?

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.

Do I put a comma after but?

You should put a comma before but only when but is connecting two independent clauses. I would go for a walk, but it’s raining outside. Here’s a tip: Commas can be tricky, but they don’t have to trip you up. That means they’re independent clauses, so you need to use a comma before but.

Should a comma come before and?

1. Use a comma before any coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet) that links two independent clauses.

How do you use two independent clauses in a sentence?

To combine two independent clauses (complete sentences), use a semicolon or a comma and conjunction. To attach a dependent clause, use a comma if it comes before the independent clause; use no comma if it comes after the independent clause, unless it is a “contrast word” (although, though, even though, whereas).

What is an example of independent clause?

An independent clause is the combination of at least one subject and predicate. It expresses a complete thought. For example: The waves crashed onto the sandy shore.

How do you identify an independent clause?

Independent Clause Defined

1. They have a subject – they tell the reader what the sentence is about.
2. They have an action or predicate – they tell the reader what the subject is doing.
3. They express a complete thought – something happened or was said.

What is a Dependant clause in a sentence?

A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a complete thought. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence.

How do you find the direct and indirect object in a sentence?

A Grammar Lesson: Direct and Indirect Objects

1. An object is the part of a sentence that gives meaning to the subject’s action of the verb. For example: Alice caught the baseball.
2. A direct object answers the question of who(m) or what.
3. An indirect object answers the question of to whom, for whom, or for what.

What is a direct object in English?

noun. a word or group of words representing the person or thing upon which the action of a verb is performed or toward which it is directed: in English, generally coming after the verb, without a preposition. In He saw it the pronoun it is the direct object of saw.

How do you do as direct?

Do as direct in grammar means do as instructed. For example, change the affirmative sentence into negative, or add the given adjective in the statement, or add a question tag in a simple statement, etc.

What is mean by do as direct?

If you describe a person or their behaviour as direct, you mean that they are honest and open, and say exactly what they mean.

What is the direct and indirect speech?

Direct speech describes when something is being repeated exactly as it was – usually in between a pair of inverted commas. Indirect speech will still share the same information – but instead of expressing someone’s comments or speech by directly repeating them, it involves reporting or describing what was said.

Do you speak English change indirect speech?

It has been changed and written in indirect speech. In indirect speech, the words are spoken by a different speaker. Inverted commas are not used to quote the words. The question mark has been removed in the indirect speech.

Which type of parts of speech is but?

Is but a preposition or conjunction?

What type of conjunction is but?

Is but adverb?

Is but a conjunction?

How do you use the word but?

Is but a conjunctive adverb?

How do you use but as a conjunction?

What is the sentence of but?

Can you use but without a comma?

Is but one meaning?

Can you use but in a sentence?

How do you use but not in a sentence?

Can a sentence start with but?

Is but a meaning?

Is but yet proper grammar?

What is the difference between the conjunction yet and but?

What is the difference between and and but?

Can I replace but with yet?

What does but still mean?

Examples of how to use the word “but” in a sentence. How to connect “but” with other words to make correct English sentences. (High-quality Audio!)

but (conj): used to introduce an added statement, usually something that is different from what you have said before

Use “but” in a sentence

He was sick but still walked to school.

I liked that movie but he didn’t.

I will pay the fine, but not today. Back to “3000 Most Common Words in English”

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.

1. 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.