Never use the word but - Word и Excel - помощь в работе с программами

Don’t know what to say instead of but? In this article, I will show you eight easy alternatives for the English word but.

The English word but is a short and easy word. It’s one of the first words you learn when you start learning English.

As a result, we use it a lot. Maybe even too often.

The problem is that you don’t want to sound repetitive.

As a confident English speaker, you want to know good alternative words you can use instead of “but.”

When you write and speak English professionally, it’s good to know other ways to say but.

The Meaning of “But”

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The English word but is a conjunction. Therefore, we use it to connect two ideas.

By saying but, you add another statement.

Usually, this additional idea is different from the first idea. Thus, you can use but to link and contrast two different ideas.

Example:

It’s been a good year for our business, but we have to do a lot more to reach our goals.

The meaning of but in the dictionary

Keep Punctuation and Sentence Structure in Mind with “But”

What do you have to keep in mind if you want to use alternative words for but?

In most cases, the conjunction but will come after a comma.

The country’s economy is in a recession, but people are still buying our products.

If you are wondering what to say instead of but, remember that you sometimes cannot simply replace the word without changing the sentence.

In some cases, you cannot simply swap the words and leave the rest of the sentence.

Instead, you have to start a second sentence or use a semicolon to divide the two ideas in the sentence.

For most of the alternatives I will show you, you have to change the structure or punctuation of your sentence.

You have two options: Start a new sentence or use a semicolon.

___________________; however,______________.

___________________. However, ______________.

You can use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together. Here is a list of examples you can use with a semicolon, but there are many others that also work.

however
moreover
therefore
consequently
otherwise
furthermore
nevertheless
thus
yet
for example
namely

Let’s look at eight ways to say but – but by changing each sentence a bit.

1. however

/ˌhaʊˈev.ɚ/

The word however is most often used to show a contrast.

You can use however to introduce a different idea by starting a new sentence or by separating two closely related sentences with a semicolon.

Examples:

Tim is one potential candidate for the job. However, there are others.

It’s been a good year for our business; however, we have to do a lot more to reach our goals.

2. though

/ðoʊ/

The word though is another alternative to but. It is mainly used in speaking.

Examples:

We need to hire help, though it will be difficult to find the right person for the job.

I speak English quite well, though I have never had formal lessons.

3. whereas

/werˈæz/

The word whereas is a more formal alternative to but. We use it to show a contrast between two ideas.

Examples:

She’s very hard-working, whereas I struggle to achieve my goals.

He complained about the problem, whereas I was looking for solutions.

4. although

/ɑːlˈðoʊ/

You can also use although instead of but to link two different statements.

Although is used more in writing. Just like though, it means ‘in spite of.’ Read more about the difference between though and although here.

Examples:

I liked the ideas he presented in the meeting, although I don’t think the board will accept them.

This month has been productive overall, although we had to multitask a few times.

5. yet

/jet/

The word yet is used to add a new statement that is in contrast to the first statement. We often use yet in writing and rarely in spoken English.

Examples:

She’s focused on her career. Yet, she also thrives in her personal life.

He presented very good ideas in the meeting. Yet, I don’t think the board will accept them.

6. except

/ɪkˈsept/

If you want to say but not, you can use the word except instead. It means but not or not including.

Examples:

Our whitepaper includes marketing topics, except social media marketing.

The whole team attended the meeting except Sarah.

7. nevertheless

/ˌnev.ɚ.ðəˈles/

The word nevertheless is a great alternative to but and however. We use the same punctuation as with however: either after a full stop or after a semicolon, then followed by a comma.

Examples:

Nevertheless, there may be other reasons that we don’t know about.

It’s been a good year for our business; nevertheless, we have to do a lot more work to reach our goals.

8. despite this

/dɪˈspaɪt ðɪs/

If you want to replace but, you can also use despite this. This phrase introduces a contrast, as well. In this case, it means that the second statement is not influenced or prevented by what was said before.

Examples:

The country’s economy is in a recession. Despite this, people are still buying our products.

She just returned from a business trip this morning. Despite this, she will attend the meeting.

Pro Tip: Use Writing Tools to See the Words in Context

Grammarly is a helpful tool that I use for all my writing. It’s an English proofreader. You can use the Grammarly app or browser extension to mark spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes. Grammarly even gives you suggestions on how to improve these mistakes!

Still not sure what to say instead of but? On the Thesaurus website, you can test which word you can use in your sentence instead of but. This feature is an easy way to see how your sentence looks with different synonyms.

I also recommend Writefull to any English learner. This is a powerful tool that helps you improve your writing for free. Whenever you are not sure how to use a word in English, you can look it up on Writefull and see how it is used in context with examples from real texts, such as books, news, and scientific articles.

Conclusion

The English conjunction but is a great word. It’s short and useful.

But… you can also use many other words and phrases instead of but to avoid repetition.

Moreover, varying your vocabulary lets you communicate more clearly in English.

When swaping but with another word, pay attention to the sentence structure and punctuation – it might have to change.

When you choose certain alternative words and phrases for but, you have to change the punctuation in your sentence.

Depending on which alternative you chose, you might need to add a semicolon or divide the sentence into two.

You can use several online tools to help you write correctly in English.

Being Wrong Can Make You Happy

Once I started to check, I quickly realized I was going to be proved wrong. People, including some of the greatest writers of all time, have been starting sentences with “and” and “but” for hundreds of years. 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! See what I did there? Hah!

Using any stylistic quirk too frequently spoils your writing. By all means, start sentences with “but” from time to time, but remember that “but” also belongs after a comma. I did it again, didn’t I?

When Should You Consider Starting a Sentence With “But”?

“Contrary to what your high school English teacher told you, there’s no reason not to begin a sentence with but or and; in fact, these words often make a sentence more forceful and graceful. They are almost always better than beginning with however or additionally.” (Professor Jack Lynch, Associate Professor of English, Rutgers University, New Jersey)

Thank you, professor! I’ll admit to using “however,” but being lazy, I really do prefer the word “but” to begin a sentence when given a choice. “Additionally” is just awful, and I flinch every time I start a sentence with it. It seems so pompous!

The professor also confirms starting with the conjunction can make your writing more forceful. Remember, you don’t always want to be forceful. Sometimes sentence flow is more appropriate. But a choppy “but” at the start of a sentence certainly does seem to add emphasis when that’s what you’re looking for.

People Are Going to Argue This With You

Just as I once was a firm believer in the “never start a sentence with and or but” non-rule, you’ll come across enslaved souls who have been taught the very same non-rule. Where can they turn for confirmation and comfort? The Bible is always a good place. Refer them to Genesis Chapter 1 for sentences starting with “and.”

For a sentence starting with “but,” you may have to read a little further – all the way to Genesis 8:1: “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.”

Looking around online, I see some arguing that using the Bible as a work of English literature is pushing the envelope. I beg to differ, but perhaps as the world’s greatest bestseller, it’s a bit too commercial for them. Let’s take them to the real authority: the notoriously stuffy and pedantic, Fowler’s Modern English Usage. It’s seen as the authoritative book on English Grammar, and if they won’t believe it, they’re never going to believe anyone.

If they’re trying to find a comeback, you can always help them out. But they won’t be impressed with the reference you give them because I’m ready to bet you anything they’ve never have heard of Quackenbos!

“A sentence should not commence with the conjunctions and, for, but, or however…. ” (George Payn Quackenbos, An Advanced Course of Composition and Rhetoric, 1854)

Let’s sum up that argument, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. We have the Bible, a host of brilliant writers, and Fowler’s Modern English Usage vs… Quackenbos. I’ll see your Quackenbos and I’ll raise you an Albert Einstein. Oops, we’ve gone from law to poker. Please pardon the mixed metaphors. Of course, Shakespeare also occasionally mixed metaphors, but we’ll go into that another time, shall we?

Why Were Students Taught This Non-Rule Rule?

Why were we taught this non-rule rule about not starting sentences with conjunctions? Several authorities seem to think it was done to prevent school kids from writing as they often talk:

“I went to my friend’s house yesterday. And we decided to go to the mall. And while we were there we saw a whole bunch of our friends. And they were just hanging out like we were. And because we didn’t have any money that was all we could do, really.”

“But then John said he’d had a birthday, and we could all go for ice creams. But when we got to the ice-cream parlor, he found that he had left his wallet at home. But that didn’t stop us from having a good time together while teasing John that he owed us an ice-cream.”

You have to admit, that’s a bit much. So to close, we quote Oscar Wilde, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

Источник

The short answer is yes; there is nothing grammatically wrong with starting a sentence with a conjunction like but, and, or or. But this answer comes with a warning.

The idea that you shouldn’t begin a sentence with a conjunction is one of those «rules» that really isn’t — along with some others you’ve probably heard, like «never split an infinitive» and «don’t end a sentence with a preposition.» Your writing won’t be automatically bad if you break these «rules,» and the greatest writers of English have been breaking them for ages. For 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 bearskin jacket, and threw it over him, as it promised to be a very cold night . . .»
From R.L. Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: «In this character, it was frequently his fortune to be the last reputable acquaintance and the last good influence in the lives of down-going men. And to such as these, so long as they came about his chambers, he never marked a shade of change in his demeanour.»
From Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter: «Not seldom she [Pearl] would laugh anew, and louder than before, like a thing incapable and unintelligent of human sorrow. Or — but this more rarely happened — she would be convulsed with rage of grief and sob out her love for her mother in broken words, and seem intent on proving that she had a heart by breaking it.»

But before you go off with sentence-initial conjunctions, consider your audience. If you’re writing a paper for your English class, your main audience is your teacher or professor. If he or she lives and dies by the prescriptions and proscriptions of a favorite writing guide, you’d better stick to the injunctions in that book if you want a good grade.

It’s a fact in the publishing world, and especially in nonfiction, that hired authors are often expected to write according to a house style guide created by someone else. These style guides can dictate anything from whether to hyphenate underachiever to whether to treat data as singular or plural to, yes, whether or not you can begin a sentence with a conjunction. Regardless of your own style leanings, you’re expected to follow the dictates of that style guide. And so it can be in school.

However, most teachers understand that great writing doesn’t come from strict adherence to grammatical rules any more than great cooking comes from strictly following a recipe. In short, unless you know that your teacher truly believes that a sentence should never begin with a conjunction, it should be okay to do so.

Источник

На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.

На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.

The law degree you never use but mention all the time.

I would also add that store much information that never use but which we never let go just in case.

Я хотел бы также добавить, что магазин много информации, что никогда не использую, но мы никогда не отпустил на всякий случай.

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I’ll never use anything but a Braun.

I never use that but I guess some people might.

Я никогда не слышал такого, но я допускаю, что у некоторых людей это может быть.

When replacing a fusible link, never use anything but a new fusible link with the same or lower amperage rating.

При замене плавкой вставки используйте только новую плавкую вставку с таким же или более низким значением номинального тока.

You should never use anything but dump(8) and restore(8) to move the root filesystem.

Вы не должны использовать ничего, кроме dump(8) и restore(8) для переноса корневой файловой системы.

Many of the «smart» gesture controls you might never use, but at least there’s an explanation attached to most of them so you know what they do.

Многие из «умных» элементов управления жестами, которые вы, возможно, никогда не используете, но, по крайней мере, для большинства из них есть объяснение, чтобы вы знали, что они делают.

India has categorically stated that it will never use weapons first but will defend if attacked.

Индия категорически заявила, что никогда не будет использовать оружие сначала, но защитит если напавшийся.

I could never use it, but… maybe you can.

You never use it, but it gives you peace of mind.

I would never use it, but…

And you probably just will never use it, but it’s there.

That doesn’t mean that you should never use medication, but it’s important to weigh the benefits against the risks.

Это не означает, что вы никогда не должны принимать лекарства, но важно взвесить преимущества и риски.

You never use them, but for some reason you just can’t stand parting with them.

It is not clear why this extension was included, since Windows directories virtually never use extensions, but maybe some day they will.

Неясно, почему было включено такое расширение стандарта, поскольку каталоги в файловой системе Windows практически никогда не используют расширений, но, возможно, однажды они потребуются.

You’ll probably never use it, but the kudos you’ll get from playing Snake in the corner of a Shoreditch pub will make that irrelevant.

Вы, вероятно, никогда не будете его использовать, но слава, которую вы получите от игры в Snake в углу паба Shoreditch, сделает это неуместным.

Be assured that we never use force, but if need be we will protect our craft if they are threatened by others.

They had sworn that they would never use it, but they resurrected it.

Видимо, почувствовали, что они не заменимы, и успокоились».

You can use 1% ammonia solution, but never use bleach.

Russia is also an important oil exporter to Western Europe, but never uses it as an instrument of foreign policy.

Россия — также важный экспортер нефти в Западную Европу, но никогда не пользуется ею в качестве инструмента внешней политики.

Ничего не найдено для этого значения.

Результатов: 4216. Точных совпадений: 2. Затраченное время: 1611 мс

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Индекс слова: 1-300, 301-600, 601-900

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Индекс фразы: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

Источник

The Meaning of “But”

Keep Punctuation and Sentence Structure in Mind with “But”

1. however

2. though

3. whereas

4. although

5. yet

6. except

7. nevertheless

8. despite this

Pro Tip: Use Writing Tools to See the Words in Context

Conclusion

Further Reading: Business English Words

Being Wrong Can Make You Happy

When Should You Consider Starting a Sentence With “But”?

People Are Going to Argue This With You

Why Were Students Taught This Non-Rule Rule?

Другие результаты