Using the word besides in a sentence


Asked by: Phyllis Will

Score: 4.4/5
(65 votes)

Besides is very informal and seldom used in formal contexts.

Is Beside formal?

Beside is a preposition. It means ‘at the side of’ or ‘next to’. It is rather formal: He would like to take a photograph of us.

How do you say Besides formally?

again

  1. additionally.
  2. also.
  3. besides.
  4. further.
  5. furthermore.
  6. moreover.
  7. on the contrary.
  8. on the other hand.

How do you use besides?

I have exams coming up soon, and besides that I have to study for my driver’s test. It is on this issue and more besides that they still strike insurmountable problems with no valid explanation.

Is Besides formal or informal?

Additionally, moreover, furthermore, and admittedly are very formal and are seldom found in colloquial contexts. Besides is very informal and seldom used in formal contexts.

30 related questions found

Is besides correct grammar?

«Beside» is a preposition that means «close to» or «next to.» «Besides» is also a preposition that means «in addition to» or «apart from.» It’s can also serve as an adverb that means «furthermore» or «another thing.» Example: Come and sit beside me.

Can we use besides?

( English teacher )

You can use both «besides» and besides that», but they have different meanings. «Besides» means «addition to» and you can use it in a sentence like : «Television can educate us besides entertaining us.» You can also use it to connect two sentences. e.g. «Walking in the park is really fun.

Does Besides mean instead of?

In addition, in addition to. Other than; except for; instead of. I don’t want to go anywhere besides India.

What else can I say besides And?

synonyms for and

  • along with.
  • also.
  • as a consequence.
  • as well as.
  • furthermore.
  • including.
  • moreover.
  • together with.

Is it beside the point or besides?

Beside the point is a common idiom that means “unimportant” or “not relevant to the matter at hand”. Many people incorrectly use besides the point, which is understandable since both besides and beside the point can crop up when a topic is being argued or reasoned through.

Is besides followed by also?

»Besides» as an adverb, which is a word that modifies a verb, means »also,» »as well as,» or »furthermore. » In this case, it’s usually followed by a comma (,) but not always.

Is besides followed by comma?

Besides is a preposition or a linking adverb. … As a linking adverb, we usually put a comma before and after besides in writing: I don’t think going for a walk is a good idea. It’s quite cold, and, besides, it’s getting late and we don’t want to be out in the dark.

Is except a preposition?

When to use Except

Except usually functions as a preposition or a conjunction. As a preposition, except means “but.” As a conjunction, except is often followed by “that,” and it means “only” or “with the exception of.” In the rare cases that except functions as a verb, it means “to exclude, to object.”

What is the meaning of considering besides?

(bɪˈsaɪdz ) preposition. 1. apart from; even considering.

Is it beside the fact or besides the fact?

Even though these words are very close to each other in spelling, it’s best to observe the distinctions that separate beside vs. besides. Beside is a preposition that means nearby; at the side of. Besides is an adverb and a preposition and means in addition to; as well and apart from.

How do you write besides in a formal email?

The correct way to use “besides” in the sentence is by adding “that” behind it.

Where can you use besides in a sentence?

Besides sentence example

  • Besides , those are my animals. …
  • She knows four hundred words besides numerous proper nouns. …
  • If only he would smile with something besides his eyes. …
  • What does he have that I don’t – besides money and good looks? …
  • Besides , it’s her word against mine.

Can I start a sentence with besides?

However, colloquially, beginning a sentence with «besides» makes perfect sense: «He didn’t go to the store because he was tired. Besides, it was raining.» I would usually say «And besides, it was raining», but I think that is just a personal preference.

How do you use besides as a conjunction?

Besides

  1. We can use «besides» between two sentences. I have paid a lot of money for the car. Besides, I have paid for the insurance. …
  2. we use «besides» at the end of a sentence as the word «anyway». Tom is really very kind to me. He is a good colleague, besides. …
  3. We use «besides» followed by a noun / pronoun or Ving.

What does besides you mean?

Besides something or beside something means in addition to it. I think she has many good qualities besides being very beautiful. adverb.

Is besides an adverb?

Besides can be used in the following ways: as a preposition (followed by a noun): Did you talk to anyone else besides Joan? as an adverb (without a following noun): I’ve read all the books on the list and a few others besides.

Is besides an academic word?

First of all, ‘besides’ is an informal word, so you should not use it in your academic writing. … Students want to use it synonymously with those linking words, but it has a slightly different connotation.

Is besides that informal?

These type of communications tend to be more formal grammatically than used in spoken English, which is often much more casual in grammar. Replacing ‘Additionally’ with ether ‘besides’ or ‘besides that’ is much more informal.

Is as well formal?

“As well” is a little more formal than “too” and less common in American spoken English. Many Americans do use it in writing, however. “Also” is generally more common in writing than speech.

Beside and besides sound very similar, but they have different definitions. It’s important to learn how to use them properly.

Beside vs. Besides

When you use beside, without the s, you are telling the location of something. Besides, however, means “as well,” “in addition to,” or “moreover.” The meaning depends on the context.

Graphic illustrating the difference between "beside" and "besides". "Beside" is used as a preposition, and tells the location of something. "Besides" is used as a preposition or an adverb, and is a less formal alternative to "in addition" or "moreover".

How to Use “Beside” in a Sentence

Beside means next to or at the side of. It is a preposition. 

Example sentences: 

The two dogs walked beside each other.

She put her computer beside her coffee cup.

The house beside mine is for sale.

He sat beside me at the movies.

You could switch out the word beside with next to in each of those sentences, and they would have the same meaning.

The two dogs walked next to each other.

She put her computer next to her coffee cup.

The house next to mine is for sale.

He sat next to me at the movies.

How to use “Besides” in a Sentence

Besides can be used as a preposition or an adverb. As a preposition, it means “in addition.” It can also be used as an adverb meaning “moreover.” Besides is a less formal alternative than either “in addition” or “moreover.”

She doesn’t like swimming; besides, she doesn’t even have a swimsuit.

This sentence has a conversational tone, so the word moreover might sound too formal. If you were writing an essay, you might use moreover.

She doesn’t like swimming; moreover, she doesn’t even have a swimsuit.

Another option is to use what’s more.

She doesn’t like swimming, and what’s more, she doesn’t even have a swimsuit.

You can also place besides at the beginning of a sentence.

She doesn’t like swimming. Besides, she doesn’t even have a swimsuit.

Remember that besides can also be used as in addition. Once again, besides is the less formal option.

Do you have any books besides these novels?

Do you have any books in addition to these novels?

“That’s Beside the Point”

Have you ever heard the phrase beside the point? It is a common idiom and means “not relevant” or “unimportant.” However, it is not right to say besides the point

Correct: She passed the class, but that is beside the point. She was cheating!

Incorrect: She passed the class, but that is besides the point. She was cheating!

Hopefully, now you understand the differences between beside and besides and know how to use them correctly.


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There are a lot of confusing words in English. Some sound the same; some look the same; some have very similar definitions but differ in function. Such is the case for the two words beside and besides. Many writers aren’t sure when to use beside or besides in their writing since both words look alike. Can they be used interchangeably? Or do they have different functions?

Today, I want to answer any questions you may have about these two words.

What is the Difference Between Beside and Besides?

In this post, I want to discuss the differences between besides and beside. I will outline their definitions, their functions in a sentence, and their use in popular phrases. Plus, at the end, I will give you a trick to keep track of them. After reading this post, you shouldn’t mix up besides vs. beside ever again.

When to Use Beside

what is the meaning of prepositionThe word beside (without the “s”) functions as a preposition and its most common definition is at the side of; next to.

  • My best friend will always stand beside me.
  • The soldier had his pistol beside his hips.
  • We all sat beside the fire and cooked smores.
  • “The greatest player in the game today, alongside the Great One, standing beside the kid poised to take over their legacy.” – USA Today

Beside also has a few figurative definitions: in comparison with; on equal footing with.

  • This policy seems quite mainstream when it’s beside the others.
  • You have earned your place beside the best reporters in the industry.

Both of these still have to do with the first definition of being next to something or someone, but they are more figurative or imaginary, as opposed to literally sitting beside someone.

Popular Phrases Using Beside

There are two popular phrases that always use the word beside, not besides. Those phrases are beside the point and beside oneself.

  • That is completely beside the point. (Irrelevant to matter at hand)
  • I am completely beside myself right now. (Extremely excited or agitated)

When to Use Besides

beside versus besidesThe word besides (with the “s”) can function as both an adverb and a preposition.

As an adverb, besides is defined as in addition to, as well; moreover, furthermore.

  • I’m perfectly willing to take on more work and, besides, I want to.
  • I’m too tired to go swimming. Besides, the water is too cold.
  • “Besides, I had no doubt that in the future we would be close friends or more.” – New York Daily News

As a preposition, besides is defined as in addition to; apart from.

  • Besides the award, there was a write-up in the local paper.
  • No one besides the store manager can make that call.
  • Besides your father, no one else understands where I’m coming from.

How to Avoid Confusion

preposition beside grammar and usage rulesIn best usage, beside is used exclusively for the meaning at the side of. Similarly, besides, as a preposition, is used exclusively for the meanings in addition to and except for.

Sometimes writers ignore this distinction and it leads to confusion in the mind of the reader. For example,

  • Beside all of the ice cream, the dog ate the cake.

If the distinction between the two meanings in preposition form is not observed, it is not clear whether the above sentence is saying the dog was near the ice cream while it ate the cake or that the dog ate both the ice cream and the cake.

In order to avoid such ambiguity, it’s best to observe the distinction.

Remember the Difference

A great way to remember the difference between besides or beside is to look at the length of each word.

Besides has one additional letter on the end and means in addition to. You can remember that the longer word means in addition to.

Summary

Even though these words are very close to each other in spelling, it’s best to observe the distinctions that separate beside vs. besides.

Beside is a preposition that means nearby; at the side of.

Besides is an adverb and a preposition and means in addition to; as well and apart from.

Contents

  • 1 What is the Difference Between Beside and Besides?
  • 2 When to Use Beside
  • 3 Popular Phrases Using Beside
  • 4 When to Use Besides
  • 5 How to Avoid Confusion
  • 6 Remember the Difference
  • 7 Summary

Examplesentences.org

Here you can find a large assortment of example sentences for the word besides, or in other words sentences that can help you learn how to use besides in a sentence. Learning how to use a word in a sentences can be very helpful, for example when it comes to learning how to use the word in a sentence, in which context the word can be used as well as to learn the true meaning of the word «besides».

Besides in a sentence

Here below you will find several sentences that illustrate how to use the word besides in a sentence.


  1. Food is besides the point».


  2. At least eight other songs exist besides the main call.


  3. The park has many other kinds of fossils besides trees.


  4. Clarke had his mind on other things besides awards and El Alamein.


  5. He took gifts with him, besides the soil to be placed on his grave.


  6. Little else occurs on these two days besides visits to the snowy Mt.


  7. I am his «Padrone» and his «amico», and the Lord knows what besides.


  8. And besides, how much talking there was about current musical matters!


  9. On 8 January 1986, El-Sayed appeared in front of TV cameras besides Pehr G.


  10. Beaver families can have as many as ten members besides the monogamous pair.


  11. I need to have something besides a husband and children to devote myself to!


  12. Most of the other actors besides Krauss and Veidt have a more naturalistic style.


  13. However, paddle wheel craft found other uses besides effective assaults in warfare.


  14. Her husband, meanwhile, served in the Home Guard, besides continuing as a barrister.


  15. Devil May Cry contains puzzles and other challenges besides regular combat gameplay.


  16. It is 12 feet (3.7 metres) long and devoid of any decoration besides the inscription.


  17. Davis wrote «his problem besides continuing sadness over his son’s death was money.».


  18. Aang’s Air Acolytes also were unaware that Aang had two other children besides Tenzin.


  19. Good word of mouth publicity played a part in its popularity besides the positive reviews.


  20. Each character has four unique moves, which often cause effects besides damage to an opponent.


  21. They rarely come ashore besides the females’ brief visits to construct nests and deposit eggs.


  22. Around Nathu La and the Tibetan side, the region has little vegetation besides scattered shrubs.


  23. Within the League’s Assembly, Nansen spoke out on many issues besides those related to refugees.


  24. Other human weaknesses besides improvidence have become identified with the grasshopper’s behaviour.


  25. Moor stated that there are few writers besides Brumm, mostly animators already working on the series.


  26. Other inversive solutions to the planar problem are possible besides the common ones described below.


  27. There is no clearly defined end to the ironclad, besides the transition from wood hulls to all-metal.


  28. It was the last song Wilco ever released that was lyrically solely written by a member besides Tweedy.


  29. The Garden Park locality in Colorado contained, besides Ceratosaurus, fossils attributed to Allosaurus.


  30. Difficulties with the diffusers and pumps paled into insignificance besides those with the porous barrier.


  31. There are a number of other bodies and posts responsible for the running of parliament besides these speakers.


  32. Fossil evidence has shown that besides aquatic prey, spinosaurids also consumed other dinosaurs and pterosaurs.


  33. Most wordless novelists were not prolific; few besides Masereel and Lynd Ward produced more than a single book.


  34. Both Raymond Hood and John Todd believed that the center needed visual enhancement besides the rooftop gardens.


  35. Interest in wordless novels was short-lived, and few besides Masereel and Ward produced more than a single work.


  36. Fifty-three of the enemy were killed and prisoners taken, besides a machine gun, many rifles, and much equipment.


  37. Sibelius was delighted with the new piece, writing to Aino, «It’s as though I have found myself, and more besides.


  38. Hence, prior to the invention of the telescope, nothing was known about the planet besides its position on the sky.


  39. Bizet would later write to Marmontel: «In your class one learns something besides the piano; one becomes a musician».


  40. Westmore reasoned that since the Borg had traveled the galaxy, they would have assimilated other races besides humans.


  41. The only player besides Musial to hit five home runs in a doubleheader is Nate Colbert, who achieved the feat in 1972.


  42. The stated reason for the change of title was that Final Fantasy XIII and Type-0 shared little besides the core mythos.


  43. His fortune and influence grew: he became the first lawman and judge in the settlement, besides being a land appraiser.


  44. Popes called for crusades to take place elsewhere besides the Holy Land: in Spain, southern France, and along the Baltic.


  45. For the next three years, besides teaching piano to the Thun children, Smetana studied theory and composition under Proksch.


  46. Ira Allen, besides being a military leader, was a member of the convention that declared Vermont independent in January 1777.


  47. Shen Kuo wrote several other books besides the Dream Pool Essays, yet much of the writing in his other books has not survived.


  48. According to Samuel, Berg became moody and snappish after the war, and did not seem to care for much in life besides his books.


  49. Ealdred, besides his episcopal duties, served Edward the Confessor, the King of England, as a diplomat and as a military leader.


  50. The game allows the player to unlock other modes of transport besides the taxi, including a stroller, a pedal bike and a carriage.

Synonyms for besides

Another way to better understand how a word can be used is to examine what synonyms it has, and how these synonyms can be used. For example, the word besides has the following synonyms: in any case, too, also, likewise and as well.

General information about «besides» example sentences

The example sentences for the word besides that we present on this web site, stems from different official sources. For example one of our sources are articles on Wikipedia that are classified as at least Good articles. But we also use news articles, books and other generic texts to gather example sentences of how the word «besides» can be used in a sentence. To the right of every sentence you will find a link out arrow that sends you to the source of the sentence, where you can access the full text and context for the presented example sentence. This can be useful because some words can sometimes be difficult to understand with only a sentence for context, whereas the full article or text can help you gain insight on how to use the word «besides».

The words Beside and Besides seem to have the same meaning but they are quite different from each other in usage and definition. Let’s check out Beside vs Besides vs Except for differences.

Semantic Difference between Beside and Besides

The words beside and besides semantically differ from each other. The word Beside means “by the side of” or “next to somebody or something”. It is also used to compare with somebody or something. Whereas the word Besides means “in addition to something or somebody” or ” apart from somebody or something”. Below are given some examples of Beside and Besides.

“Beside” Examples

Example 1: I sat beside my mother all night.

Example 2: There is a textile mill beside the River Thames.

Example 3: John’s painting looks childish beside yours.

Example 4: Your work looks quite impressive beside hers.

“Besides” Examples

Example 1: You and I have lots of things in common besides music.

Example 2: What other vegetables do you like besides carrots.

Example 3: Besides reading novels, I also like writing short stories in my spare time.

Example 4: There is no one in my family besides my only son.

Beside in a sentence

  1. The child was sitting beside her mother.
  2. Go and sit beside your brother.
  3. They walked beside each other in silence.
  4. I placed the book on the table beside hers.
  5. She was beside herself with rage when I slapped her.

Besides in a sentence

The usage of besides at the beginning of a sentence is given below.

  1. Besides Spanish, I know German and Italian.
  2. Besides balloons, they also bought many candies for the niece.
  3. Besides the English book, I have the Encyclopedia.
  4. What other sports do you play besides basketball?
  5. Besides, it is too late now.

Which part of speech is Beside?

The word Beside is a preposition. It means “next to or at the side of”. For example – You can sit here beside me.

Which part of speech is Besides?

The word Besides is a preposition. It means “in addition to somebody or something”. For example – What other sports do you like besides cricket?

The word Besides is an adverb also. It is used to make an extra comment that adds to what you have just said. For example – I don’t really want to go there. Besides, it is too late.

The word Besides is a preposition and it means “in addition to”. For example – What other English desserts do you like besides pineapple pudding?

The word Except is also a preposition and it means ” apart from”. It is used to mention the only thing that is not included in the statement. For example:

  • I like all English traditional desserts except pineapple pudding.
  • The miners work every day except Friday.
  • All students attended the class except Manisha.
  • I have everything for the trip except a pair of good leather shoes.

Beside and Besides Exercises

1. __________________ working as an engineer, she also writes poems in her free time.

Show Answer

Answer – Besides

2. Your answer is ________________ the point.

Show Answer

Answer – Beside

3. __________________ advising me, she gave me money.

Show Answer

Answer – Besides

4. Both the girls came late in the classroom and sat ___________________ me.

Show Answer

Answer – Beside

5. ____________________ Salman, all of the boys were present in the lab.

Show Answer

Answer – Besides

6. I have got no family _________________ my parents.

Show Answer

Answer – Besides

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