Meaning & use
but as a preposition
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Used to mean 'except' or 'apart from', especially after words like all, everyone, nothing, and after last or next.
Grammar: It is followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase: everyone but me; nothing but trouble.
Patterns
- everyone but someone
- nothing but something
- the last but one
Everyone but Tom agreed to the plan.
She ate nothing but fruit for three days.
The post office is the last but one building on the left.
Common combinations
- everyone but
- Everyone but the teacher was late.
- nothing but
- The room contained nothing but a broken chair.
- all but
- All but two of the students passed the exam.
- the last but one
- My house is the last but one before the corner.
Synonyms and how they differ
- except
- More common in everyday speech; 'but' is more formal and slightly literary in this meaning.
- apart from
- Usually means 'except for' and can also mean 'in addition to'; 'but' only means 'except'.
- save
- Very formal or literary; means 'except' but is rare in conversation.
Commonly confused: but as a preposition or except?
but as a preposition vs except
Both can mean 'not including', but 'except' is a preposition or conjunction that can start a clause, while 'but' in this sense usually follows all, everyone, nothing, etc. and cannot start a sentence.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence using 'but' as a preposition.
Choose one answer.
After 'everyone', 'but' means 'except' and is followed directly by the noun or pronoun: everyone but Sarah. Option 1 is wrong because 'except' is not followed by 'of' here. Option 2 is wrong because the subject 'Sarah' is repeated with 'she'. Option 3 changes the meaning to 'no one came', which is not the intended sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “but as a preposition”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.