Meaning & use
except
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Meanings
preposition
Not including a particular person, thing, or situation; apart from.
Grammar: Used before a noun or pronoun to show the only thing not included. 'Everyone except me' means everyone else, not me.
Patterns
- except someone/something
- except for someone/something
- all except someone/something
The whole class passed the test except Tom.
I've finished all my homework except the math problems.
Everyone was invited except the people who had already left.
verbtransitive
To exclude someone or something from a general statement or group.
Grammar: Takes an object: except someone from something. Often used in passive: be excepted from.
Patterns
- except someone from something
- be excepted from something
The teacher excepted the sick student from the pop quiz.
Certain items are excepted from the sale.
We excepted John from the list because he was away.
Word forms
| third person singular | excepts |
|---|---|
| past tense | excepted |
| past participle | excepted |
| -ing form | excepting |
Common combinations
- except for
- The room was empty except for a single chair.
- except that
- I would go, except that I have to work.
- except when
- The store is open daily except when it's a holiday.
- nothing except
- She eats nothing except vegetables and fruit.
- except in
- The rule applies everywhere except in this one case.
Synonyms and how they differ
- apart from
- Common in British English and often interchangeable with 'except for'; 'apart from' can also mean 'in addition to', so context matters.
- other than
- Slightly more formal; often used after a negative: 'no one other than you'.
- but
- Used like 'except' after words like all, everyone, nothing: 'everyone but me'. More literary or formal in this sense.
- excluding
- More formal and often used in writing about prices or groups: 'the price is $50, excluding tax'.
Opposites
Word family
- exception noun
- A person or thing that is not included in a general rule or statement.
- exceptional adjective
- Unusually good or different from others; also used for things that are rare exceptions.
- exceptionally adverb
- In a way that is unusual or outstanding.
Commonly confused: except or accept?
except vs accept
These sound similar but have opposite meanings: 'except' means not including, while 'accept' means to agree to take or receive something. 'Everyone except me' vs. 'I accept your gift'.
Practice
Choose the correct word: 'Everyone was invited to the party ___ Sarah.'
Choose one answer.
'Except' means not including, so it fits here: Sarah was not invited. 'Accept' means to receive or agree to, which doesn't make sense in this context. 'Expect' means to think something will happen, and 'excerpt' is a short part of a text.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “except”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.