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Cup cake Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
But
Hi Everyone,
I always think of 'but' as a conjunction.
I know it's also a preposition. However, is there any 'magic' remedy (or quick tip) that helps you see clearly whether it's acting as a conjunction or preposition?
And, how important is it for a student to know the difference?
Thanks
CC
I always think of 'but' as a conjunction.
I know it's also a preposition. However, is there any 'magic' remedy (or quick tip) that helps you see clearly whether it's acting as a conjunction or preposition?
And, how important is it for a student to know the difference?
Thanks
CC
Top answer
I just looked up 'but' in the Cambridge dictionary. It gives the following sentence as an example where but is allegedly a preposition. ' However, when I type this sentence into the parsing VISL tree structure website, it says that - but - is a conjunction, which is exactly what I would've thought.
- I just looked up 'but' in the Cambridge dictionary.
- It gives the following sentence as an example where but is allegedly a preposition.
- ' However, when I type this sentence into the parsing VISL tree structure website, it says that - but - is a conjunction, which is exactly what I would've thought.
- Ho Hum???
- I don't get it?
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6 Answers
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I just looked up 'but' in the Cambridge dictionary. It gives the following sentence as an example where but is allegedly a preposition.
'He's anything but violent.'
However, when I type this sentence into the parsing VISL tree structure website, it says that - but - is a conjunction, which is exactly what I would've thought.
Ho Hum???
'He's anything but violent.'
However, when I type this sentence into the parsing VISL tree structure website, it says that - but - is a conjunction, which is exactly what I would've thought.
Ho Hum???
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Everyone was present but Jane.
He could see nothing but clouds.
If the meaning is "except" and it is followed by a noun phrase, then it is a preposition.
He could see nothing but clouds.
If the meaning is "except" and it is followed by a noun phrase, then it is a preposition.
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Can I just say though...I just typed this sentence into the VISL parsing website, which I think is great incidentally. 
Howe
Howe
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Cup cakeDoes this mean that this website is only partially correct?It's not a human. The website probably has a rule, "But is a conjunction."
It will be correct most of the time. English has so much flexibility and exceptions, that no automation can cover all the different cases.
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