'Except' & 'In which case'

Question

a) She walks home except when she is tired. In such cases, she takes the bus.b) She walks home except when she is tired, in which case, she takes the bus.1) is 'except' a conjunction or preposition (with a noun clause as object)?2) Is there an alternative joining word or phrase to 'in which case' and 'in such case'?Thanks

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

(1) You have asked a really great question.

(2) It seems that most books advise us to consider it a preposition governing a noun clause.

(3) One scholarly book I checked says that you may also consider it a conjunction standing in an elliptical clause ( = words are missing from the sentence).

(a ) Professor George O. Curme gives this example: I never do such things except when I have plenty of time.

(i) He says we may simply consider "except" as a preposition, or we may call it a conjunction (the full conjunction is "except that") standing in an elliptical clause ( = a clause that is missing). He does NOT give the elliptical clause for that example. It is ONLY my guess that it might be something like: I never do such things except (that I do such things) when I have plenty of time.

(4) I suspect that most native speakers consider "except" as a preposition in such sentences.

(5) I found some other "logical connectors":

a) She walks home except when she is tired. Then/In that case/That being the case/If so/Under those circumstances, she takes the bus.

(These examples come from Mesdames Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman's The Grammar Book.)

English 1b3 · Answer

AnonymousYou have asked a really great question.

Equally great response. Thank you.

BarbaraPA · Answer

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'Except' & 'In which case'

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