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English 1b3 Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Except/But

Using the same sentence, except in the present tense, I...

Using the same sentence, but in the present tense, I...

Are 'except' and 'but' conjunctions joining the following clauses?

"using the same sentence" to

"(using the same sentence) in the present tense"?





Thanks
  

Top answer

There is no clause, yet they are conjunctions: 5. otherwise than: There is no hope but by prayer.

— Mister Micawber

  • There is no clause, yet they are conjunctions: 5.
  • otherwise than: There is no hope but by prayer.
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5 Answers
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There is no clause, yet they are conjunctions:

5. otherwise than: There is no hope but by prayer.
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Using the same sentence, but in the present tense

A prepositional phrase acting as an adverb modifying the nonfinite verb 'using' in that nonfinite clause...which I presume is attached by a comma to a main clause which you have not supplied.
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Using the same sentence, but in the present tense, makes it clear that the sentence is not well written.

Conjuncctions join two words, two phrases, two clauses or two sentences. Wouldn't this mean that 'but' needs to join the prepositional phrase 'in the present tense' to another prepositional phrase?
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Yes, that at least would be good style (parallelism). The elision, I think, is this:

Using the same sentence, but [the same sentence] in the present tense...

You can see why it is elided; its presence fills the statement with redundancy.
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