Hello!
I haven't seen that much of 'but' being used (in newspapers, magazines, etc) in the ways I quote below. I wonder: are these obsolete or would you still hear/read people using 'but' in these situations? (all examples are from Oxford Dictionary).
1) but =Â only: I don't think we'll manage it. Still, we can but try. There were a lot of famous people there: Lady Gaga and Hugh Jackman, to name but two.
2) but =Â except; apart from: We've had nothing but trouble with this car. The problem is anything but easy. Who but Rosa could think of something like that? Everyone was there but him.
3) but =Â without the (additional) circumstance that:Â There is no hope but through prayer (= There is no hope other than the hope of prayer) (this one is not clear to me).
It never rains but it pours (= It never rains without also pouring). No leaders ever existed but they were optimists (= No leaders existed who were not optimists; All leaders who ever existed were optimists).
4) but =Â that (used esp. after words like doubt, deny, etc., with a negative word like not): I don't doubt but you'll do it.
5) with the exception of: No one replied but me. Everyone but John was there.
Thank you!
Best,
Alla
Number 5 is the only one I hear and use commonly. Number 2 would not sound strange to me but I don't hear it very often. I would expect to read the rest only in literature and never hear them. However, I am reluctant to declare that they are obsolete.
Hello, Dick.
Thank you for your answer.Â
None of those examples sound the least bit "off" to me.Â
Nut I have to say, it seems like most people use but to start off a sentence, and that's really bad, logically; If you're goint to conjoin two thoughts, it should be one sentence. Starting off with a conjunctive makes the second 'sentence" a sentence fragment instead of a sentence.
And don't you hatte it when someone does that? It's an insult, really, that you matter so little, they don't bother to form legitimate sentences sentences.
Alla said ... from Oxford Dictionary ... It never rains but it pours No leaders ever existed but they were optimist
Those 2 strike no bells for me at all, Oxford or no. Â The 2nd one would've made much more sense like this: Â No leaders ever existed but as optimists.
All the others above are quite common and current usages.