preposition
1
BAD : Except smoke and traffic fumes, there are several other types of pollution.
GOOD : Besides smoke and traffic fumes, there are several other types of pollution.
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except = not including; but not: 'She eats everything except fish.'
besides = in addition to: 'Besides football, he also plays tennis and badminton.'
2
BAD : The old lady never spoke to anyone except someone came to visit her.
GOOD : The old lady never spoke to anyone unless someone came to visit her.
GOOD : The old lady never spoke to anyone except when someone came to visit her.
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Except (a preposition) cannot be followed by a clause that has a finite verb ('came'). Use unless (a conjunction) or except when, except while, except if, except that : 'Americans are just like any other people in the world, except that they are more tolerant.' 'He tends to ignore me except when he needs something.'
3
BAD : I had never really spoken to him except saying hello.
GOOD : I had never really spoken to him except to say hello.
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When you are talking about purpose, use except + to-v: 'I rarely go the market, except to buy vegetables.'
4
BAD : They want nothing except seeing that the children are happy.
GOOD : They want nothing except to see that the children are happy.
BAD : My brother is good at everything except to wash the dishes.
GOOD : My brother is good at everything except washing the dishes.
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The choice of verb form after except is sometimes determined by a word that comes earlier in the sentence, e.g. want + to-v, good at + v-ing.
5
BAD : In their free time they do nothing except going from one cafeteria to another.
GOOD : In their free time they do nothing except go from one cafeteria to another.
BAD : She was willing to do anything except to tell me her name.
GOOD : She was willing to do anything except tell me her name.
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do (anything/nothing/what you like etc) + except + bare infinitive: 'There was nothing I could do except sit and wait.'