I. ex ‧ cept 1 S2 W2 /ɪkˈsept/ BrE AmE conjunction , preposition
1 . used to introduce the only person, thing, action, fact, or situation about which a statement is not true:
The office is open every day except Sundays.
You can have any of the cakes except this one.
except for
Everyone went except for Scott and Dan.
She felt fine except for being a little tired.
except (that)
Clarissa could think of nothing to say except that she was so sorry.
except in/by/to etc
Staff are not permitted to make personal phone calls except in an emergency.
except when/where/if
Benson kept the studio locked except when he was working there.
except do something
She had nothing to do except spend money.
except to do something
He wouldn’t talk about work, except to say that he was busy.
2 . used to give the reason why something was not done or did not happen
except (that)
Liz would have run, except that she didn’t want to appear to be in a hurry.
3 . spoken used to mention a fact that makes what you have just said seem less true
except (that)
I have earrings just like those, except they’re blue.
A date book would make a great gift, except that a lot of people already have one.
• • •
GRAMMAR
Do not say 'except of something' or 'except from something'.
Except is not used by itself to introduce a clause. Use unless or except when/where/if :
▪
We won’t go unless you really want to (NOT except you really want to).
▪
I cycle to work, except when it rains (NOT except it rains).
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ except used when saying that a statement does not include a particular person or thing. At the beginning of a sentence, you must use except for , not just except , before a noun:
The office is open every day except Sundays.
|
Except for a man walking his dog, the park was empty.
|
Most of the critics liked the play, except for one critic on the 'Los Angeles Times'.
|
Except for a few years in the early sixties and seventies, inflation has been a continuing feature of American life since World War II.
|
The area looks very much like the state of Iowa, except that it is surrounded by beautiful snow-covered mountains.
|
Except in an emergency, these doors must remain closed.
▪ apart from/aside from used when mentioning one or two things that do not fit the main thing that you are saying:
Aside from one or two minor errors, this is an excellent piece of research.
|
The films were all made in Hollywood, apart from one, which was made in the UK.
|
The weather was not very good in the first week. Apart from that, it was a good holiday.
▪ excluding/not including used when saying that something, especially a total number or amount, does not include a particular thing or person. Excluding is more formal than not including :
The software costs $49.95, not including tax.
|
Excluding students, the total number of unemployed rose from 2 million to 2.3 million.
▪ with the exception of formal except for one particular person or thing:
Denmark has more wind turbines than any other place in the world, with the exception of California.
|
With the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.
▪ but used especially after words such as nothing, all, any, anyone, everything or everyone when saying that something is the only thing, or someone is the only person:
There is nothing but trees, for mile after mile.
|
The garment covers everything but the eyes.
|
All but a few of her family died of the disease.
▪ save formal used for mentioning the only person or thing which is not included in what you are saying:
Every man she had ever loved, save her father, was now dead.
II. except 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
formal to not include something
except something from something
High technology equipment would be excepted from any trade agreement.