Do you really know the use of the conjunction but

The word but is one of the seven coordinating conjunctions in English (the others are and, or, so, for, nor, and yet). It’s used to connect two statements that contrast or contradict each other in some way.
but是英语中七个并列连词之一（其他连词是and，or，so，for，nor，and yet）。它被用来连接两个在某种程度上相互对比或矛盾的陈述。
For example, learning English is difficult but fun! But getting into the specifics of such commonly used words can be tricky. This article will answer some questions you may have about how to use but.
例如，学英语很难，但很有趣！但要了解这些常用词的具体情况可能会很棘手。本文将回答一些关于如何使用but的问题。
When do I use a comma?
我什么时候用逗号？
According to standard grammar, a comma is used before a coordinating conjunction to connect two independent clauses. An independent clause is a clause with both a subject and a verb so that it can stand on its own. If the second clause does not contain a subject, then no comma is needed.
根据标准语法，在并列连词之前使用逗号连接两个独立的从句。独立从句是一个既有主语又有动词的从句，它可以独立存在。如果第二个子句不包含主题，则不需要逗号。
He liked the meal, but not the dessert. (No comma)
他喜欢这顿饭，但不喜欢甜点。（无逗号）
He liked the meal, but didn’t like the dessert. (No comma)
他喜欢这顿饭，但不喜欢甜点。（无逗号）
He liked the meal, but he didn’t like the dessert. (Here, the subject is listed both times, making both clauses independent. A comma is appropriate.)
他喜欢这顿饭，但不喜欢甜点。（此处，主题同时列出，使两个条款独立。逗号是合适的。）
However, this is a rule that not many native speakers are aware of. Most people will place commas according to where they would naturally make a small pause while speaking.
然而，这是一个规则，不是很多母语人士都知道。大多数人会根据说话时自然会停顿的地方放置逗号。
When do I use “but rather”?
我什么时候用“but rather”？
While but can be used to contrast two statements, it can also be used in the construction “not this but that.” For example:
虽然可以用来对比两种说法，但也可以用在“不是这个而是那个”的结构中，例如：
It wasn’t a drought but more of a dry spell.
这不是旱灾，而是出于干旱期。
This sentence is saying that whatever happened wasn’t a drought. Instead, it was a dry spell. To convey this idea, we use the conjunction but. We could also replace this with the phrase but rather.
这句话是说无论发生什么都不是干旱。相反，这是一个干旱期。为了表达这个想法，我们使用连词but。我们也可以用这个短语来代替它，但更确切地说。
It wasn’t a drought but rather more of a dry spell.
这不是旱灾，而是一次干旱期。
The phrase but rather could also just be a combination of but and rather in their separate usages.
but-rate这个短语也可以是but和rather的组合，而是它们各自的用法。
You’d think he would break up with her face-to-face. But rather than doing that, he decided to do it over the phone. (Here, but is used as a contrast to the previous sentence, not in combination with rather.)
你会认为他会和她当面分手。但他决定不那样做，而是通过电话。（此处，但用作与前一句的对比，而不是与相反的组合。）
What’s the difference between “but” or “yet”?
“but”和“yet”有什么区别？
But and yet are conjunctions with very similar meanings, and usually, when you can use the word yet, you can replace it with but. The difference is that yet means something more like “despite that” or “regardless of that.” Grammatically speaking, it has a concessive meaning. He’s given her so many red flags, yet she still wants to be with him. (In other words, He’s given her so many red flags. Despite that, she still wants to be with him.)
但是and-yet是具有非常相似含义的连词，通常，当您可以使用yet这个词时，您可以用but替换它。不同的是，它的意思更像是“尽管”或“不考虑”。从语法上讲，它有一个让步的意思。他给了她那么多红旗，但她仍然想和他在一起。（换句话说，他给了她那么多的红旗。尽管如此，她还是想和他在一起。）
I attended every lecture in the class, and yet I still don’t understand anything. (It’s possible to use yet with and, making it more of an adverb than a conjunction.)
我参加了班上的每一堂课，但仍然什么都不懂。（还可以与and连用，使之更像副词而不是连词。）
Apparently, she keeps a calendar, yet she always forgets about the plans she makes.
显然，她有日历，但她总是忘记自己的计划。
In all these examples, you could probably replace yet with but and still have it make sense.
在所有这些例子中，您可能还可以用but替换，但仍然有意义。
He’s given her so many red flags, but she still wants to be with him.
他给了她那么多红旗，但她还是想和他在一起。
I attended every lecture in the class, but I still don’t understand anything.
我参加了班上的每一堂课，但我还是什么都不懂。
Apparently, she keeps a calendar, but she always forgets about the plans she makes.
显然，她有日历，但她总是忘记自己的计划。
The difference is that but only creates a simple contrast. If you really want to say, “This is true, but none of it really matters because…”, then yet is a much better way to convey that nuance.
不同的是，这只会产生一个简单的对比。如果你真的想说，“这是真的，但没有一个是真的，因为…”，那么这是一个更好的方式来表达这种细微差别。
When can I use “but” at the beginning of a sentence?
我什么时候可以在句子的开头使用“but”？
While you may have formally been taught that a sentence can’t begin with a conjunction, the reality is that you can begin any sentence with a conjunction. The two following examples basically mean the same thing:
虽然你可能已经正式地被教导一个句子不能以连词开头，但事实是你可以以连词开头。以下两个例子的意思基本相同：
I’ll come with you and keep you company if you want. But I’m not going to enjoy it.
如果你愿意，我会和你一起去陪你。但我不会喜欢的。
Why make a clause with a conjunction its own separate sentence? It depends on how you like to break up your sentences.
为什么把连词从句变成单独的句子？这取决于你喜欢如何分句。
Periods usually convey more of a break between ideas than commas do. You might also want to avoid run-on sentences that use too many commas.
句号通常比逗号更能表达思想间的停顿。您可能还希望避免在使用过多逗号的句子上运行。
When do I use “but also”?
我什么时候用“but also”？
The phrase but also is similar to but rather, but instead of meaning “not this but that,” it means “not just this but also that.” It’s used to add even more additional information than might be expected.
这个短语“但是”与“但是”类似，但它的意思不是“不是这个而是那个”，它的意思是“不仅是这个，而且是那个”。它用于添加比预期更多的附加信息。
They not only spilled beer all over the floor but also broke one of the lamps.
他们不仅把啤酒洒得满地都是，还打碎了一盏灯。
You’re not just a mother but also a friend.
你不仅是母亲，还是朋友。
When using this phrase, be sure to create parallel constructions if you want to be grammatically correct. This means linking phrases of the same kind together.
使用这个短语时，如果你想语法正确，一定要创建平行结构。这意味着将同类短语连接在一起。
In the following sentence, the placement of the word only makes it so that it connects nouns together, therefore making it a parallel construction.
在下面的句子中，单词的位置只使它把名词连接在一起，因此使它成为一个平行结构。
He doesn’t know only Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
他不仅懂西班牙语，还懂葡萄牙语和意大利语。
This next sentence is incorrect because it connects a verb (“to know”) with nouns (“Portuguese and Italian”).
下一个句子是不正确的，因为它把动词（“to know”）与名词（“葡萄牙语和意大利语”）连接起来。
He not only knows Spanish but also Portuguese and Italian.
他不仅懂西班牙语，还懂葡萄牙语和意大利语。
When I can I use “but not limited to”?
我什么时候可以用“but not limited to”？
You can use the phrase including but not limited to when you want to list some items in a category, but you also want to indicate there are many more besides that. It basically means the same thing as the word including by itself but emphasizes the high amount of things in a given category. Usually, this phrase is found in legal contexts, maybe because the wording is more precise.
您可以使用短语including，但不限于当您要列出某个类别中的某些项时，但您也要指出除此之外还有许多项。它基本上和单词本身的意思是一样的，但它强调了给定类别中的大量事物。通常，这个短语出现在法律语境中，可能是因为措辞更精确。
The job involves many tasks, including but not limited to serving customers, checking inventory, cleaning the workspace, and taking phone calls.
这项工作涉及许多任务，包括但不限于为客户服务、检查库存、清洁工作区和接听电话。
Natural language processing has a wide variety of applications, including but not limited to chatbots, language translation, sentiment analysis, and spell check.
自然语言处理有着广泛的应用，包括但不限于聊天机器人、语言翻译、情感分析和拼写检查。
The book covers many topics, including but not limited to the Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, and Jim Crow laws.
这本书涵盖了许多主题，包括但不限于内战、重建时代和吉姆·克劳定律。
What’s the difference between “but” and “although”?
“但是”和“虽然”有什么区别？
This question is tricky because although can have two different usages.
这个问题很棘手，因为虽然有两种不同的用法。
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The first is to mean “despite the fact that” or “even though,” which is like saying, “What I’m about to say doesn’t really matter.” In this case, the clause that although introduces will usually come before the main clause.
第一个意思是“尽管”或者“尽管”，就像是说，“我要说的并不重要。”在这种情况下，尽管引入的子句通常会在主子句之前。
Although it was scorching outside, we still decided risk sunburns and go hiking.
虽然外面很热，我们还是决定冒着晒伤的危险去远足。
Although I had a test the next morning, I decided to go out with my friends and ended up coming home late.
尽管第二天早上我做了个测试，但我还是决定和朋友们出去玩，结果回家晚了。
Then there is the second usage of although, which is to mean the same thing as but, except it tends to indicate more of an afterthought rather than a firm contrast.
第二个用法是虽然，意思和但是是一样的，只是它倾向于表示更多的事后思考，而不是坚定的对比。
This is usually when although comes after the main clause, which is how you’ll be able to tell the difference between the two meanings.
这通常发生在主从句之后，也就是你如何区分这两个意思的时候。
I really didn’t want to go to the show, although it did end up being somewhat interesting. (This can be like saying, Now that I think about it, it was sort of interesting.)
我真的不想去看这个节目，尽管最后确实有些有趣。（这就像是说，现在我想起来了，这有点有趣。）
Mark’s thinking about transferring schools, although I’m not sure why. I thought he liked it here. (Using although instead of but indicates that the main topic is about Mark, not what the speaker thinks.)
马克正在考虑转学，尽管我不知道为什么。我以为他喜欢这里。（使用虽然而不是但是表示主要话题是关于马克的，而不是说话者的想法。）
If you want to create a contrast or transition between what you were just talking about and a topic that’s just as important, it might be better to use but instead of although, such as in this sentence:
如果你想在你刚才所说的和同样重要的话题之间建立一个对比或过渡，最好使用，但不要使用，例如在这句话中：
Mental illness can be difficult or awkward to talk about, but there are many ways we can be supportive.
精神疾病可能很难或很难谈论，但有很多方法我们可以支持。
The main point is not that mental illness is a difficult subject. Instead, the speaker is trying to transition into a topic they want to talk about. This makes but a much more appropriate choice than although.
重点并不是说精神疾病是一门难学的学科。取而代之的是，演讲者试图转换成他们想谈论的话题。这是一个比“虽然”更合适的选择。
What’s the difference between “but” and “except”?
“but”和“except”有什么区别？
Except (that) is another conjunction that means something similar to but, except it indicates more of an exception than a contrast (I just used it now!).
Except（that）是另一个连词，它的意思与but类似，只是它表示的是一个异常，而不是一个对比（我现在才使用它！）.
Maybe you want to state something that’s true except for one detail. In that case, except will help you convey that better than but.
也许你想说一些事实，除了一个细节。在这种情况下，除了会帮助你传达比但是更好。
He and I are on good terms, except he still needs to pay me the money he owes. We have everything we need for dinner, except that I still need to buy oil.
他和我的关系很好，只是他还得把欠我的钱还给我。我们有晚餐所需的一切，除了我还需要买石油。
A: Everything’s fine, except…
A： 一切都很好，除了…
B: Except what?
B： 除了什么？
Don’t confuse this with the phrase except for, which is used as a preposition, not a conjunction. You can only follow it with noun phrases.
不要把这个和短语混淆，除了用作介词而不是连词的for。你只能用名词短语跟在后面。
Everyone submitted their entries on time except for him.
除了他以外，每个人都按时提交了参赛作品。
He and I are on good terms, except for the fact that he still needs to pay me the money he owes.
他和我的关系很好，只是他还需要把欠我的钱还给我。
Practice
练习
Time for some practice! The following sentences each have an error in them. Try to spot them and see if you can correct them.
是时候练习了！下列句子各有一处错误。试着找出它们，看看你能不能纠正它们。
It’s not the concerts themselves rather the social experience that I enjoy.
我喜欢的不是音乐会本身，而是社会经验。
I can teach you how to play many genres, including and not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues.
我可以教你如何演奏许多流派，包括但不限于爵士乐、摇滚乐、乡村音乐和蓝调。
He drives not only poorly but also can’t park properly.
他开车不仅不好，而且停车也不好。
A lot of times, we follow rules, but don’t really understand why.
很多时候，我们遵循规则，但并不真正理解为什么。
He spent hours and hours more on the painting, but it still looks bad. (What could you replace but with to show that his work was useless?)
他花了越来越多的时间在这幅画上，但看起来还是很糟糕。（你能用什么来代替，但要证明他的工作是无用的？）
Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an exception?)
总的来说，这部电影很棒，但结局本可以更好。（除了表示更多的异常之外，您可以用什么替换？）
Overall, the movie was great, but the ending could have been better. (What could you replace but with to indicate more of an afterthought?)
总的来说，这部电影很棒，但结局本可以更好。（你可以用什么来代替，但是用以表示更多的事后思考？）
Answers:
回答：
It’s not the concerts themselves but rather the social experience that I enjoy. (You need the whole phrase but rather, not just rather.)
我喜欢的不是音乐会本身，而是社会经验。（你需要整句话，但不仅仅是。）
I can teach you how to play many genres, including but not limited to jazz, rock, country, and the blues. (“Including and not limited to” is not a standard expression.)
我可以教你如何演奏多种类型的音乐，包括但不限于爵士乐、摇滚乐、乡村音乐和蓝调。（“包括但不限于”不是标准表达式。）
He not only drives poorly but also can’t park properly. OR Not only does he drive poorly, but he also can’t park properly. (Either of these makes the sentence a parallel construction.)
他不仅开车不好，而且停车也不好。或者他不仅开车不好，而且停车也不好。（这两种情况中的任何一种使句子成为一个平行结构。）
A lot of times, we follow the rules but don’t really understand why. (The second clause is not an independent clause, so you don’t need to use a comma.)
很多时候，我们遵循规则，但并不真正理解为什么。（第二个子句不是独立子句，因此不需要使用逗号。）
He spent hours and hours more on the painting, yet it still looks bad. (Now, you can tell more how useless his effort was.)
他花了越来越多的时间在这幅画上，但它看起来仍然很糟糕。（现在，你可以知道他的努力是多么的无用。）
Overall, the movie was great, except the ending could have been better. (Now, it’s specified that the ending was really the one thing wrong with the movie.)
总的来说，这部电影很棒，只是结局本可以更好。（现在，已经明确了结局确实是电影的一个问题。）
Overall, the movie was great, although the ending could have been better. (Now, it sounds more like the speaker doesn’t care as much about the ending.)
总的来说，这部电影很棒，尽管结局本可以更好。（现在，这听起来更像是演讲者不太在乎结局。）