Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[perspectives]

Hi,

I'd like to know if 'except' is any different from 'except for'? Could you please explain the nuance between them if they're not the same?

Thanks in advance!

[Yoshiyuki]

Hi,Perspectives. I found your question very interesting and tried looking for a website that would be helpful. Here's the URL.I hope it will help you.

http://www.usingenglish.com/handouts/depends on 396.htm

My understanding is as follows : 'except' and 'except for' are basically the same when used as a preposition, but when something or someone in the same category is mentioned in a sentence, either word is used, but when something or someone different is mentioned, 'except for' is used. The point is clear when we look at Q8 and Q9. In Q8, 'no one' and 'themselves' belong to the same category that has the meaning of people , while in Q9 'ones' (='materials') and 'uses,' which prepresent something different, are mentioned.
I hope this will be of some help for you, but I am afraid I have no idea about any difference in nuance between the two words as in Q8.

[perspectives]

Thank you, Yoshiyuki.

But I found the link dead. Could you please paste it again? Or, could you please paste the whole original text from that link?

Thanks once again.

[Yoshiyuki]

Sorry, Perspectives. I'll try to post the URL again.Try this. http://www.usingenglish.com/handouts/396.htm

Just in case it doesn't work, I'll post the the text.

[Yoshiyuki]

Sorry again. I've Found the mistake! Please try this URL. http://www.usingenglish.com/handouts/396.html

[perspectives]

Thank you very much, Yoshiyuki, for the links and everything. I'll read the link carefully later when I have time. Once again, thank you for going extra miles for me. Thanks!