excepting
excepting — preposition
1. used before a noun to mean that the thing or person you mention is the only one
used before a noun to mean that the thing or person you mention is the only one that the main statement does not apply to.
Every shop on the street, excepting the small bakery, closed during the typhoon.
excepting + definite noun phrase
Nala invited all her cousins to the wedding, excepting Karim, who lived too far away.
excepting + named person as exclusion
The town library on Cherry Street is open every day, excepting public holidays.
Dahlia answered every question on the test, excepting the last two.
All the windows of the seaside cottage were shut, excepting one near the kitchen door.
- except
the everyday equivalent; preferred in speech and most writing
- except for
used when the exception starts the sentence or stands more independently
- apart from
neutral register, common in British English
- save
very formal and literary; rare in modern speech
- including
marks the noun as part of the group, not outside it
文法句型
excepting + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often follows a universal noun phrase such as 'every', 'all', or 'each', and singles out one item that is left out. More formal and less common than 'except' or 'except for'; the latter two are the everyday choices in modern English.
常見錯誤
excepting — verb
1. to deliberately not include someone or something in a group, list, or rule.
to deliberately not include someone or something in a group, list, or rule.
The new tax rule excepts small farms with fewer than five workers.
transitive: except + direct object
Hana asked the teacher to except her brother from the swimming class.
except + object + from + noun
Two mountain villages were excepted from the curfew because of their distance from the city.
The judge excepted the youngest defendant from the heaviest part of the sentence.
The committee excepted three names from the public list to protect their families.
- include
treat the item as part of the group
- incorporate
bring the item into the group as part of it
文法句型
except + noun (from + noun)
用法筆記
Frequently passive: 'X is excepted from Y'. Object is usually something or someone treated as a deliberate exclusion from a rule, law, list, or category. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about deciding to leave something out; sense 2 is about voicing disagreement.
常見錯誤
2. to say openly that you disagree with something or find it wrong, usually a remar
to say openly that you disagree with something or find it wrong, usually a remark, decision, or behaviour.
Eitan excepted to the chairman's tone during the meeting and asked him to apologise.
except + to + noun phrase
Several neighbours excepted to the new parking rules in a letter to the council.
except to + the thing objected to
Eric excepted strongly to the way his name had been used in the report.
The lawyer excepted to the judge's last instruction to the jury.
- object
the everyday equivalent; far more common in speech
- protest
express disagreement more strongly and often publicly
- take exception to
the modern fixed phrase that has largely replaced 'except to'
文法句型
except to + noun
用法筆記
Only sense that uses 'to' to mark the thing objected to: 'except to + noun phrase'. In modern English the fixed phrase 'take exception to' is much more common than the bare verb 'except to'. Distinguish from sense 1, where the verb takes a direct object (the thing excluded), not a 'to' phrase.
常見錯誤
excepting — conjunction
1. used to introduce a condition that would make the first part of the sentence not
used to introduce a condition that would make the first part of the sentence not true; close in meaning to 'unless' or 'apart from when'.
The old church is open to visitors every afternoon, excepting it is raining heavily.
excepting + clause as condition
Ari said he would walk to work each morning, excepting the path was blocked by snow.
excepting introduces an exception clause
Ravindra agreed to lend the book to anyone, excepting they returned it within a week.
The festival runs through the whole weekend, excepting the wind grows too strong for the stage.
- unless
the standard modern equivalent in everyday English
- except that
introduces a clause that limits the main statement
- save that
very formal and literary
文法句型
main clause + excepting + clause
用法筆記
Very rare and old-fashioned in modern English; 'unless' or 'except (that)' is used instead in almost all current writing and speech. Distinguish from sense 2 (which only introduces a noted exception, not a hypothetical condition).
常見錯誤
2. used before a clause to mention one fact that is not true of what was just state
used before a clause to mention one fact that is not true of what was just stated, in the sense of 'with this one exception'.
Rafael's plan was perfect, excepting that no one knew how to pay for it.
excepting that + counter-fact clause
Élise enjoyed the long train ride, excepting that the heating in her carriage never worked.
excepting that introduces a single drawback
The two photographs look identical, excepting that one shows a small dog under the table.
Christopher remembered every name on the team list, excepting that he forgot the new goalkeeper.
- except that
the modern everyday equivalent; far more common
- apart from the fact that
more long-winded but clearer in formal writing
文法句型
main clause + excepting that + clause
用法筆記
Use to add one limiting fact to a generally true statement. Modern English nearly always uses 'except that' here; 'excepting that' sounds formal or old-fashioned. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names a real fact, sense 1 names a hypothetical condition.
常見錯誤
3. used in older or regional English before a clause, in the sense of 'only' — that
used in older or regional English before a clause, in the sense of 'only' — that is, to give the single condition or reason that limits the main statement.
Tamás would have moved to the coast long ago, excepting his mother could not bear the heat.
excepting + clause meaning 'only that'
Lukas would have written sooner, excepting he had lost the address.
excepting introduces the single reason limiting the statement
The old farmer would tell the children stories every night, excepting he was too tired from the harvest.
Takeshi would walk home from school by himself, excepting his grandmother always met him at the corner.
- only
informal modern equivalent at the start of a limiting clause
- except that
the standard modern form for naming a single limiting fact
文法句型
main clause + excepting + clause
用法筆記
Marked as rare and old-fashioned in modern English; survives mainly in older novels and in some regional speech. Close in meaning to 'only' or 'except that'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense reads as 'the only reason it didn't happen is…'.