简析英语中“除……外”的词组
湖南省洞口一中 彭先君 422300
在英语中能表达“除外；除……之外”意思的介词或词组常用的有 besides、except、but、except for、but for、other than 以及apart from 等。学生对这些词的具体运用容易弄混，给阅读和写作带来一定的困难。现就这些词的区别与用法做如下总结。
一、except 、but 和besides
A. 当我们要表示“从整体里减去一部分”，常用except和but。except的含意是因为“所说的道理或事实不能适用于那部分”，着重于“排除在外”。如：
1. Everybody went to the exhibition except/but Mary.
2. I had nothing in the world except/but a one-million-pound note.
值得注意的是，but多用在序数词、all、none、who以及由every-，any-，no-词缀构成的复合词如everything，anywhere，nobody等之后，如：
1. In the maths competition he won the first place but two. (第三名)
2. They are all gone but me.
3. There is no one but me in the office now..
4. Who but George would do such a thing?
5. You can get the book anywhere but here.
还有，but 之后可接动词不定式。如果but前有行为动词do（不管它以何种形式出现），动词不定式前的to常省略；反之保留to。如：
1. Jenny could do nothing but accept the offer.
2. He didn’t ask anything but to see his son in safety.
3. The bear had no choice but to lie down and sleep.
4. They didn’t open their mouths except to complain
B. 表示“除了甲做了某事外，乙也做了某事”， 即“除……以外，另外还有……”时，要用 besides。着重“另外还有”。这时做了某事的应是甲乙相加的和。如：
1. What else did you see besides the dolphins in the Ocean Park?
2. Brown bought two other books besides this dictionary.
3. Besides the pupils, all the teachers donated money to help those in trouble.
C. 注意，except、but和besides之后所接的部分逻辑上应与前面所说明的部分在句法功能上一致。如果都是名词，其类别也应相等。请看下列句子：
1. He went nowhere but/except to the museum. （nowhere 和 to the museum 作地点状语）
2. We had piano lessons every day except at the weekend. （every day 和 at the weekend 作时间状语）
3. When questioned, he said he knew nothing about the murder except that two were killed. （nothing和that two were killed作宾语）
4. He seldom comes here except when he wants money. （seldom 和when he wants money 作时间状语）
5. All the farmers were affected to tears besides the workers. （all the farmers 和the workers
都是表人的名词，作主语）
D. 此外，except 还可以做动词用，表“除, 把……除外, 反对, 不计”， 其名词形式是exception, 有分词形式excepting 和excepted。
1. You will be punished, I can except no one.
2. Everyone enjoyed walking home, John excepted.
3. All of us, nobody excepted, agree to the decision.
excepting = except, 但一般用于句首或用于not，without，always等词之后。如：
1. Excepting his brother, they are all right.
2. Everyone, not excepting myself, must share the blame.
3. All of us, without excepting those who know more about the subject, should study.
4. All my brothers come here every day, always excepting the youngest.
5. The crew on the ship were all saved excepting the captain.
二、except for和but for
两者都表示 “如果没有……; 要不是有……（的话）；除……之外”。用except for时，除开的和前（后）面所说明的不是同类事物，常用来对前面所说明的事物进行细节上的更正，语气上通常表示遗憾。
1. Your composition is well written except for a few misspellings.
句中a few misspellings(除去的）和Your composition（前面所说明的）是不同类的事物。
2. He leads a typical American way of life, except for one thing－he looks exactly like the President, Bill Mitchell. (2004全国卷III 完形填空)
句中one thing－he looks exactly like the President, Bill Mitchell (除去的）和a typical American way of life（所说明的）是不同类的事物。
3. Except for some old furniture, the castle is quite empty.
句中some old furniture (除去的）和the castle（后面所说明的）是不同类的事物。
而but for 只用于虚拟语气，可与 without、if it were not for… 、if it had not been for…互换。如：
But for your kind help, I wouldn’t have finished the task so easily.
But for your kind help = Without your kind help/If it hadn’t been for your kind help/If I hadn’t had your kind help.
三、apart from
apart from 具有多重意义：既可表示besides，也可以表示except 或except for，还可以表示without的意思。如：
1. Apart from the cost, it will take a lot of time. (= besides)
2. All the children like music apart from Bobby. (= except)
3. This is a good composition, apart from a few grammar mistakes. (= except for)
4. There can be no knowledge apart from practice. （＝ without） (实践出真知)
四、other than
other than “除了……，除……之外；”相当于 except , but。如：
1. There’s nobody here other than me. 除了我这里没别人。
2. You can't get there other than by swimming. 你只能靠游泳游到那边去。
3. The action group has also found acceptable paper made from materials other than wood, such as agricultural waste. (03 NMET)
4. When I go out in the evening I use the bike other than the car if I can.
值得注意的是与此相似的 rather than。用法较活。请看下列句子：
1. The man is stupid rather than honest, I think.
我想，与其说那男子诚实，不如说是愚蠢更恰当。
2. I’d prefer to go for a walk rather than sit here watching them play football.
我宁愿去散步而不想坐在这儿看他们踢足球。
3. Rather than cause trouble, the boys left in a hurry.
4. We would rather rent the house than buy it outright.
我们宁可租这幢房子，也不愿直接买下它。
5. We would rather receive money than the usual gifts.
我们宁可接受钱而不希望受到通常的礼物。
五、练习题
用besides、except、but、except for、but for、other than 以及apart from的适当形式填空
1. The suit fitted him well __________ the color was a little brighter.
2. As the last bus had gone, we had no choice ____ to walk home.
3. The retired worker usually waters his garden every day ________ rainy days.
4. _________ being too large, the trousers don’t suit me.
5. She helps cooking and washing ______ attending the old man.
6. I lost everything _______ my watch while living in that hotel.
7. Does John know any other foreign language _______ French and German?
8. You would have failed __________ her help.
9. Who ______ a fool would do such a thing?
10. None ______ the brave deserve the fair.
11. Take the next turning ______ one on your right and you’re sure to get to the bus station.
12. My papers seem to be everywhere ________ where they ought to be.
13. The old woman wanted nothing _____ see his grandson succeed in the exams.
14. We went nowhere ______________ Shanghai.
15. What else would you do __________ the experiment?
16. He hadn’t time to prepare his lecture, _______ which, he was unwell.
17. I know nothing about it ________ I have read in the papers.
18. All men between 18 and 45 without ______ are expected to serve in the army during the war.
19. You must all be here in time. I can make no ________.
20. All those who took in the plot, nobody ________, were punished.
21. The term home schooling means educating children at home or in places _______ a normal setting such as a public or private school. (2006年春季高考)
22. ---How can I get to the railway station from here?
---You can’t get there other than by underground.
Key:
1. except that 2. but 3. except / but on 4. Apart from
5. besides 6. but/except/excepting 7. besides/apart from
8. but for 9. but 10. but 11. but 12. except
13. but to 14. but/except to 15. besides / apart from
16. besides 17. except what/but what/apart from what
18. exception 19. exceptions 20. excepted
21. other than 22. other than
责任编辑：李芳芳