1. but 的基本用法
介词but表示“除……外”，即英语except, other than或not including的意思，是最常用的介词之一。
主要用法有以下几点：
①no, no one, none, nobody, nothing, nowhere等词连用。
如：
Nobody knew her but me. 除我以外，没有人认识她。
No one can do it but him.只有他才能担当此任。
None but him knows this plant.只有他认识这植物。
I heard nothing but the wind.除了风声，我什么也没听到。
②与all, anything, anywhere, every,everybody, everyone等词连用。如：
You were all wrong but me.除我外，你们都错了。
Everybody arrived on time but yourself.
大家都按时到达，就是你自己没有。
Have you ever been to anywhere else but Beijing?除了北京外你还去过别的地方吗？
③与who, what, where及形容词最高级等连用。
如：
Who but a fool would do such a thing?
除傻瓜外，谁还会干这样的事情？
What is she but my wife?
她不是我的妻子还会是什么呢？
He is the thinnest man in our school but Mr He.
除何先生外，他是我们学校里最瘦的人。
④跟名词、代词、数词、形容词、副词、介词短语或名词性从句作宾语。
如：
None but his dog saved him.除了他的狗以外，没有人救了他。
I have written all my letters but one.
我只差一封信就写完了。
He felt all but dead with fatigue.
他感到累得要死。
She was anything but mad.她一点也不疯。
I remember I put it nowhere but in desk.
我记得我只是把它放在书桌里。
I believe all but what he said.
我根本不相信他说的话。
⑤跟带to的不定式作宾语。
如：
She had no choice but to wait.除了等待，她别无选择。
⑥but前的谓语动词是do时，跟省略“to”的不定式作宾语。
如：
He did nothing but read a novel yesterday.
除了看小说，他昨天什么也没干。
What can you do but take back what you said.
除了收回你的话外，你还能做什么？
⑦but前的非谓语动词是to do或doing时，but后的不定式的“to”可省略也可不省略。如：
I had nothing to do but (to) watch TV.
除了看电视，我无事可做。
There was nothing left to do but (to) take a rest.
没有剩下什么要做的事情，只好休息。
⑧but前的谓语动词或短语动词要求接动名词时，but后应接动名词。
如：
He thinks of nothing but making money.
除了赚钱，他什么也不想。
That official was afraid of nothing but eating pork.
那位官员只是怕吃猪肉。
He could bear anything but hearing such bad news.
他听到这样的坏消息确实会忍受不了。
⑨不能置于句首，也不能与other连用。如：
Everyone but me was tired.
除了我以外大家都累了。
(=Except for me,everyone was tired.)
Mr. An has no girl-friends but her.
除了她外，安先生没有别的女朋友。
(=Mr. An has no other girl-friend besides /except her.)
⑩ but后的代词，可用主格也可用宾格；但处于主语位置时，用主格,
如:
No one but we (us) is able to do it.
只有我们能当此任。
Nobody but we (us) knows of it.
除了我们外，没有人知道这事。
You are all wrong but I (me).
除我以外，你们都错了。
I told her that I hadnever loved anyone but her.
我告诉她，除她以外我没爱过任何人。
2. but的连词用法
①用作连词，使其前后的词、短语、分句相互对照，作“但是，然而，可是”解。如：
She is young but very experienced.
她虽然年轻但经验丰富。
②用于表示歉意的话语之后，表示谢绝或不赞成。
如：
I'm sorry, but I disagree with you.
对不起，我不同意你的意见。
③用于两个并列的分句之间，与前面的否定词形成对比，作“无...而不...”解。
如：
It never rains but it pours. 不雨则已，一雨倾盆。
I never go past that house but I think of my miserable life in the old society. 我走过那所房子时，没有一次不想起我在旧社会所过的悲惨生活。
3.but的副词用法
①意思上相当于 only ，后面跟名词或动词。
如：
Tom is but a child. 汤姆只是个孩子。
We can but try now. 我们现在只有尝试一遍。
②but 出现在 too ...to...结构前面时，不定式含肯定意义。
如：
I'm but too glad to go there with you. 我非常高兴和你一起去那里。
4. but 的固定搭配
1) but then = on the other hand ，意为“不过；在另一方面”。
如：
London is a noisy place, but then it's also a place where you get the best entertainment.
伦敦是个闹市，不过它也是能够给你最好娱乐的地方。
2) nothing but = only ，意为“只；不过是”。
如：
We could see nothing but water. 我们只能看见水。
3) not…but…意为“不是…而是…”，连接两个并列的名词、形容词、副词、短语或分句等。
如：
My bag is not black but red. 我的书包不是黑色的而是红色的。
He failed not because he isn't clever but because he didn't work hard.
他失败了，不是因为他不聪明而是因为他工作不努力。
4) no…but 意为“没有…不…”。
如：
No child but likes Old Li in our village.没有孩子不喜欢我们村里的老李。
5) not only…but also…意为“不但…而且…；既…又…”，连接两个并列成分。如：
Not only you but also she has to attend the meeting.
不但你而且她也得参加这次会议。
He not only teaches us English but also does other things for us.
他不但教我们英语，而且还为我们干别的事情。
6) can't help but do…意为“不能不…；忍不住…”。如：
I can't help but cry. 我忍不住哭了。
7) all but 意为“除…外全都，几乎”。如：
All but mother in my family can speak English.
除母亲外，我的一家人都会说英语。
His theory is all but correct.
他的理论几乎是正确的。
8) anything but 意为“不见得，决不”。如：
He is anything but a good headmaster.
他不见得是个好校长。
This car is anything but beautiful.
这辆小汽车根本不漂亮。
9) but now 意为“刚刚，适才”。如：
I saw him in the office but now.
我刚刚看见他在办公室。
I heard the commander talk about you but now.
适才听得司令讲到您。
10) can (or could) but 意为“只能，只好”。如：
His father can but know a few letters.
他的父亲只能认几个字母。
The old lady could but walk slowly with a stick.
那个老太太只能拄着拐杖慢慢地朝前走。
11) can (or could) not but 意为“不得不，忍不住”。如：
I could not but tell him about it.
我不得不告诉他这件事。
Seeing her husband's funny face, she could not but laugh.
看见丈夫的滑稽面孔，她忍不住大笑起来。
12) cannot (or could not) choose but 意为“不得不，必须”。如：
They could not choose but obey.
他们除了服从外别无选择。
13) never…but 意为“每当…就…”。如：
He never sees Miss Wang but he thinks of his friend, Xiao Ya.
每当见到王女士时，他就想起他的朋友小雅来。
Her brother never comes, but he asks her for money.
14) next but one 意为“再下一个”。如：
They used to live in the next house but one to me.
他们住在我隔壁的隔壁。
15) no one but 意为“除了…外，谁也不”。如：
No one but a madman would say such words.
除了疯子，谁也不会说这样的话。
16)but for ＝ without ，意为“要不是；如果没有”，意思上相当于一个虚拟条件句。如：
But for the rain (If it hadn't rained), we would have had a pleasant journey.
要不是天下雨，我们这次旅行就惬意了。
But for your help, we couldn't have carried out the plan.
如果没有你的帮助，我们不可能实现那个计划。
17) but that = except that ，意为“若非；要不是”，引导虚拟条件状语从句。如：
He would have helped me but that he was short of money at that time.
要不是他那时候没钱，他会帮助我的。
