But for construction examples. But in the role of a union. COULD and MIGHT in conditional sentences
Let's consider example:
If it were not so cold, we wouldn’t wear warm clothes. - If it weren’t so cold, we wouldn’t wear warm clothes (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Illustration ‘If it weren’t so cold...’ ()
This is a Type 2 present conditional sentence. The same thing can be said differently:
But for the cold weather, we wouldn’t wear warm clothes.
As you can see, the phrase ‘but for the cold weather’ is synonymous with the conditional part ‘if it were not so cold’. This will be translated into Russian as follows:
If it weren't for the cold weather, we wouldn't wear warm clothes.
Let's look at one more example:
If I hadn’t surfed the Internet, I wouldn’t have got a new job. - If I had not searched on the Internet, I would not have found a new job (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Illustration ‘If I hadn’t...’ ()
But for the Internet, I wouldn’t have got a new job. - If it weren't for the Internet, I wouldn't have found a new job.
Let's practice on assignments. Change the sentences as we did above:
1. If my friend had not given us advice, we wouldn't have found a new flat in this city.
2. If our grandpa didn’t have glasses, he wouldn’t be able to read newspapers.
3. If my parents hadn’t paid for my education, I wouldn’t be able to study at the university.
4. If Mike hadn’t been a talented actor, he would never have become a film star.
5. If Kelly weren't so stubborn, I wouldn't feel so worried about her.
Right answers:
1. But for my friend’s advice, we wouldn’t have found a new flat in this city.
2. But for our grandpa’s glasses, he wouldn’t be able to read newspapers.
3. But for my parents, I wouldn’t be able to study at the university.
4. But for Mike’s talent, he would never have become a film star.
5. But for Kelly’s stubbornness, I wouldn’t feel so worried about her.
Bibliography
- Biboletova M.Z., Babushis E.E. English language 9th grade. - 2010.
- Vaulina Yu.E., Dooley D. English language 9th grade. - M.: Education, 2010.
- Kaufman K.I., Kaufman M.Yu. English language 9th grade. - Title, 2007.
- Golitsynsky Yu.B., Grammar. Collection of exercises - Karo, 2011.
- Study.ru ().
- Exeducation.kiev.ua ().
- English-grammar.biz().
Homework
1. Page 206-207, ex. 3, read the text and come up with 10 sentences on its content, using the ‘But for’ construction, Kaufman K.I., Kaufman M.Yu. English language 9th grade. - Title, 2007.
2. Rephrase the sentences using the 'But for...' construction
1. If I had known my friend wasn’t invited, I would have never come. 2. You would hardly recognize her with these glasses on if you met her. 3. If a passer-by hadn't helped us, we would not have found the way. 4. Mother would have had a short rest if the boy had gone to sleep. 5. We wouldn't have made friends with them if we hadn't stayed at the same hotel. 6. It wouldn't have been so cold in the morning if the wind had stopped blowing. 7. Peter would accept your invitation if he were free from his job. 8. They wouldn't have quarreled if they both had not been so impatient. 9. If they weren't interested in each other, they wouldn't spend so much time together. 10. If it didn’t snow, the weather would get warmer.
4. The use of the subjunctive mood with comparative constructions as if\as though. Turnover but for
Comparative designs as if/as though have a translation as (as if). After as if/as though, the action is always unrealistic, even if it doesn’t seem so. So, in the main part (before the comparative construction) ordinary tenses are used, after the construction either the Past Simple form (conditional sentence of the second type) or the Past Perfect form (conditional sentence of the third type) is used.
The Past Simple form is used if the comparison refers to the Present, and the Past Perfect form is used if the comparison refers to the Past. There is no comparison regarding the Future in this case. The Present and the Past are here - not grammatical concepts. In comparative constructions, it is not the grammatical tense that is used, but the subjunctive mood, which coincides in form with the Past Simple and Past Perfect.
The present- this is a single time line for action and comparison, although the main verb can have grammatical forms not only Present, but also Past:
You behave (Present Simple) as if you were a child. -You act like you're a little child. (That is, you still have similar behavior).
He behaved (Past Simple) as though he were a child. - He acted as if he were a small child. (There is no tense agreement here, since there is only one grammatical tense!)
Note
To emphasize the duration of the action, in a comparative construction it is possible to use a form similar to the Past Continuous.
He looked as though he were going to get up and leave.
I felt as if I were making the biggest mistake in my life.
Past- the action in the comparative construction occurs earlier than the action expressed by grammatical tense.
She is smiling (Present Continuous) as though she had remembered something funny. - She smiles, as if she remembered something funny. (That is, she first remembered something (past tense), and only then began to smile).
She was crying (Past Continuous) as if something terrible had happened. “She was crying as if something terrible had happened. (Happened earlier and caused her to cry).
Note
If the particle LIKE (as/like) is used for comparison, then the subjunctive mood is not used.
In this costume you look like an old man.
In this costume you look as if you were an old man.
Turnover but for(if not) allows you to noticeably reduce the size of a conditional sentence (of the second and third types) without changing the meaning of what was said. This turnover seems to replace the conditional part of the sentence. In the main part, both Would/Could/Might + infinitive and Would/Could/Might + Have (perfect infinitive) + Done can be used.
After but for either a noun (pronoun, proper name) or a gerund is used. The only condition for using but for is a clearly defined context, otherwise the meaning of what was said will be little understood by others.
But for the traffic jams I would leave home an hour later. (2nd type of conditional sentence) - If it weren’t for the traffic jams, I would have left the house an hour later.
But for the rain we would have already gone for a walk. (3rd type of conditional sentence) - If it weren’t for the rain, we would have already gone for a walk.
Turnover but for usually placed at the beginning of a sentence, but it can also appear in the middle.
They would have gone bankrupt last year but for your financial help. “They would have gone bankrupt last year if it weren’t for your financial help.”
Everyone knows that but is a conjunction that is translated into Russian as “but”. However, in some sentences we notice that translating but as “but” will no longer work.
For example, how to translate a sentence All but two of the boys are coming?
In this case, but appears in the meaning except (for)- except, except or apart from- not counting, not saying. Here we can replace but with these prepositions. You can even use bar in this case, it won't change the meaning of the sentence:
All but / bar / except for / apart from two of the boys are coming with us.
All but two boys will come with us.
But as a union
We usually think of but as a conjunction joining two comparative clauses, or two comparative clauses. For example:
They had very little money, but (they) always bought their children expensive presents.
They had very little money, but they always bought expensive gifts for their children.
They were poor, but (they were) hardworking.
They were poor but hard-working.
My car is fifteen years old, but (it) still drives beautifully.
My car is 15 years old, but it is still a pleasure to drive.
In the first five examples, repeated information in the first part of the sentence can be omitted in the second part.
But as a pretext
As already stated, but can be used as an alternative for except (for), apart from And bar to denote a single thing or person that is not included in the main part of the sentence. Often in such cases but follows the words every, everyone, all, any, anything, anywhere, no, none, nobody.
I’ll go anywhere for my holiday but / bar / except (for) Blackpool. I really hate it there.
I'll go anywhere on the weekend but not Blackpool. I hate him.
On holiday he eats nothing but / bar / apart from hamburgers and French fries.
On weekends he eats nothing but hamburgers and fries.
She took everything on holiday with her but / bar / apart from the kitchen sink.
She took everything with her for the weekend except the kitchen sink.
I’ve marked all the essays but / bar / except (for) / apart from two.
I graded all essays except two.
Nobody but / except (for) / bar Jessica would wear a mini-dress at a formal dinner
No one but Jessica would wear a minidress to a formal event.
In Britain, judicial law requires a witness to swear before giving evidence. He should say the following:
I swear by Almightly God to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
I swear by the Almighty Lord to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
If a person is not religious, he says instead:
I affirm that I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Remember useful expressions like next but one, last but one.
They live in the house next but one to Mary.
They live across the house from Mary.
Is this the final candidate?
Is this the last candidate?
No, it’s the last but one.
No, there's another one there.
but for
Please note that but for is a preposition that has a meaning different from what but has on its own. We can sometimes use it as an alternative to an if-phrase with a negative conditional that shows what might have happened if certain events had not occurred. Compare the following example sentences:
If it hadn’t been for your generosity, I wouldn’t have been able to go to America.
If it weren't for your generosity, I would not have been able to come to America.
The same sentence, but using the preposition but for: But for your generosity, I wouldn’t have been able to go to America.
I would have been home in time for supper, if there had been no fog to delay me.
I would have gotten home on time for dinner if the fog hadn't delayed me.
I would have been home in time for supper but for the fog.
Let's consider example:
If it were not so cold, we wouldn’t wear warm clothes. - If it weren’t so cold, we wouldn’t wear warm clothes (Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. Illustration ‘If it weren’t so cold...’ ()
This is a Type 2 present conditional sentence. The same thing can be said differently:
But for the cold weather, we wouldn’t wear warm clothes.
As you can see, the phrase ‘but for the cold weather’ is synonymous with the conditional part ‘if it were not so cold’. This will be translated into Russian as follows:
If it weren't for the cold weather, we wouldn't wear warm clothes.
Let's look at one more example:
If I hadn’t surfed the Internet, I wouldn’t have got a new job. - If I had not searched on the Internet, I would not have found a new job (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Illustration ‘If I hadn’t...’ ()
But for the Internet, I wouldn’t have got a new job. - If it weren't for the Internet, I wouldn't have found a new job.
Let's practice on assignments. Change the sentences as we did above:
1. If my friend had not given us advice, we wouldn't have found a new flat in this city.
2. If our grandpa didn’t have glasses, he wouldn’t be able to read newspapers.
3. If my parents hadn’t paid for my education, I wouldn’t be able to study at the university.
4. If Mike hadn’t been a talented actor, he would never have become a film star.
5. If Kelly weren't so stubborn, I wouldn't feel so worried about her.
Right answers:
1. But for my friend’s advice, we wouldn’t have found a new flat in this city.
2. But for our grandpa’s glasses, he wouldn’t be able to read newspapers.
3. But for my parents, I wouldn’t be able to study at the university.
4. But for Mike’s talent, he would never have become a film star.
5. But for Kelly’s stubbornness, I wouldn’t feel so worried about her.
Bibliography
- Biboletova M.Z., Babushis E.E. English language 9th grade. - 2010.
- Vaulina Yu.E., Dooley D. English language 9th grade. - M.: Education, 2010.
- Kaufman K.I., Kaufman M.Yu. English language 9th grade. - Title, 2007.
- Golitsynsky Yu.B., Grammar. Collection of exercises - Karo, 2011.
- Study.ru ().
- Exeducation.kiev.ua ().
- English-grammar.biz().
Homework
1. Page 206-207, ex. 3, read the text and come up with 10 sentences on its content, using the ‘But for’ construction, Kaufman K.I., Kaufman M.Yu. English language 9th grade. - Title, 2007.
2. Rephrase the sentences using the 'But for...' construction
1. If I had known my friend wasn’t invited, I would have never come. 2. You would hardly recognize her with these glasses on if you met her. 3. If a passer-by hadn't helped us, we would not have found the way. 4. Mother would have had a short rest if the boy had gone to sleep. 5. We wouldn't have made friends with them if we hadn't stayed at the same hotel. 6. It wouldn't have been so cold in the morning if the wind had stopped blowing. 7. Peter would accept your invitation if he were free from his job. 8. They wouldn't have quarreled if they both had not been so impatient. 9. If they weren't interested in each other, they wouldn't spend so much time together. 10. If it didn’t snow, the weather would get warmer.