Frame sentences for the word "except" typically showcase its common grammatical functions, primarily as a preposition or a verb. These sentence structures illustrate how "except" is used to exclude something or someone from a group or statement.
Here are some common frame sentences based on its usage:
Except as a Preposition
When used as a preposition, "except" is followed by a noun or pronoun (or noun phrase) to indicate an exclusion.
Common Frame:
Subject + Verb + (Adjective/Adverb) + except + Noun/Pronoun/Noun Phrase
Example from Reference:
- The stores will be open daily except Sundays.
- Explanation: This sentence structure shows the general rule ("open daily") and then uses "except" to specify the single exclusion ("Sundays").
Other typical frames might look like:
- Everyone attended the meeting except David.
- You can eat anything you want except the cake.
- All the files were deleted except the one marked important.
Except as a Verb
As a verb, "except" means to exclude someone or something from a general rule, group, or condition. It's less common in everyday speech than the prepositional use.
Common Frame (often in passive voice):
Subject + be + excepted + from + Noun/Noun Phrase
Example from Reference:
- Children were excepted from the study.
- Explanation: Here, "excepted" (the past participle of the verb "except") is used in the passive voice to show that children were excluded from the study.
Another frame using the active voice (though less common):
- The organizers excepted them from the general admission rule.
Understanding these frame sentences helps illustrate the versatility of "except" in excluding specific items from a larger set or rule.