Talking about exceptions

An exception phrase excludes one or more items from a general statement. You use words and expressions like except, except for, apart from, besides, and with the exception of to show that something or someone is not included.

• Exceptions remove or exclude an item from a general rule or statement.
• Different expressions are used depending on whether you exclude a noun, a clause, or insert a parenthetical remark.
• Punctuation and word order affect meaning and clarity — place exception phrases carefully.

Match the exception form to the structure you need:

• Use except + noun (or except + proper name) to exclude a simple noun or person: "All staff attended except John."
• Use except for + noun when you want to add clarity or when the exception follows a negative idea: "No issues were reported, except for one delay."
• Use except that + clause when you exclude a full clause or give a contrasting statement: "The project succeeded, except that it was late."
• Insert exception phrases with commas when they act as parenthetical information: "The team, except Sarah, agreed."

If the exception is a full clause, include 'that' after 'except'. For short noun exceptions, both 'except' and 'except for' are often acceptable; choose for clarity.

Watch out for these frequent errors when talking about exceptions:

• Leaving out the object: "Everyone attended except." — needs a noun or name.
• Using 'except that' with a noun (should use 'except' or 'except for' instead): "Except that John, all were present." (incorrect).
• Misplacing the exception so the sentence becomes ambiguous: put the exception close to the element it excludes.
• Omitting necessary articles in fixed expressions: 'with the exception of' (not 'with exception of').
• Confusing 'apart from' / 'besides' (which can mean 'in addition to') with 'except' (which excludes).

If in doubt, rephrase the sentence to make the excluded item explicit and avoid ambiguity.