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except and except for

except for before nouns​

We generally use except for before noun phrases.

  • I’ve cleaned the house except for the bathroom.
  • The garden was empty except for one small bird.

except (for) after all, any, etc​

After generalising words like all, any, every, no, everything, anybody, nowhere, nobody, whole, we often leave out for.

  • I’ve cleaned all the rooms except (for) the bathroom.
  • He ate everything on his plate except (for) the beans.
  • Nobody came except (for) Jack and Emily.

But this does not happen before all, any, nobody, etc.

  • Except for the bathroom, all the rooms are clean. (not Except the bathroom, all the rooms are clean.)

except before prepositions and conjunctions​

We use except, not except for, before prepositions and conjunctions.

  • It’s the same everywhere except in Scotland. (not … except for in Scotland.)
  • He’s good-looking except when he smiles.
  • This room is no use except as a storeroom.
  • The trip was nice except that there wasn’t enough snow.

except (for) + pronoun​

After except (for) we use object pronouns, not subject pronouns.

  • Everybody understood except (for) me. (not … except I.)
  • We’re all ready except (for) her.

except + verb: He does nothing except eat.​

A common structure is do … except + infinitive without to.

  • He does nothing except eat all day.
  • I’ll do everything for you except cook.

In other cases an -ing form is usually necessary.

  • She’s not interested in anything except skiing.
  • You needn’t worry about anything except having a great time.

except and without​

Except (for) is only used to talk about exceptions to generalisations. In other cases, without or but for may be better. Compare:

  • Nobody helped me except you.
  • Without / But for your help, I would have failed. (not Except for your help, I would have failed.)
note

For the use of but to mean ‘except’, (see here).