But: a Small, Common, and Important Word
2022-06-03
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1The simple, three-letter word "but" might not sound or look special, interesting or beautiful.
2But this little word can be a powerful force in writing and in speaking.
3It can play an important part in creating colorful, interesting sentences.
4In this Everyday Grammar, we will explore how a simple connecting word makes for good storytelling.
5The word "but" has many uses.
6It can act as a coordinating conjunction, preposition, adverb, and sometimes even a noun - as in the expression 'No ifs ands or buts about it!'
7For today's report, let's explore the part "but" plays as a coordinating conjunction.
8A conjunction joins two things together.
9When acting as a coordinating conjunction,
10"but" is used to add information to an earlier statement that usually contrasts with it in some way.
11We often use "but" to connect two clauses, or groups of words that have a subject and a predicate.
12Consider these lines from "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," by F Scott Fitzgerald.
13"John strained his eyes to see whether there might be men coming down the mountain, but the mountain was bare of human life."
14The first clause starts with "John strained his eyes" and the second clause starts with "but the mountain."
15The first part of the sentence suggests an effort - straining of the eyes.
16The second part of the sentence suggests that the effort was to no use - John did not see anyone.
17Consider how the sentence might have been different if "but" were not used.
18It might be something like this:
19"John strained his eyes to see whether there might be men coming down the mountain, and he didn't see anyone."
20This sentence is much less interesting. Let's explore why.
21In the book Storyworthy, the American storyteller Matthew Dicks described a few words that can bring a story to life. One of these words is "but."
22Dicks says "but" has an interesting effect on the reader or listener.
23The words that come before "but" create an expectation.
24What comes after "but" goes against the expectation.
25This creates interest between statements and ideas.
26Other common conjunctions, such as "and," do not have the same effect, Dicks believes.
27Speaking or writing that uses "and" too much becomes more like a list - and lists are not very interesting.
28Now, it's your turn to do an exercise.
29Take these two statements and connect them using "but."
30You can pause the audio after the second statement if you need more time before hearing the answer.
31She said she had lost their address long ago.
32A few days later it miraculously turned up.
33Here is one way to connect the two statements.
34It comes from the short story, "That in Aleppo Once..." by Vladimir Nabokov:
35"She said she had lost their address long ago, but a few days later it miraculously turned up..."
36This report is not only about telling stories.
37It is also about exploring connections between ideas.
38Such connections are important for expressing more complex language in writing and in speaking.
39Remember, like any word or structure, it is good to use "but" in the correct amount.
40It is like cooking. You need the right amounts of the right ingredients to get a nice finished product.
41If you add too much of any one thing, the result might not be very good.
42The next time you read stories or listen to English speakers, pay careful attention to how they use "but."
43It's a small, simple word, but it can bring variety and richness to your language.
44I'm John Russell.
1The simple, three-letter word "but" might not sound or look special, interesting or beautiful. 2But this little word can be a powerful force in writing and in speaking. It can play an important part in creating colorful, interesting sentences. 3In this Everyday Grammar, we will explore how a simple connecting word makes for good storytelling. 4The grammar connection 5The word "but" has many uses. It can act as a coordinating conjunction, preposition, adverb, and sometimes even a noun - as in the expression 'No ifs ands or buts about it!' 6For today's report, let's explore the part "but" plays as a coordinating conjunction. A conjunction joins two things together. 7When acting as a coordinating conjunction, "but" is used to add information to an earlier statement that usually contrasts with it in some way. 8We often use "but" to connect two clauses, or groups of words that have a subject and a predicate. Consider these lines from "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz," by F Scott Fitzgerald. 9"John strained his eyes to see whether there might be men coming down the mountain, but the mountain was bare of human life." 10The first clause starts with "John strained his eyes" and the second clause starts with "but the mountain." 11The first part of the sentence suggests an effort - straining of the eyes. The second part of the sentence suggests that the effort was to no use - John did not see anyone. 12Consider how the sentence might have been different if "but" were not used. It might be something like this: 13"John strained his eyes to see whether there might be men coming down the mountain, and he didn't see anyone." 14This sentence is much less interesting. Let's explore why. 15Storytelling 16In the book Storyworthy, the American storyteller Matthew Dicks described a few words that can bring a story to life. One of these words is "but." 17Dicks says "but" has an interesting effect on the reader or listener. The words that come before "but" create an expectation. What comes after "but" goes against the expectation. This creates interest between statements and ideas. 18Other common conjunctions, such as "and," do not have the same effect, Dicks believes. Speaking or writing that uses "and" too much becomes more like a list - and lists are not very interesting. 19An exercise 20Now, it's your turn to do an exercise. Take these two statements and connect them using "but." You can pause the audio after the second statement if you need more time before hearing the answer. 21She said she had lost their address long ago. 22A few days later it miraculously turned up. 23Here is one way to connect the two statements. It comes from the short story, "That in Aleppo Once..." by Vladimir Nabokov: 24"She said she had lost their address long ago, but a few days later it miraculously turned up..." 25Closing thoughts 26This report is not only about telling stories. It is also about exploring connections between ideas. Such connections are important for expressing more complex language in writing and in speaking. 27Remember, like any word or structure, it is good to use "but" in the correct amount. It is like cooking. You need the right amounts of the right ingredients to get a nice finished product. If you add too much of any one thing, the result might not be very good. 28The next time you read stories or listen to English speakers, pay careful attention to how they use "but." It's a small, simple word, but it can bring variety and richness to your language. 29I'm John Russell. 30John Russell wrote this story for VOA Learning English. 31____________________________________________________________________ 32Words in This Story 33contrast -v. to compare two things to show their differences 34predicate -n. the part of a sentence that expresses what is said about the subject 35strain - v. to try very hard to do or get something 36bare - adj. not containing anything 37miraculously - adv. very wonderful or amazing 38variety - n. the quality or state of having or including many different things