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Is there something that is not the apple on the table?
Is there something but the apple on the table?

Are they the same in meaning?

I can eat everything but tomatoes.
I can eat everything that is not tomatoes.

I know they are the same. But I think it’s because of “everything”. “Something” means a thing.

I want to know what to use instead of “but”.

1 Answer 1

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You can use both everything and something. Something isn’t a specific object it is just an object.

Your second example sounds much more common than the first example regarding the apple.

If you use the first apple sentence you need a comma as it has a subordinate clause:

Is there something, but the apple, on the table?

For the tomatoes sentence the first sentence is much more common than the second sentence.

Instead of but try using except:

I can eat everything except tomatoes

Or apart from:

I can eat everything apart from tomatoes

Or not including:

I can eat everything not including tomatoes

3
  • Thank you. Can I use “Besides, Other than, Except for” as well?
    – Yamacure
    Aug 17, 2019 at 1:52
  • @Yamacure Yes you can, if I helped please upvote my answer (the up arrow), it would be higher appreciated
    – user109564
    Aug 17, 2019 at 17:56
  • Thank you very much
    – Yamacure
    Aug 17, 2019 at 23:00

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