Here are two use cases of "except" that are confusing to me and found in LONGMAN dictionary.
- She had nothing to do except spend money. (given for the usage except do something)
- He wouldn’t talk about work, except to say that he was busy. (given for the usage except to do something)
Are both usages equivalent? Can I paraphrase the first sentence into "She had nothing to do except to spend money."? and also can I paraphrase the second sentence into "He wouldn’t talk about work, except say that he was busy."?