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This explanation is from Cambridge dictionary. It shows that "for" is optional in the first example but isn't optional in the second example. Is it always wrong to omit "for" at the beginning of a sentence (sentence 2) and can I use "for" in sentence 3? In Michael Swan's "Practical English Usage" there is a similar example with "all". The first example has "all" too. Swan's example: "I have cleaned all the rooms except (for) the bathroom." It doesn't say that either is correct after a noun, it says after all, any, every, no, everything, anybody, nowhere, nobody, whole, we often leave out "for".

Cambridge dictionary:

"We often use except and except for as prepositions to mean ‘not including’ or ‘excluding’. They are followed by a noun or noun phrase or a wh-clause. Both except and except for are correct after a noun:

  1. I like all fruit except (for) oranges. (excluding oranges)

  2. Except for Louisa, who’s away in Berlin this weekend, we’ll all be at the party.

  3. She likes going to most sports events, except cricket matches.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ru/%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0/%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F-%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0/except-or-except-for

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I believe the answer you're looking for is here: "Except for the main house" in my sentence

Basically, the 'for' is optional in all of those situations, but keep the 'for' in formal English.

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  • do you mean it's optional in all three sentences and in the other sentences in the article too?
    – Antonia A
    Feb 6, 2022 at 6:56
  • 1
    Yes, the 'for' is optional
    – legendmixer
    Feb 6, 2022 at 12:10

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