1. all but除……外全都，几乎

  All but mother in my family can speak English.

  除母亲外，我一家人都会说英语。

  They have all but finished the task. 他们几乎完成了任务。

  You are all but a doctor. 你简直是个博士。

  His theory is all but correct. 他的理论几乎是正确的。

2. anything but不见得，决不

  He is anything but a good headmaster. 他不见得是个好校长。

  His theory is anything but correct. 他的理论错误百出。

  I was anything but angry. 我一点也不生气。

  This car is anything but beautiful. 这小汽车根本不漂亮。

3.but for除……外；要不是

  The purse is empty but for a few coins. 除了几枚硬币外，钱包里空空的。

  She could have remarried but for her little daughter.

  要不是因为她的小女儿，她早就再婚了。

4. but now刚刚, 适才

  I saw him in the office but now. 我刚刚看见他在办公室。

  I heard the commander talk about you but now. 适才听得司令讲到您。

5. but that要不是，若非

  But that I saw it, I could not have believed it. 要不是我亲眼所见，我决不会相信。

  But that you helped us, we could not have been rich. 要不是你的帮助，我们不会富裕起来。

6. but then但是另一方面，不过

  We love each other deeply, but then we cannot get married.

  我们彼此深深相爱，不过我们不能结婚。

7. can (or could) but 只能，只好

  His father can but know a few letters. 他的父亲只能认识几个字母。

  The old lady could but walk slowly with a stick. 那老太太只能拄着拐杖慢慢地走。

8. can (or could) not but 不得不，忍不住

  I could not but tell him about it. 我不得不告诉他这事。

  She could not help but leave there. 她只好离开那里。

  Seeing her husband’s funny face, she could not but laugh.

  看见丈夫的滑稽面孔，她忍不住笑了。

9. cannot (or could) choose but不得不，必须

  They could not choose but obey. 他们除了服从外别无选择。

10. cannot (or couldn’t) help but不能不, 不得不

  I cannot help but be sorry. 我不能不感到遗憾。

11. first but one (two…) 顺数第二 (三……)

  In the brothers Mr. Kong was the first but one. 孔先生在弟兄中排行老二。

12. last but one (two…) 倒数第二 (三……)

  We sat in the last row but four. 我们坐在倒数第五排。

13. never…but每当……就……

  He never sees Miss Wo but he thinks of his friend, Xiao Ya..

  每当见到沃女士时，他就想起他的朋友小雅来。

  Her brother never comes, but he asks her for money.

  她兄弟来时，总是向她要钱。

14. next but one再下一个

  They used to live in the next house but one to me. 他们住在我隔壁的隔壁。

15. no…but 虽然，尽管；没有……不……

  I can’t marry her, no but we love each other very much.

  我不能娶她，尽管我们彼此非常相爱。

  No child but likes Old Li in our village.

  没有孩子不喜欢我们村里的老李。

16. no one but除了……外，谁也不

  No one but a bedlamite would say such words. 除了疯子，谁也不会说这样的话。

17. not … but不（是）……而（是）……

  They were not the bones of an animal, but of a human being!

  他们不是动物的骨头，而是人的骨头。

  We do not study Russian but English.我们不学俄语，而学英语。

18. not (no such a ) so…but不是如此……以至于不……

  There is no such a fool but he can see it. 没有愚蠢到连这都看不懂的人。

  His English is not so bad but he can make himself understood.

  他的英语还不至于差到不能把自己的意思讲清楚的地步。

19. nothing but只不过，仅仅（不以为然，厌烦之语气）

  She is nothing but a housewife.她只不过是个家庭主妇。

  There is nothing but water in the bottle.那瓶子里只有水。

  His theory is nothing but correct.他的理论只是不错而已。

20. nothing…but除非

  Nothing would do but that he should be here.一切都无用，除非他来了。