But

We usebutto link items which are the same grammatical type (coordinating conjunction).Butis used to connect ideas that contrast.

The phrasebut notis common:

The room has been paintedbut notin the colour that I asked for.

I’d love to go for a pizza with youbut nottonight.

Butmeans ‘except’ when it is used after words such asall,everything/nothing,everyone/no one,everybody/nobody:

The cleaning is done now,all butthe floors. They still have to be washed.

I arrived at the airport and realised that I’d broughteverything butmy passport!

Everyone butAnna has checked in.

Nobody butthe receptionist was left in the lobby of the hotel.

We use object pronouns afterbut(me, you, him, us, etc.) even in subject position:

Everybody but mehas paid.

No one but himwould get a job like that.

In formal situations, we can use subject pronouns afterbut:

Everyone but sheknew how the drama was going to end.

But foris used tointroduce the reason why something didn’t happen:

But forthe traffic, I would have been here an hour ago.(The traffic was very heavy – if it weren’t for the traffic, I’d have been here an hour ago.)

They would have been badly injuredbut forthe fact that they were wearing seat belts.(They were wearing seat belts – if it weren’t for the fact that they were wearing seat belts, they would have been badly injured.)

I hadallbutfinished the essay when the computer crashed and I lost it all.

His parents hadallbutgiven up hope of seeing him again.