"except" vs "rest"

Question

"except" vs "rest"

The phrases 'rest' and 'except' are not directly comparable as they serve different purposes in a sentence. 'Rest' is used to refer to what remains or is left, while 'except' is used to exclude something from a group. They are not interchangeable in most contexts.

Last Updated: March 30, 2024

You can use 'except' when you want to mention that something is not included in a particular group or category.

Examples:

Everyone came to the party except John.
I like all fruits except bananas.
All the students passed the exam except for one.
She knows how to cook everything except Italian dishes.
I have read all the books except the last one.

Alternatives:

excluding
apart from
other than
but
excluding that

You can use 'rest' when you want to talk about the remaining part of something after the others have been removed or dealt with.

Examples:

After finishing his work, he sat down to rest.
She ate the rest of the cake.
The rest of the team arrived late.
Let's save the rest for later.
He was too tired to do the rest of the chores.

Alternatives:

remainder
remaining part
what's left
balance
remnant

Answer 1

except

The word 'except' is correct and commonly used in English to indicate exclusion or exception from a group or category.

Answer 2

rest

The word 'rest' is correct and commonly used in English to refer to what remains or is left after the others have gone or been dealt with.

"except" vs "rest"

except

rest

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