Search blog

What are But and Yet conjunctions? Distinguishing But and Yet in English

But and Yet are two common conjunctions in English, but many people still do not clearly understand the concepts and differences between them. In today’s article, PREP will share how to use these words along with exercises that include answers!

Differences between the 2 words But and Yet in English

I. What is But?
II. What is Yet?
III. Difference between But and Yet in English
IV. Exercises to distinguish But and Yet
1. 1. Exercise: Fill in the blanks with But or Yet
2. 2. Answer

I. What is But?

Before distinguishing between But and Yet, let’s explore some general information about But!

But is pronounced /bʌt/ and functions as a conjunction, preposition, adverb, and noun.

Usage	Meaning	Example
Conjunction	used to introduce an added statement, usually something that is different from what you have said before	We enjoyed our vacation a lot, but it was expensive.
Preposition	except	Nobody but John was willing to talk to her.
Adverb	used to give force to a statement	Everyone, but everyone, will be there.
Adverb	only; just	She's but a young girl!
Noun (buts)	used to emphasize that something will happen even if the person you are talking to does not want it to	We're going to visit your aunt tomorrow and there'll be no buts about it.

Idioms and phrases with But:

Idioms and phrases with But	Meaning	Example
nothing but	only; no more than	Emi had nothing but praise for the new project.
all but	everything or everyone except for	The project is all but finished; we just need to add a few final touches.
but for	without someone or something	But for her assistance, I would have missed the deadline.
anything but	used to mean the opposite of the stated quality	The movie was anything but boring; it was incredibly exciting.
the last but one	the one before the final one	Jack arrived the last but one at the party, just before the final guest.

II. What is Yet?

To accurately distinguish between But and Yet, let’s learn about the concept of Yet!

Yet is pronounced /jet/ and functions as an adverb and a conjunction.

Usage	Meaning	Example
Adverb	still; until the present time	Has Juliet finished her homework yet?
Conjunction	(and) despite that; used to add something that seems surprising because of what you have just said	John's overweight and bald, (and) yet somehow, he's attractive.

Words/Phrases with Yet:

Words/Phrases with Yet	Meaning	Example
might yet	even at this stage or time	You might yet prove me wrong.
may yet	even at this stage or time	Jack may win yet.
yet another	used to add emphasis to words such as another and again, especially to show an increase in amount or the number of times something happens	Julian bought yet another pair of shoes to add to her collection.
yet again		I'm sorry to bother you yet again.
yet more		Jack's given us yet more work to do.

III. Difference between But and Yet in English

Above, PREP has introduced the concepts and usage of But and Yet. Let’s distinguish between But vs Yet in the table below!

	Usage	Example
But	Often used to indicate contrast or contradiction between two ideas in a sentence. Used to indicate opposition, but often implies that something still happens despite the obstacle or contradiction, producing an unexpected or contrary result.	Richard wanted to go to the beach, but it started raining.
Yet	Often connects two main clauses together. Used to signify something has not happened until now but is expected to happen soon.	Anna is tired, yet she continues to work hard.

Difference between But and Yet in English

IV. Exercises to distinguish But and Yet

To better understand the concepts, usage, and differences between But and Yet easily, let’s complete the exercises below with PREP!

1. Exercise: Fill in the blanks with But or Yet

Emi studied hard for the exam, ____ she didn’t get a high grade.
Jackson was late to the meeting, ____ he managed to present all his ideas effectively.
The weather was sunny in the morning, ____ it turned rainy in the afternoon.
I wanted to buy the new phone, ____ it was too expensive for me at the moment.
They have been working on the project for weeks, they haven't finished it ______.
Anna is very busy with her new job, ____ she always finds time to help others.
The book was difficult to read, ____ it was very interesting and worth the effort.
Jack is not experienced in the field, ____ he handled the situation very well.
"Are you ready?" "Not ____- wait a minute."
Of all the songs I've heard tonight, that's the best _____.

2. Answer

Yet/ but
But/ yet
Yet
Yet
Yet

Above, PREP has shared detailed concepts, usage, and exercises to distinguish between But and Yet with answers. Keep following PREP for more useful English knowledge!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.