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What is “Without”? Basic insight into “Without” in English

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“Without” is one of the most common English structures, serving as a preposition or an adverb in a complete sentence. Additionally, “without” in English never stands alone but with some specific elements followed. Have you grasped any special phrases including “without”? Let’s check them out with PREP.

What is “Without”? Basic insight into “Without” in English

I. What is “without” in English?
II. The usage of “without” in English
III. Some common errors when using “without” in English
IV. Phrases and idioms containing “Without” in English
V. Exercises on “without” in English with detailed answers
VI. Crack the IELTS Exam With Confidence

I. What is “without” in English?

“Without” plays as a preposition or an adverb in a sentence, expressing the lack or absence of somebody or something.

Below are some examples of “without” in English:

He explained it in detail without getting angry at me.
I left without my umbrella.

II. The usage of “without” in English

What will follow “without”? What will be combined with “without”? Let’s check it out in the table below.

1. Without + V-ing

Without + V-ing means the lack or absence of something. There are 3 basic uses of Without when followed by V-ing clarified in the table below.

Without + V-ing	Usage	Example
S + V + without + Ving	In this case, the subject of the main verb and V-ing is the same.	Mary finishes the Math exercise without using the calculator.
S + V + without + O + Ving	When the subject of the main verb is different from that of V-ing, then you need to choose the appropriate object.	John hung out with his friends without his father allowing him to.
S + V + without + being + Ved	This is the structure of “without” in the passive voice, used when the main verb and V-ing have the same object.	They had to take a final exam without being informed beforehand.

2. Without + Noun

When "Without" is employed with a noun, the meaning remains constant; the distinction lies in using a noun or noun phrase after "Without" instead of V-ing. The format for the "Without" In English with a noun is as follows:

S + V + without + N

Examples:

He can’t pass the driving test without practice.
You can’t succeed without experience.

3. Without in conditional sentences

In conditional sentences, “without” plays the role of “ If not”. Students can employ this structure to diversify the expressions. Let’s see how “without” is used in conditional sentences.

Conditional sentence	Structure	Example
Conditional sentence type 1	without N/Ving, S + will/can (not) + V	Without buying the Spotify Premium package, you can’t listen to the song that you pick.
Conditional sentence type 2	without N/Ving, S + would/ could (not) + V	Without the map, they could get lost in the jungle.
Conditional sentence type 3	without N/Ving, S + would/ could (not) + have Ved/ 3	Without the bad weather conditions, the flight wouldn’t have been delayed.

III. Some common errors when using “without” in English

If you haven't completely grasped "without," you might make mistakes. Here are some important notes for students to remember when using "without."

Notes	Example
Do not omit the indefinite articles (a/an) when using a singular noun with “without”	Without pillow → without a pillow
“Without” should not be used with meanings like "Apart from" or "In addition to"	Without my mother tongue, I can speak four other languages → Apart from my mother tongue, I can speak four other languages.
“Without” already has a negative meaning, so we should not use negative words or structures immediately after the word “Without”.	The meeting was delayed and we had to wait for five hours without nothing to eat or drink. → The meeting was delayed and we had to wait for five hours without anything to eat or drink.

IV. Phrases and idioms containing “Without” in English

PREP has prepared some common phrases and idioms containing "Without" that often appear in daily communication and exams in the table below. Let’s check them out for better understanding.

Common phrases and idioms containing “Without” in English	Meaning	Example
Without exception	No exception	All students in this class without exception must take the Math examination.
Without money	No money	Without money, people can not buy anything.
Without doubt	No doubt	Without a doubt, playing fashion games can be fun, especially if you have a good style.
Without warning	No warning	He’ll turn off the light without warning.
Without fail	in every case, or for certain	I go to the piano class every Monday and Wednesday, without fail.
It goes without saying	something is obviously true	It goes without saying that staying up late is harmful to your health.
Go without something	to not have something or to manage to live despite not having something	They’d rather go without food than work for him.
Without further ado	with no more delay	And now, without further ado, here is our special guest speaker for the show today.

Phrases and idioms containing “Without” in English

V. Exercises on “without” in English with detailed answers

To reinforce your understanding of “without” in English and its structure, please refer to the exercise with answers below.

Exercise: Rewrite the following sentences with “without” and without changing the meaning of the original sentences

She’ll fail the English test if she’s not careful.
If it weren’t for my parents, I wouldn’t have been so well taken care of.
She can’t get through if she doesn’t have the courage.
If I don’t have a raincoat I’ll get wet when I go to school.
He will still solve it anyway even if he does not have any help.

Answer:

She’ll fail the English test without being careful.
Without my parents, I wouldn’t have been so well taken care of.
Without the courage, she can’t get through.
Without a raincoat I’ll get wet when I go to school.
He will still solve it anyway without help.

VI. Crack the IELTS Exam With Confidence

PREP has provided fundamental knowledge about “without” in English in communication, daily study, and work. If you’re ready to boost your IELTS band score, check out our expert-led courses below:

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Chloe

Product Content Admin

Hi I'm Chloe, and I am currently serving as an Product Content Administrator at Prep Education. With over five years of experience in independent online IELTS study and exam preparation, I am confident in my ability to support learners in achieving their highest possible scores.