(1) ①only that = with the exception that, were it not that, but for the fact that(另见“but for...”条目)，意为“要不是因为……；只是……”。
- I would come to your party, only that I am too busy.
要不是我太忙，我会参加你们聚会的。
②only that与but that可以换用，引出句子。
- He would have helped us but that/only that he was short of money at the time.
要不是他当时资金短缺，他会来帮我们的。
＊关于but that详见but for条目。
(2) only for用于口语，意思是“要不是因为……”，等于but for，句子用虚拟语气。
- Only for my brother, I should have been drowned.
要不是我兄弟，我早就被淹死了。
(3) ①except for(=were it not for, but for)意思是“除有……外；如无……”，对句子所说情况做一些修正，可以与except that句型换用。
- The office was in darkness except for the solitary light above his desk.
如果没有他桌子上方那盏唯一的灯，办公室就处在黑暗中。 - The room was bare of furniture except for a few chairs.
房间里除了有几把椅子外，没有什么家具。
②except for也可以用于句首。
- Except for a touch of melancholy in his expression, he was nothing out of the common.
他除了有些表情忧郁外，没有什么反常的。 - Except for one old lady, the bus was empty.
除有一位老太太以外，公交车上是空的。
③except for有时可表示“除了，除去”，意思接近except。
- She answered all the questions except for the last two.
她除了最后的两个问题外回答了所有问题。 - Except for John, the whole class passed the test.
除了约翰，全班都考及格了。
(4) except for有时表示“要不是(因为有……)”，等于but for，这时用虚拟语气。
- Except for you, I should be dead by now.
要不是你，我早就没命了。 - She would leave her husband except for the children.
要不是因为孩子们，她会离开她丈夫的。
