but which contributes

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "but which contributes" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to introduce a clause that adds additional information about a subject, often in a context where the contribution is significant or relevant. Example: "The research focuses on renewable energy sources, but which contributes to a broader understanding of environmental sustainability."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Douglas A. Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University and an expert on sentencing, describes the rationale for these laws: "We punish the kind of possession many concede is not inherently harmful but which contributes to behavior which produces much harm".

The New York Times - Magazine

Here we need to distinguish between a corrupt action that has no effect on an institutional process or on another person, but which contributes to the corruption of the character of the would-be corruptor; and a non-corrupt action which is a mere expression of a corrupt moral character but which has no corrupting effect either on the agent or on anyone or anything else.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

But sodium, which contributes to hypertension and raises the risk of heart disease, must simply be reduced, which can greatly alter taste.

The New York Times

The show is a musical, of sorts, but only half-heartedly, which contributes to the show's party-for-insiders feel.

The New York Times

This is more than Spain – which has been hit by losses from the crash in construction – but less than Brazil, which contributes about a quarter of its entire profits.

The Guardian - Business

Despite the lineage-specific duplications and losses of domains 14, many complex domain architectures are found across the family but not always conserved, which contributes to erroneous assignments of orthologs.

BioEssays

Instead of neutralizing phosphoric acid with calcium, which contributes nothing but dead weight, ammonia can be used, giving ammonium phosphate, in which both constituents contribute fertilizer elements.

Encyclopedia Britannica

If you are not vegetarian, you can add the fish sauce, which contributes flavor but is not necessary for this delicious broth.

The New York Times - Health

His actors are continually bulging their eyes, dropping their jaws or raising their arms in mock horror, which contributes little but a sense of strain and desperation to this already attenuated film.

The New York Times

It is seen from Table 4 that at the growth of water content, energy difference V does not change, but concentration of methylol groups, which contributes in dielectric relaxation, increases.

Nanoscale Research Letters

A neighboring sequence in the HIC 3'UTR (nt 4048 4108 shaded area 2) is predicted to form a structure similar to that predicted for stem 2 of 7SK which contributes to, but is not essential for, its binding to P-TEFb [37], [57].

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "but which contributes" to introduce a clause that adds information while also presenting a contrast to a preceding statement. This is useful for nuanced explanations.

Common error

Avoid using "but which contributes" when a simple "and" or "which" would suffice. Overusing this construction can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex or convoluted.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "but which contributes" functions as a conjunctive relative clause. The 'but' introduces a contrast, while 'which contributes' adds a relative clause that specifies a contributing factor. As shown in Ludwig, this structure is used to provide additional information that contrasts with a previous statement.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Encyclopedias

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "but which contributes" functions as a conjunctive relative clause, introducing a contrast while adding a contributing factor. As evidenced by Ludwig, it's grammatically correct but rare, primarily found in news, scientific, and encyclopedic contexts. While useful for nuanced explanations, it should be used judiciously to avoid overcomplicating writing. Remember to consider whether the contrasting "but" adds significant emphasis or if it can be omitted for conciseness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

yet it contributes

Replaces "but which" with "yet it", altering the flow and emphasis slightly.

however it contributes

Substitutes "but which" with "however it", providing a more direct contrast.

though it contributes

Replaces "but which" with "though it", offering a slightly softer contrast.

and it contributes

Removes the contrastive element of "but" while maintaining the contribution aspect.

while contributing

Changes the structure to a participial phrase, emphasizing the act of contributing.

although contributing

Similar to "while contributing", but adds a concessive element.

which also helps

Simplifies the phrase to highlight assistance rather than direct contribution.

yet also aids

A more formal alternative, using "aids" instead of "contributes".

though it aids

Expresses a concession while also indicating a helpful element.

even though it aids

Similar to the previous option but emphasizing the concession.

FAQs

How to use "but which contributes" in a sentence?

Use "but which contributes" to introduce a clause that provides an additional factor while contrasting with a previous statement. For example: "The policy aims to reduce pollution, but which contributes to economic growth as well."

What can I say instead of "but which contributes"?

You can use alternatives like "yet it contributes", "however it contributes", or "and it contributes" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When should I use "but which contributes" instead of just "which contributes"?

Use "but which contributes" when you want to emphasize a contrast or unexpected addition. "Which contributes" is more suitable when simply adding information without a contrasting element.

Is "but which contributes" always necessary, or can it be redundant?

In some cases, "but which contributes" can be redundant if the contrast is already clear from the context. Consider whether the "but" adds meaningful emphasis or if it can be omitted for a more concise sentence.