doing all but one

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "doing all but one" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to indicate that everything is done except for one specific item or action. Example: "She completed all but one of the assignments on time." Alternative expressions include "everything except one," "all except one," and "all but a single."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Formal & Business

News & Media

Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Each of its doubles teams held a national ranking, as did all but one of its singles players, and Princeton could not pull off another upset, dropping to the Crimson Tide 4-2.

Princeton University

As do all but one of the 110 Navajo chapter houses.

Stanford University

At a family-owned restaurant in Loutro, we dined as a group, as we did all but one night.Typically we'd shared a groaning board of appetizers: stuffed grape leaves, eggplant salads, saganaki (fried cheese) and always tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber and garlic dip) and Greek salads.

The New York Times

If you choose, as I did all but one day, to stay in the warmth of your futon, you can still enjoy the periodic ringing of bells and gongs, faint drumming and chanting, as ethereal as the sound of the creek that serenaded me to sleep each night.

The New York Times - Travel

All mothers survived, as did all but one neonate (the spontaneous delivery).

Intensive Care Medicine Experimental

Chrome does all this, but goes one further: It lists actual results from Google.

The New York Times - Tech

The organisers had planned to do all these ceremonies in one session but there are simply too many.

The Guardian - Sport

Here are 12 reasons why you should stop everything you're doing -- well, all but one thing -- and rethink the way you work, socialize and live your life.

HuffPost

To make predictions for each bundle, the fitting was done using all but one infant, and his/her age predicted by the fitting was then compared with the real age.

Brain Structure and Function

But the solution does not lie in looking backward and allotting blame, but rather in doing all one can to help those who have been victims and to prevent the recurrence of such crimes in the future.

The New York Times

Consistent with what they had done in all but one of their past and forthcoming studies, Grande et al. relied on Denollet's strategy of data reduction and analysis, disregarding our caution that type D personality data is frequently inappropriately analyzed in this manner is insufficient reason for continuing to do so.

Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "doing all but one" to precisely indicate a high level of completion with a specific, singular exception. This avoids ambiguity and clearly communicates the extent of the action or progress.

Common error

Avoid using "doing all but one" when the number of uncompleted tasks is significant. This phrase is most effective when emphasizing the near-complete state, not when multiple items remain unfinished.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "doing all but one" typically functions as a modifier describing an action or state of near-completion. It specifies that nearly all elements or steps have been addressed, with a single exception.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "doing all but one" serves as a clear and concise way to express near-complete execution with a single omission. While grammatical correctness is assured, remember that this phrase is most effective when emphasizing the proximity to full completion and the specific nature of the exception. Given the analysis, and in line with Ludwig's assessment, the phrase "doing all but one" is a reliable and versatile tool for precise communication. With no example found we suggest to use cautiously.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

doing almost everything

Indicates completion of a large majority of tasks, stopping just short of full completion.

completing nearly all tasks

Emphasizes the accomplishment of finishing almost the entire set of tasks, with one omission.

achieving all with one exception

Highlights that all goals were met, save for a solitary exception or unmet goal.

performing all except one

Focuses on the execution of tasks, noting all were done but a single item.

handling everything but one

Suggests management or dealing with items where all are handled but a single unit remains.

attending to all save one

Implies all aspects received attention apart from a lone exception, or forgotten aspect.

addressing all but a single issue

Conveys comprehensive handling of issues with merely a solitary matter left to solve.

finishing all but a solitary item

Stresses the completion, leaving only a single thing undone.

managing all but a single case

Denotes the ability to keep all occurrences except a lone case under management or control.

processing everything short of one

Highlights the fulfillment of steps, processes short a final thing.

FAQs

How can I use "doing all but one" in a sentence?

You can use "doing all but one" to indicate that nearly everything has been completed or addressed, with only a single exception. For example, "The team finished "doing all but one" of the project tasks before the deadline".

What phrases are similar to "doing all but one"?

Similar phrases include "almost everything", "nearly all", or "all except one". The best alternative depends on the specific context.

Is "doing all but one" grammatically correct?

Yes, "doing all but one" is grammatically correct. It follows standard English sentence structure and is widely understood.

When is it appropriate to use "doing all but one" instead of "almost all"?

"Doing all but one" is more appropriate when you want to emphasize the single exception or when the context focuses on individual items. "Almost all" is more general and emphasizes the overall quantity.