useful except for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "useful except for" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is generally helpful or beneficial, but has one or more specific exceptions. Example: "The software is useful except for its occasional bugs that disrupt workflow."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

They believe the methodology of bourgeois ethnology is useful except for its reactionary characteristic.

International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology

These sorts of audio-only discovery features for a visual platform like Twitch may not be all that useful except for the site's heaviest users, who might then pull out their mobile device or open their laptop to follow along on a screen.

TechCrunch

I struggle to understand who could find them practically useful except for other talk show hosts.

Vice

Environmental samples are not useful except for control of disinfection and cleaning.

BioMed Research International

'It is nice to see the information compact.' All components of the reports were considered useful, except for the part about social influence, as they thought that this would only be important for the patient to know and not for the nurse.

BMC Family Practice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

These matrices are therefore not as useful for monitoring purposes, except perhaps for cadmium, which accumulates in the placenta.

Environmental Science & Technology

Mainly because, like Talleyrand, they think bayonets are useful for everything except sitting on.

The Economist

From previous study reports, increased erythrocyte-bound C4d (E-C4d) was also a useful marker for lupus disease activity except in condition with haemolytic anemia (HA) and chronic renal failure (CRF) [ 6, 16].

BioMed Research International

Ozmen and colleagues [ 48] also reported PET/CT to be useful for detecting active lesions (except in the kidneys) and for identifying biopsy sites in patients with WG.

Arthritis Research and Therapy

The Switch jettisons all that baggage, cutting things off clean except for useful accessories (more to come) like the Pro Controller.

TechCrunch

Hence, this method is particularly useful for identifying all inversions except the extremely short ones.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "useful except for", ensure the exception is clearly defined to avoid ambiguity. For example, "This tool is useful except for complex data analysis."

Common error

Avoid using "useful except for" without specifying what the exception is. Saying "This is useful except for some things" is too vague and doesn't provide helpful information.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "useful except for" functions as an adjective phrase that modifies a noun, followed by a prepositional phrase specifying limitations. Ludwig indicates this phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

40%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "useful except for" serves as a concise way to express that something is generally beneficial while noting specific exceptions or limitations. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. Predominantly found in science and news/media contexts, it's a valuable tool for precise communication. Remember to clearly define the exception to maintain clarity. Alternative phrases, like "helpful with the exception of" and "beneficial apart from", can provide variety while retaining the same meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

helpful with the exception of

Replaces "useful" with "helpful" and maintains the same structure.

beneficial apart from

Substitutes "useful" with "beneficial" and "except for" with "apart from", indicating a slight shift in tone but similar meaning.

valuable save for

Employs "valuable" instead of "useful" and "save for" as a substitute for "except for", maintaining a comparable meaning.

serviceable excluding

Uses "serviceable" as a replacement for "useful" and "excluding" in place of "except for", suggesting functionality with noted exclusions.

practical barring

Replaces "useful" with "practical" and "except for" with "barring", indicating usefulness with certain conditions.

good aside from

A more informal alternative, substituting "useful" with "good" and "except for" with "aside from."

effective but not for

Changes the structure to emphasize effectiveness while specifying exceptions.

advantageous excluding

Swaps "useful" with "advantageous" and "except for" with "excluding", denoting benefits with particular exceptions.

functional barring

Replaces "useful" with "functional" and "except for" with "barring", highlighting working capabilities with specific exclusions.

applicable excluding

Employs "applicable" instead of "useful" and "excluding" instead of "except for", implying relevance with certain exceptions.

FAQs

How can I use "useful except for" in a sentence?

Use "useful except for" to indicate that something is generally helpful or effective, but has specific limitations or exceptions. For instance, "The software is "useful except for" its occasional bugs".

What are some alternatives to "useful except for"?

You can use alternatives like "helpful with the exception of", "beneficial apart from", or "valuable save for" depending on the context.

Is "useful except for" grammatically correct?

Yes, "useful except for" is grammatically correct. It combines an adjective ("useful") with a prepositional phrase ("except for") to modify the adjective.

When should I use "useful except for" instead of simply saying something is "not useful"?

Use "useful except for" when something provides value in most situations but has specific, noteworthy exceptions. If something is generally ineffective, stating that it's "not useful" might be more appropriate. Otherwise, "useful except for" allows you to be more nuanced in your assessment.