Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1............... the emergency fund, the company would have missed payroll during the cyberattack.
Wrong!
"But for" means "if it were not for" here, introducing the factor that prevents a different result.
2The negotiation would probably have collapsed ............... her careful intervention at the final meeting.
Wrong!
"but for" introduces the circumstance without which the negotiation would probably have failed.
3The archive would be almost unusable ............... the volunteers who catalogued the files.
Wrong!
"if it were not for" is the standard formal conditional equivalent of "but for" in a present unreal situation.
4Several injuries might have occurred ............... the revised safety protocol.
Wrong!
"if it had not been for" is the past conditional equivalent of "but for"; the if-clause itself does not take "would have".
5The error would have gone unnoticed but ............... the analyst's noticing a tiny discrepancy in the totals.
Wrong!
The fixed expression is "but for", meaning "without" or "if not for" in this conditional context.
6The patient would need surgery ............... the new medication.
Wrong!
"but for" means that without the medication, the patient would need surgery.
7The appeal would have been dismissed ............... the documentary evidence.
Wrong!
"without" can paraphrase "but for" before a noun phrase, while "unless" must introduce a clause.
8............... the revised map, the rescue team would have misread the route.
Wrong!
"Had it not been for" is the inverted past equivalent of "if it had not been for" and fits the past result "would have".
9The merger would be straightforward ............... the unresolved funding issue.
Wrong!
"but for" is followed by a noun phrase and means "if it were not for"; "although" would need a clause.
10The live broadcast would have continued uninterrupted but ............... a brief power cut.
Wrong!
Use "for" in the expression "but for" before a noun phrase to mean "if it had not been for".
11The network would have lost data ............... constant monitoring.
Wrong!
"but for" means the constant monitoring prevented the loss; it does not say the monitoring caused the loss.
12The inquiry would have stalled ............... the anonymous tip.
Wrong!
"but for" gives a negative condition: without the anonymous tip, the inquiry would have stalled.
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- But for the emergency fund, the company would have missed payroll during the cyberattack.
- The negotiation would probably have collapsed but for her careful intervention at the final meeting.
- The archive would be almost unusable if it were not for the volunteers who catalogued the files.
- Several injuries might have occurred if it had not been for the revised safety protocol.
- The error would have gone unnoticed but for the analyst’s noticing a tiny discrepancy in the totals.
- The patient would need surgery but for the new medication.
- The appeal would have been dismissed without the documentary evidence.
- Had it not been for the revised map, the rescue team would have misread the route.
- The merger would be straightforward but for the unresolved funding issue.
- The live broadcast would have continued uninterrupted but for a brief power cut.
- The network would have lost data but for constant monitoring.
- The inquiry would have stalled but for the anonymous tip.
