adjective BUT adjective – English Grammar Profiler

You know,

 it‘s sad but true.

listen to the pronunciation

In the sentence above, the A2 structure “BE + adjective + BUT + adjective” is used. Here, “BE” is represented by “is”, and the adjectives are “sad” and “true”.

The conjunction “but” is used to connect these two adjectives. In this context, “but” is used to express a contrast or contradiction between two ideas. The phrase “sad but true” suggests that the truth of the matter is regrettable or disappointing.

So, the sentence is expressing that the speaker acknowledges a certain fact or reality (the ‘true’ part), but finds it unfortunate or disheartening (the ‘sad’ part). It’s a way of saying, “I wish it weren’t so, but this is the reality.” This structure allows the speaker to convey complex feelings or opinions about a situation.

In the sentence “Easily the most stylish of the bunch, the Romeos are simple but comfortable”, the word “but” is used to combine two adjectives – “simple” and “comfortable”.

The conjunction “but” is often used to connect contrasting ideas or qualities. In this case, “simple” and “comfortable” are not necessarily contrasting, but they highlight different aspects of the Romeos. The use of “but” suggests that despite their simplicity (which could often be associated with lack of comfort), the Romeos are comfortable.

So, the sentence is saying that the Romeos stand out as the most stylish in a group (“the bunch”), and they have the qualities of being both simple and comfortable. This combination of adjectives gives us a more complete understanding of what the Romeos are like.

TLC STUDENT SPEAKING TEST:

Driving in the city is cool but difficult.

male China B2

A search in iWeb for:

_VB _JJ but _JJ

1 IS SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE 216 2 ‘S SAD BUT TRUE 181

3 IS SAD BUT TRUE 126

4 ARE SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE 102 5 ARE SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT 90

6 IS SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL 89

7 IS SMALL BUT MIGHTY 88 8 IS SHORT BUT SWEET 77 9 IS SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT 76 10 IS POSSIBLE BUT UNLIKELY 75

11 BE POLITE BUT FIRM 71

12 IS SUBTLE BUT IMPORTANT 60

13 IS SIMPLE BUT ELEGANT 54

14 ARE SMALL BUT MIGHTY 52 15 IS GREAT BUT ONLY 52 16 IS POSSIBLE BUT ONLY 49

17 WAS SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE 49

18 ARE AVAILABLE BUT EXPENSIVE 47
19 ‘S SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE 47 20 WAS SHORT BUT SWEET 46 21 IS RARE BUT POSSIBLE 45 22 BE GENTLE BUT FIRM 44 23 IS GOOD BUT ONLY 43 24 IS TRUE BUT ONLY 42 25 IS UNLIKELY BUT POSSIBLE 42 26 IS NECESSARY BUT INSUFFICIENT 41 27 IS MOIST BUT WELL-DRAINED 40

28 ARE SIMPLE BUT COMFORTABLE 39

Easily the most stylish of the bunch,

 the Romeos are simple but comfortable.

insidehook.com

29 ARE SMALL BUT IMPORTANT 38 30 IS SMALL BUT POWERFUL 37

31 IS FREE BUT ONLY 36

32 ARE SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL 36
33 IS AVAILABLE BUT ONLY 36
34 BE FIRM BUT FAIR 35
35 BE FIRM BUT POLITE 35 36 ARE GREAT BUT ONLY 34 37 ARE SUBTLE BUT IMPORTANT 33 38 ARE BASIC BUT CLEAN 31 39 IS POSSIBLE BUT DIFFICULT 31 40 WAS BASIC BUT CLEAN 31 41 ARE RARE BUT SERIOUS 30 42 ARE SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT 29 43 ARE GOOD BUT ONLY 29 44 ARE NECESSARY BUT INSUFFICIENT 28 45 BEEN SLOW BUT STEADY 28 46 IS SHORT BUT STEEP 28 47 IS SLOW BUT STEADY 28

48 IS SMALL BUT GROWING 28

49 IS SMALL BUT IMPORTANT 28 50 WAS NERVOUS BUT EXCITED 28

51 IS AVAILABLE BUT EXPENSIVE 27

52 IS IMPORTANT BUT ONLY 27

53 ARE AVAILABLE BUT ONLY 26

54 ARE SMALL BUT CLEAN 26 55 IS DIFFICULT BUT POSSIBLE 26 56 WAS SHEER BUT BUILDABLE 26 57 IS GOOD BUT EXPENSIVE 25

58 IS SIMPLE BUT PROFOUND 25

59 IS SUBTLE BUT NOTICEABLE 25 60 WAS SLOW BUT STEADY 25 61 IS CHALLENGING BUT FUN 24 62 WAS SMALL BUT ADEQUATE 24

63 ARE SIMPLE BUT ELEGANT 23

64 IS BASIC BUT COMFORTABLE 23
65 IS SIMPLE BUT DELICIOUS 23 66 IS FINE BUT ONLY 22 67 ARE GOOD BUT EXPENSIVE 22

68 IS SIMPLE BUT IMPORTANT 22

69 IS SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT 22 70 ‘S POSSIBLE BUT UNLIKELY 21 71 IS POSSIBLE BUT RARE 21

72 IS SIMPLE BUT BEAUTIFUL 21

73 IS SOFT BUT DURABLE 21

74 BE SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE 20

75 IS GENTLE BUT EFFECTIVE 20 76 IS LIGHTWEIGHT BUT STURDY 20 77 IS OK BUT ONLY 20

78 IS SIMPLE BUT BRILLIANT 20

79 IS SMALL BUT NICE 20

80 IS TOUGH BUT FAIR 20

81 IS EQUAL BUT OPPOSITE 19 82 IS LIGHTWEIGHT BUT DURABLE 19

83 IS SIMPLE BUT FUN 19

84 WAS SMALL BUT CLEAN 19

85 WAS TOUGH BUT FAIR 19

86 IS DIFFICULT BUT NECESSARY 18

87 ARE BASIC BUT COMFORTABLE 18

88 ARE EQUAL BUT OPPOSITE 18 89 BE THICK BUT POURABLE 18 90 IS SERIOUS BUT STABLE 18 91 IS SMALL BUT ADEQUATE 18 92 IS SMALL BUT BEAUTIFUL 18 93 IS SMALL BUT NOTICEABLE 18 94 BE FIRM BUT GENTLE 17 95 ARE RARE BUT POSSIBLE 17 96 ARE POSSIBLE BUT RARE 17 97 ARE SEPARATE BUT RELATED 17 98 IS DIFFICULT BUT ESSENTIAL 17

99 WAS SIMPLE BUT ELEGANT 17

100 IS BASIC BUT FUNCTIONAL 16

A2 vocabulary:
available, brilliant, comfortable, fair, free, growing, opposite, polite, simple, soft, true

Notice that comparatives are rarer:

1 SADDER BUT WISER 44 2 SHORTER BUT WIDER 37 3 SLOWER BUT CHEAPER 35 4 OLDER BUT WISER 23 5 SHORTER BUT STEEPER 22 6 WIDER BUT SHORTER 20 7 SLOWER BUT STRONGER 18 8 SMALLER BUT HEAVIER 16 9 SMALLER BUT STRONGER 14

10 SMALLER BUT HIGHER 13

The phrase “sadder but wiser” means that someone has learned from their mistakes, even though they may have been painful. It is often used to express the idea that life experiences, both positive and negative, can teach us valuable lessons that make us better people.

The phrase is thought to have originated in the 1500s, and it has been used in a variety of contexts over the years. For example, it has been used in literature, music, and film to explore themes such as love, loss, redemption, and personal growth.

Here are some examples of how the phrase “sadder but wiser” might be used in a sentence:

• “After my divorce, I was sadder but wiser.
  I learned a lot about myself and what I want in a partner.”
• “The company made some mistakes in the early days, but they are sadder but wiser now. They have learned from their mistakes and are now more successful than ever.”
• “The young woman was sadder but wiser after her experience with the abusive boyfriend. She learned that she deserved to be treated with respect and that she should never settle for less.”

The phrase “sadder but wiser” is a reminder that even the most difficult experiences can teach us valuable lessons. It is also a reminder that we should never give up on ourselves, even if we make mistakes.

We can only get one superlative example from iWeb:

1  HARDEST BUT BEST 13

The hardest but best way to learn is by doing.

This sentence captures the idea that the most challenging experiences can also be the most rewarding. When we push ourselves to do things that are hard, we grow and learn in ways that we wouldn’t otherwise.

For example, learning a new language can be very difficult, but it is also one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have.