Accept vs. Except: Never Confuse Them Again!

Accept vs. Except

These two words often cause confusion because they sound similar but have completely different meanings. Let's learn how to use them correctly!

Quick Reference

Two Different Words, Two Different Uses:
Accept = to receive, agree to, or take something
Except = to exclude or leave out

Understanding Each Word

1. Accept (Receiving/Agreeing)

Common Uses of Accept:

Business Context

• We accept credit cards
• Please accept our apology
• They accepted the job offer
• The store accepts returns

Social Situations

• I accept your invitation
• She accepted the gift
• They accepted his explanation
• Will you accept these terms?

Digital World

• Click here to accept cookies
• Accept the friend request
• Accept the terms and conditions
• Accept the file transfer

2. Except (Excluding)

Common Uses:

Shopping Examples

• The store is open every day except Sunday
• Everything is on sale except electronics
• All except the red ones are available
• Everyone except children must pay

Time Examples

• I work every day except Monday
• She's always on time except when it rains
• The gym is open 24/7 except holidays

Group Situations

• Everyone except Tom came to the party
• All students except seniors must take the test
• The whole family except me likes spicy food

Common Patterns

Situation	Accept (Receive/Agree)	Except (Exclude)
Payment	We accept cash	All payments except cash
Attendance	Please accept our invitation	Everyone except John is invited
Schedule	I accepted the meeting time	I work every day except Sunday
Rules	Accept the guidelines	All rules except Rule 5
Food	They accepted the delivery	I eat everything except fish

Tricky Situations

Watch Out For These:

Common Error	Correction	Explanation
I will except your offer	I will accept your offer	You're agreeing to something
All accept John	All except John	You're excluding John
Please except this gift	Please accept this gift	You're receiving a gift

Memory: Accept vs. Except

• Accept has "cc," like "receive," so think *I a-c-c-e-p-t because I can count it in.*
• Except has "ex," like "exclude," so think *Ex-cept ex-cludes things.*

Practice Exercises

Fill in the Blanks:

1. Will you ___ my apology? (receive)
2. Everyone ___ Sarah has arrived. (not including)
3. We ___ all major credit cards. (receive)
4. The museum is open daily ___ Mondays. (not including)
5. Please ___ this gift as a token of our appreciation. (receive)

Real-World Examples

Text Messages

• I accept your apology
• I'm free every day except Tuesday
• Will you accept my friend request?
• Everyone except you knew about the surprise

Email Context

• We are pleased to accept your proposal
• All employees except interns must attend
• Please accept my resignation
• The office is open except during holidays

Common Expressions

• Accept the facts
• Except for that one time
• Widely accepted practice
• No exceptions!
• Accept it or leave it
• Except when noted

Quick Tests

Choose accept or except:

1. Will you ___ these terms and conditions?
2. Everyone ___ the winner must pay an entry fee.
3. We ___ your sincere apology.
4. The café is open ___ on Sundays.
5. Please ___ my condolences.

Interactive Exercise

Create Your Own Sentences:

• Use Accept in a business context
• Use Except with time
• Use Accept with an invitation
• Use Except in a shopping situation
• Use both words in the same sentence

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Incorrect: I will except the award
Correct: I will accept the award (You're receiving something)

Incorrect: I accept when it rains
Correct: I accept that it rains (or Except when it rains if you mean but not when it rains)

Tips

Advanced Usage:
Accept often pairs with to or that:

• I accept that you're right
• She accepted to join the team

Except often pairs with for:

• Except for the rain, it was perfect
• Everyone came except for John

Final Review:
If you're receiving or agreeing → use accept
If you're excluding something → use except