Question

‘But for cancer, I would not have given up his smoking.’ In this sentence, ‘But’ is —

• A. An adverb
• B. A preposition
• C. An adjective
• D. A verb

Hint:

“But” can act as conjunction, adverb, or preposition — check role in sentence. In “but for X” it’s prepositional.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Meaning of “but for” here.
“But for” = “except for” / “if it were not for” — introduces the reason or condition preventing something. This makes “but” part of the prepositional phrase “but for.”
Step 2: Grammar classification.
In “but for cancer,” the word “but” functions as a preposition within the fixed phrase, governing the noun “cancer.” \[ \boxed{\text{(B) Preposition}} \]