ENGLISH
REFERENCE

apart from

prep. phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. you use this to show that someone or something is an exception to what you are saying; it can also mean 'in addition to'.

prep. phr.. a complex preposition used to indicate an exclusion or an addition; functions as a marker of contrast or supplementary information within a clause.


SIMPLE

Apart from the rain, we had a great holiday.

CONTEXTUAL

Apart from a few minor spelling mistakes, your essay was excellent and very well researched.

COMPLEX

Apart from the ethical concerns raised by the committee, there are significant financial risks that the company must consider before proceeding.

Usage

can be placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis or after the main clause.

Teaching tip

explain that it has two opposite functions: 'except for' (exclusion) and 'besides' (addition); context usually makes the intended meaning clear.

Pitfall

Apart of the cold weather, I like it here.Apart from the cold weather, I like it here.the correct preposition to follow 'apart' in this context is always 'from', not 'of'.

© 2026 English Reference