# 除了……（以外），……还/也/都…… | HSK 3 Fixed Frame Guide | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-3-fixed-patterns-g044 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-3-g044 HSK levels: 3 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:55:49.488Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use the HSK 3 fixed pattern 除了……（以外），……还/也/都…… to express addition ('besides') and exception ('except for') with clear rules and examples. Grammar [HSK 3 · Fixed patterns](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-3#hsk-3-g044) # HSK 3 Grammar: Using 除了……（以外），……还/也/都…… for Inclusion and Exception 除了……（以外） can express addition (besides) or exception (except for). 还, 也 and 都 help signal the relationship, but the whole predicate and context determine the interpretation. Learn common patterns without treating them as rigid one-word rules. 除了 included baseline item or action （以外）， subject 还 additional action or item Example sentence 除了汉语言文学以外，这个学期我还选了中国历史。 Chúle Hànyǔyán wénxué yǐwài, zhège xuéqī wǒ hái xuǎnle Zhōngguó lìshǐ. Besides Chinese Language and Literature, I also chose Chinese History this semester. Uses 以外 and 还 to add a second course taken by the same subject (我). **Read the full explanation and examples** ## How the Frame Works: One Opening, Two Directions In the HSK Level 3 syllabus, the fixed frame 除了……（以外），……还/也/都…… is listed under fixed expressions (固定格式). 除了……（以外） can mean besides or except for. 还 and 也 often signal addition, while 都 often quantifies the remaining group in an exception sentence. These are useful clues, not an automatic classification: read the whole predicate and context to decide whether the first item is included or excluded. 以外 can often be omitted, especially after a short phrase. Keeping it can make the end of a longer 除了 phrase clearer. 之外 is another common form. The outline identifies the pattern taught here; it does not establish that only one variant will appear on an exam. ## 1. Inclusive Addition with 还: Adding More to the Same Subject When the second clause contains 还 (hái), the pattern means 'besides X, [the subject] also does/has Y'. The baseline item after 除了 is already true, and the second clause piles on additional items, activities, or qualities belonging to the same subject or topic. 除了 included baseline item or action （以外）， subject 还 additional action or item - Slot after 除了: Accepts nouns, pronouns, verb phrases, or whole clauses representing known facts. - Position of the subject: The main subject (such as 我 or 他) usually sits after the comma and directly before 还, though it can also be placed at the very start of the sentence before 除了. - Position of 还: Put it before the predicate expressing the addition. Other modifiers can intervene, as in 还很喜欢; it need not be immediately adjacent to the verb. 除了汉语言文学以外，这个学期我还选了中国历史。 Chúle Hànyǔyán wénxué yǐwài, zhège xuéqī wǒ hái xuǎnle Zhōngguó lìshǐ. Besides Chinese Language and Literature, I also chose Chinese History this semester. Uses 以外 and 还 to add a second course taken by the same subject (我). 除了跑步，他周末还喜欢去游泳。 Chúle pǎobù, tā zhōumò hái xǐhuan qù yóuyǒng. Besides running, he also likes to go swimming on weekends. Omits 以外 after a short verb phrase (跑步) and uses 还 to add another hobby. ## 2. Inclusive Addition with 也: Matching Across Different Subjects 也 can add a parallel subject sharing the same action, as in 小李也报名了. This is a useful contrast with 还, which often highlights an additional action or item. It is a tendency, not a restriction requiring 也 to have a different subject: context can make either word natural with the same subject. 除了 included baseline item or action （以外）， second subject sharing the same feature 也 shared action or state 除了小王以外，小李也报名参加了这次比赛。 Chúle Xiǎo Wáng yǐwài, Xiǎo Lǐ yě bàomíng cānjiāle zhè cì bǐsài. Besides Xiao Wang, Xiao Li also signed up to take part in this competition. Uses 也 because a second subject (小李) performs the same action as the first person (小王). Notice the contrast between 还 and 也: if you say 'Besides Xiao Wang, I also invited Xiao Li' (one subject 'I' inviting two people), Mandarin prefers 还 (我还请了小李). If you say 'Besides Xiao Wang, Xiao Li also signed up' (two different people performing the same action), Mandarin prefers 也 (小李也报名了). ## 3. Exclusive Exception with 都: Setting Apart an Exception In a typical exception sentence, 除了 names the excluded item or group, and 都 says that the stated predicate applies throughout the remaining scope. That scope may be people, objects or times. 都 is a clue to the interpretation, not a substitute for reading the full context. 除了 excluded exception （以外）， collective group or remaining items 都 rule applying to the rest Identify what 都 ranges over, rather than assuming it must quantify the grammatical subject. In 这家图书馆每天都开门 it covers the days; in 别的题他都会做 it covers the other questions, even though the subject 他 is singular. 除了星期天以外，这家图书馆每天都开门。 Chúle xīngqītiān yǐwài, zhè jiā túshūguǎn měitiān dōu kāimén. Except for Sundays, this library is open every day. Uses 都 with a universal time word (每天) to mark Sunday as the single exception. 除了这道题，别的题他都会做。 Chúle zhè dào tí, biéde tí tā dōu huì zuò. Except for this question, he knows how to do all the other questions. Omits 以外 and pairs 别的题 (the remaining scope) with 都 to exclude the one difficult question. ## Common Learner Pitfalls and Structural Restrictions A useful editing check is whether the addition or exception is clear. 还, 也 and 都 often make it explicit, but 除了 does not create a universal requirement for one of them. The two banana sentences below illustrate an acceptable sentence and a more explicitly additive version. 除了苹果以外，我买了香蕉。 Chúle píngguǒ yǐwài, wǒ mǎile xiāngjiāo. Intended: Besides apples, I bought bananas. A grammatical sentence in a suitable context. Adding 还, as in the following version, makes the additive relationship more explicit; omitting it does not by itself make the sentence ungrammatical. 除了苹果以外，我还买了香蕉。 Chúle píngguǒ yǐwài, wǒ hái mǎile xiāngjiāo. Besides apples, I also bought bananas. This version adds 还 before 买了 to make the addition of bananas explicit. Compare it with the grammatical preceding sentence, where the relationship depends more on context. - Adverb placement: 还, 也, and 都 are adverbs. They must stand after the subject of the second clause and before the verb or adjective—never before the subject. - Register: The full frame works equally well in everyday conversation and written narratives. Dropping 以外 is slightly more common when the phrase after 除了 is short (two to three syllables). - Scope boundary: Do not confuse the 都 in this exception frame with emphatic negative frames such as 一……也/都+不/没…… ('not even one...'), which belong to a separate grammar point. ## Frequently asked questions **When should I keep 以外 and when can I drop it?** Both are grammatical in almost all HSK 3 contexts. Keeping 以外 is helpful when the phrase after 除了 is long (such as a full clause or a long noun phrase) because it clearly marks where the 'besides/except' phrase ends. When the object is just two syllables, like 跑步 or 苹果, dropping 以外 sounds very natural. **Can 还 and 也 ever be swapped in this pattern?** They overlap. 还 often highlights another action or item, while 也 often adds a parallel case. Both 除了苹果，我还买了香蕉 and 除了苹果，我也买了香蕉 can be natural. Choose according to the intended focus and context rather than using a rigid same-subject/different-subject rule. **Can the main subject go before 除了?** Yes, when both clauses share the exact same subject, you can place that subject at the very beginning of the sentence (for example, 我除了汉语言文学以外，还选了中国历史). However, placing the subject after the comma right before 还 is equally natural and prevents confusion when the two clauses have different subjects. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 393](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=393) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)