Arabic the excluded by means of Ilaa

Excluded by means of “إِلاَّ” (الْمُسْتَثْنَى بِـ”إِلاَّ”)


وَالسَّادِسُ: نَحْوُ “وَرَقَةً” مِنْ مِثْلِ “حَفِظَ مُحَمَّدٌ الْكِتَابَ إِلاَّ وَرَقَةً“، وَيُسَمَّى “مُسْتَثْنىً”

The sixth (category of الْمَنْصُوْب ) is like “وَرَقَةً” in for example                           “حَفِظَ مُحَمَّدٌ الْكِتَابَ إِلاَّ وَرَقَةً (Muhammad memorised the book except / excluding one page) and is called “مُسْتَثْنىً” (Excluded / Excepted).

Explanation:

It is not proper for you to say: “خَرَجَ التَّلاَمِيْذُ مِنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ” (The students came out of the school) and then to keep quiet except if it is that all of them had come out. However, if one or more of them remained, then it is necessary for you to say:                                                  “خَرَجَ التَّلاَمِيْذُ مِنَ الْمَدْرَسَةِ إِلاَّ خَالِداً (The students came out of the school excluding / except Khalid) for example, or “…إِلاَّ مُحَمَّداً (…except Muhammad) or “…إِلاَّ مَحْمُوْداً (…except Mahmud). The  الاسْم occurring after “إِلاَّ” is called “مُسْتَثْنىً” (excluded / excepted) and is مَنْصُوْب .

Similar to “خَالِداً” in the first example are:

  • “وَرَقَةً” in “حَفِظَ مُحَمَّدٌ الْكِتَابَ إِلاَّ وَرَقَةً (Muhammad memorised the book except / excluding one page) and
  • “الذَّهَبَ” in “تَصْدَأُ كُلُّ الْمَعَادِنِ إِلاَّ الذَّهَبَ (All metals rust except / excluding gold).

Such is the case with every اسْم occurring after the word “إِلاَّ” which is not preceded by negation.

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