Sentence Correction

Mauritius was a British colony for almost 200 years, excepting for the domains of administration and
teaching, the English language was never really spoken on the island.
(A) excepting for
(B) except in
(C) but except in
(D) but excepting for
(E) with the exception of

OA is C

My question is the first sentence Mauritius .... 200 years is an independent clause and the third sentence The english ..... the island is also an independent clause. Now if I am putting but in the middle clause how does it not make the third sentence a comma splice.

Can someone shed some light please?

vineetbatra wrote:Mauritius was a British colony for almost 200 years, excepting for the domains of administration and
teaching, the English language was never really spoken on the island.
(A) excepting for
(B) except in
(C) but except in
(D) but excepting for
(E) with the exception of

OA is C

My question is the first sentence Mauritius .... 200 years is an independent clause and the third sentence The english ..... the island is also an independent clause. Now if I am putting but in the middle clause how does it not make the third sentence a comma splice.

Can someone shed some light please?

Well either you can use a comma or a "but" since we see that but is the word which connects the exception to the former statement.

I have one doubt:-Why do we have to use "in" instead of "for"??

Harsh,

The OG says that Excepting for is unidiomatic. Had it been Except for instead of excepting for then it might have been acceptable.

I understand that , but adds validates the 2nd sentence, but my question is what about the third sentence

", the English language was never really spoken on the island. " it begins with a comma has its own Subject and verb, so why is it not a comma splice.

Maybe except in is a modifier modifying the english language?

I hope you understand my questions.