Breakdown of Er macht alles richtig, außer dass er zu spät drückt.
er
he
machen
to make, to do
richtig
right
zu
too (e.g., too big)
Questions & Answers about Er macht alles richtig, außer dass er zu spät drückt.
Why do we use außer dass here instead of außer wenn?
We use außer dass (except that) because it introduces a known, factual restriction: he actually is pressing too late. If you used außer wenn (unless), it would make the statement conditional, meaning he does everything right except if he happens to press too late.
How does außer dass affect the word order in the second half of the sentence?
Because the phrase ends in dass, it acts as a subordinating conjunction. This means it kicks the conjugated verb, drückt, all the way to the end of the subordinate clause.
Could I drop the dass and just say außer er zu spät drückt?
No. When außer introduces a full clause with its own subject (er) and conjugated verb (drückt), it requires a connector like dass or wenn. By itself, außer usually functions as a dative preposition, as in außer mir (except me).
What kind of action does drückt usually refer to in a context like this?
The verb drücken means to physically push or press. Given the context of reacting too late, it likely refers to pressing a button, like on a video game controller, a stopwatch, or a game show buzzer.