The difference between "yet" and "but"

I think "but" is usually better. "Yet" is trying too hard, but "but" is just being himself.

Sometimes you really need to use the word yet to show that the next part of the sentence tells something you might not have expected, yet I still think "but" is usually better!

"But" accomplishes almost exactly the same thing. Look at these two sentences:

1. My friends watch a lot of television, but I prefer to turn off the television so that we all pay attention to one another instead of staring at the screen.
2. My friends watch a lot of television, yet I prefer to turn off the television so that we all pay attention to one another instead of staring at the screen.

I think the first one sounds a lot better. I would rather just use "but" in a situation like that. "Yet" is trying a little too hard to be cool. I don't trust it.

In some sentences, though, the word "yet" can really help to clarify the idea you are trying to share:

• When the television is off, the people in the room will face each other and express themselves, yet we prefer to ignore one another and watch a show.

Use "yet" instead of "but" when you want to emphasize that the next part of the sentence tells something that seems unlikely because of what the first part of the sentence says.