but you were too busy

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #235 [color=blue]“Various Conjunctions (3)”, question 3

I needed your assistance, you were too busy to help me.

(a) but
(b) if
(c) nor
(d) until

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #235 [color=blue]“Various Conjunctions (3)”, answer 3

I needed your assistance, but you were too busy to help me.

Correct answer: (a) but

Your answer was: [color=red]incorrect
I needed your assistance, if you were too busy to help me.
[size=200]_________________________[/size]

i think using ‘if’ is appropriate too
why should we put ‘but’?

Sorry, but ‘if’ doesn’t make any sense in that sentence for me, Mudaiah. It does not connect the meanings of the 2 clauses. What do you think it means?

It seems to me that the assistance can replace ‘you’ to give the help since ‘you’ were busy

You are mistaking the word ‘assistance’ for the word ‘assistants’, Mudajah.

Assistance = help support:
I needed your assistance but you were too busy to help me. =
I needed your support however you were too busy to help me.

Assistant(s) = A person (People) who help.
I needed your assistants because you were too busy to help me yourself.

it’s clear to me…
ha…i didn’t read it carefully…
many thanks sir…^^

can we use " untill " here?
thanks

b[/b] I needed your assistance, until you were too busy to help me.
No, sorry, Lili. Such a sentence, while it has logic, has no real use here. (As a minor point, the comma also eliminates ‘until’ as a possibility.)