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For the electronics industry, the television is an important but increasingly difficult product to sell.

I've already searched over the internet about all the meanings the conjunction but can have in a sentence, but I don't understand its meaning in this very context. I have read a text saying that the conjunction "but" can be used to add informations to a first sentence. Can you guys give me a hand and help me understand?

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    It's just a conjunction. But means "and". Try substituting and to see: television is an important and increasingly difficult product to sell. The only difference between but and and is that but implies some surprise on the part of the speaker -- something is not going as expected. What that might be is determined by context. – John Lawler Apr 12 '17 at 18:43
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    That is a large and angry bear. That is a large but timid moose. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 12 '17 at 18:46
  • I was suspecting that it would be like you just said. It makes pretty sense to substitute but for and in this context. I just needed someone to confirm it to me, and you did it so. I appreciate your help. Thank you John Lawler and Edwin Ashworth! – moises soares Apr 12 '17 at 18:52
  • I always think of but as used here as “while at the same time” – Jim Apr 12 '17 at 19:53
  • In this context, one could construe that the use of "but" attempts to contrast positive and negative ideas about selling televisions. The idea of selling the television is important for the success of the electronics industry, which seems to be a positive idea in this context. The television being increasingly difficult to sell implies a negative idea due to the nature of challenge and failure. – Shankensteinium Apr 12 '17 at 23:20
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The purpose of but is a conjunction, meaning "on the contrary; in contrast" (New Oxford American Dictionary). It is the same as and, but emphasizes contrast. You can replace it with "however" or "yet".

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In a comment, John Lawler wrote:

It's just a conjunction. But means "and". Try substituting and to see: television is an important and increasingly difficult product to sell. The only difference between but and and is that but implies some surprise on the part of the speaker -- something is not going as expected. What that might be is determined by context.

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'For the electronics industry, the television is an important but increasingly difficult product to sell." Before elaborating on the grammatical function of 'but' in this sentence, it is neccessary to correct a prior error which inevitably affects it. "For the electronics industry, the television is : 1) an important -product- 2)increasingly difficult product to sell. While it's okay to say "the television is an important product for the electronics industry", to say "the television is an increasingly difficult product to sell for the electronics industry", on the other hand, doesn't make sense. 'But' splits the noun "Product" into the above-two attributes. However, a confusing double-reference to 'the electronic industry" was made as well. References stick to 'for' like a magnet. Although the two ideas are clearly highlighted, the sentence to flow needs to be entirely rewritten I'm afraid. Also, 'but'+'and'= yet. I propose: Television is an important product of the Electronic industry YET increasingly difficult to sell ( We haven't have had any ' easy ' sales on television yet).

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