Besides means “in addition to”; at the start of a sentence, it means “and also” or “anyway”. In the first meaning, besides adds something to what has already been mentioned: Besides English, she speaks German. In the second, with a comma, it adds another reason, often the strongest one: I'm tired. Besides, it's raining. The second meaning is conversational; in an essay, moreover or in addition is a better choice.
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besides + noun/-ing (= in addition to); Besides, + sentence (spoken); beside + place (= next to)
- Besides improving your career prospects, learning a language can make travel much easier.
- Who else was at the meeting besides the manager and her assistant?
- I don't feel like going out tonight. Besides, I have to get up early.
What changed
First versionOur hotel was right besides the beach, so we swam every morning.
RevisionOur hotel was right beside the beach, so we swam every morning.
Beside and besides differ by one letter but mean different things. Beside means “next to” and is about place. Besides means “in addition to” or “also”. The hotel stood right by the beach, which is about place, so the extra s was removed.
Besides and except can both seem to mean “other than”, but they work in opposite directions. When you add something, use besides: Besides Anna, three people came (Anna came, and three others too). When you leave something out, use except: Everyone came except Anna (everyone came, but Anna didn't).
Your turn
___ his native Spanish, Marco speaks French and a little Japanese.
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Besides — Spanish is Marco's native language, so he certainly speaks it, and French and Japanese come on top of that. Because a language is being added to the list, Besides is right. Except would exclude Spanish, which contradicts the word native.
Write about why you turned down an offer: a trip, a party or a part-time job. Give the first reason, then add a second one after Besides.
I said no to the weekend trip because it was too expensive. Besides, I had an exam on Monday.
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