请看：
(1)He does everything in the house except put the children to bed. (CGEL)
(2) It had no effect except to make him angry.(Evans)在句(1)中except后接动词原形,而在第二句中except后接带to的不定式。这是为什么呢?
解析：在表示“除了”时，如果介词except之前含有动词do（包括其各种语法形式），则except后通常接动词原形（但是也可带上to,说明带不带to并不是强制性的,而是自由或偏爱选择性的）；如果介词except之前是其他动词，则except后迎接带to的动词不定式：
Nothing more to do now except wait.
现在只能等待。
Ida would not speak to him except to answer questions.
除了回答问题，艾达都不和他说话。
They didn't have to do anything except sit back and enjoy life.
他们只需置身事外，享受生活。
We had nothing to do but/ except wait.
除了等待之外，我们一筹莫展。
We had nothing to do except (to) look at the posters outside the cinema.
我们除了看电影院的海报之外，什么事情也没有干。赵振才《英语常见问题解答大词典》增订版第五版P458.
but表示“除了”时也具有相同的语法规则：
I had no choice but to sign the contract.
我别无选择，只好签了合同。
I had no option but to ask him to leave.
我别无选择，只有请他离开。《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
We had no option but to abort the mission.
我们别无选择，只有取消这项任务。
I had no option but to pretend ignorance.
我别无他法，只能假装不知道。
We had no option but to abandon the meeting.
我们别无选择，只有放弃这次会面。
He will have no choice but to ally himself with the new movement.
他除了与新运动结盟别无选择。
She has no choice but to retreat from public life.
她别无选择，只能退出公众生活。
He had no choice but to leave.
除了离去，他别无选择。
She had no alternative but to ask for a few days' leave.
实在不得已，她只好请几天假。
She goes nowhere but to the dance party on Saturday evenings.
星期六晚上她净去跳舞。
The tourists have nothing to do but take pictures of each other
游客无事可做，只能互相拍照。
He had nothing to do but boil the kettle and make the tea
他除了烧水沏茶以外无事可做。《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》
It did nothing but make us ridiculous.
这只是让我们显得很滑稽。
We had nothing to do but/ except wait.
除了等待之外，我们一筹莫展。《外研社英语同义词辨析词典》
Your problems won't be resolved if you do nothing but abuse alcohol.
如果你只是酗酒而不采取行动，问题是不会解决的。
The islanders can do little but sweat it out, wondering whether they will be forced to go and seek a new life elsewhere.
岛民不知道自己是否要被迫去往他处另谋生路，但却无能为力，只好干等。
也就是说：表示“除了”的这两个词后接的动词不定式原则上后接动词不定式时是需要带to的，但是，在这两个词之前含有动词do（包括其各种语法形式），则这两个词后跟动词不定式时通常接动词原形（但是也可带上to,说明带不带to并不是强制性的）。