لَا / بَلْ / لَكِنْ / مَا ... إِلَّا / إِنَّمَا
Coordination, negation–exception, and innamā.
Before choosing a construction, establish the addressee’s prior view, the predication to be restricted, and the rival alternative being excluded. This prevents confusion between restriction directions and the varieties of relative restriction.
Comparative review
DeviceRhetorical contribution
لاAffirms then denies a rival
بلTurns toward a replacement assertion
لكنCorrects a preceding expectation
ما…إلاExplicit negation followed by exception
إنماCompact restrictive particle