Good question. There are two variants for not only but also. First, we use it straight as such, as in this sentence:
I have not only a pet mouse but also a pet dog.
My friend Joe has not only helped me but also given me a lift.
A pet dog does not only bark but also bite.
In these above sentences, the subject was before not only and hence those sentences all have a parallel construction in which either the action or an object are set off with not only-but also construction. Also notice there is no comma separating but also. This is important.
In the second type of construction, the subject of the sentence may come after not only. In such cases, we do not use but also as such. Instead, we slightly change it so that the second part also contains a subject that is relevant. As in these examples:
Not only did my friend Joe help me out, but he also drove me to the university.
Not only does my pet dog bite me, but he also barks at me. ;-)
Not only are there students in the room, but also parents. (here, the parents are there part is not quite required, so you don't have to say but parents are also there because it's implied.)
Why is the second type of usage relevant? Look at those sentences. You see the first part is a dependent clause and the main sentence comes after the comma. Hence, a comma is not only important but also necessary. Because we always set off the dependent clause with a comma, remember!
Hope this helps. I haven't edited my own writing here..
No comments:
Post a Comment