Not Only But Also | Examples & Use
Not only … but also is a correlative conjunction—a pair of words that is used to show the relationship between two grammatically equal parts of a sentence (e.g., “The company let down not only its shareholders but also its employees”).
You can use not only … but also when you want to emphasize that in addition to something already known, assumed, or expected (the “not only” phrase), there is something else (the “but also” phrase) that makes the statement more surprising, interesting, terrible, etc.
Not only minor celebrities but also true superstars turned out for the event.
The high winds not only downed power lines but also overturned mobile homes.
How to use not only but also
Like all correlative conjunctions (e.g., either … or, neither … nor), not only … but also is used to connect grammatically equal parts of sentences. That is, it can connect two nouns, two verbs, two independent clauses, etc.
| Part of speech | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun or noun phrase | We lost not only our passports but also our only hotel key. |
| Gerund | She excels at not only skiing but also swimming. |
| Verb or verb phrase | The building not only shook violently but also swayed during the earthquake. |
| Adjective or adjective phrase | He is not only charming but also intelligent. |
| Adverb or adverbial phrase | The champion solved the puzzle not only correctly but also quickly. |
| Independent clause | Not only was the weather terrible, but also the venue was overcrowded. |
People often make mistakes with parallelism when using not only … but also by using it to connect two grammatically unequal words or phrases. Typically, these mistakes can be fixed by changing the part of speech of one of the items or moving the correlative conjunction.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can also help ensure you’re using not only … but also correctly.
- Greece not only won three gold medals but also two silver medals. [connecting a verb phrase and a noun phrase]
- Greece won not only three gold medals but also two silver medals. [connecting two noun phrases]
- She is not only friendly but also likes to play sports. [connecting an adjective and a verb phrase]
- She is not only friendly but also athletic. [connecting two adjectives]
- Not only is she friendly, but she also likes to play sports. [connecting two independent clauses]
Does not only but also need a comma?
In most cases, you do not need to use a comma with not only … but also. The one exception is when the conjunction is used to connect two independent clauses (i.e., two full sentences).
- I love not only my job, but also my coworkers.
- I love not only my job but also my coworkers.
- Waylon not only runs marathons, but also climbs mountains.
- Waylon not only runs marathons but also climbs mountains.
- Not only did Goldman win the race but also he set a world record.
- Not only did Goldman win the race, but also he set a world record.
Connecting two independent clauses with not only … but also can be tricky grammatically. In addition to using a comma, there are a few points to keep in mind:
- In the first clause, the auxiliary verb (a form of “be,” “do,” or “have”) or the linking verb “be” comes before the subject.
Not only was the train delayed, but also the sleeping cars were overbooked.
- If there is no auxiliary verb in the first clause, add a form of “do” before the subject and change the main verb to the bare infinitive (e.g., “eat,” “bring”).
Not only did the president miss the meeting, but also the vice president was late.
- If the first and second clause have the same subject, the subject can come in between “but” and “also” in the second clause.
Not only is he going to Stanford, but he also received a full scholarship.
Frequently asked questions about not only but also
- Does “not only but also” require a comma?
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Like all correlative conjunctions, “not only … but also” does not typically require a comma (e.g., “The weather forecast calls for not only rain but also hail”).
The one exception to this is when it is used to join two independent clauses, which each have a subject and a verb (e.g., “Ava not only speaks Spanish, but she also is learning French”). This sentence could also be rephrased to not require a comma (e.g., “Ava not only speaks Spanish but also is learning French”).
A QuillBot grammar check can help ensure you’re using correlative conjunctions correctly.
- What is a synonym for not only but also?
-
Since not only … but also is a correlative conjunction, there is no exact synonym. However, instead of using not only … but also, you could rewrite the sentence to use a conjunctive adverb such as “moreover” or “furthermore” instead.
Not only … but also synonym examples He not only won the election but also won by a landslide.He won the election; moreover, he won by a landslide.
He won the election; furthermore, he won by a landslide.
The QuillBot Paraphraser can help you rewrite sentences and find alternative ways to express your meaning.
