Not only … but also means “not just this, but that too”. It joins two facts and puts the stress on the second: something else is added to the first, often something more surprising or important. The parts after not only and after but also have the same form: two adjectives, two verbs or two nouns.
How would you use not only … but also?
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not only + A + but also + B (A and B in the same form); Not only + do/does/did/is/was/can + subject + verb, but + subject + also + verb
- The new job is not only better paid but also much closer to home.
- She not only passed the exam but also got the highest score in her group.
- Not only did the train arrive late, but it was also completely full.
What changed
First versionNot only cycling saves money, but it also keeps you fit.
RevisionNot only does cycling save money, but it also keeps you fit.
In the middle of a sentence, not only keeps normal word order, so that order is often kept when Not only moves to the start. But when Not only opens the sentence and refers to the action, the word order after it is the same as in a question: the auxiliary verb comes before the subject, as in Does cycling save money? So does was added, and saves became save.
In the second part, also goes after the subject, or after be or an auxiliary verb if there is one: but it also keeps you fit, but it was also full. In the middle of a sentence, word order is normal: She not only sings but also plays the guitar. There is no inversion either when not only refers to the subject: Not only the students but also the teachers were tired. Starting with Not only sounds impressive, but if you open every paragraph of an essay with it, the text looks formulaic.
Your turn
Our guide was a disaster. Not only ___ late, but he also forgot the museum tickets.
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was he — Not only is at the start of the sentence, so question word order is needed after it: first was, then he. He was is normal word order; it is correct without Not only at the start, but it doesn't work after it.
Write about someone who pleasantly surprised you: a colleague, a neighbour or a teacher. Start the sentence with Not only and name two things this person did.
Not only did my neighbour water my plants while I was away, but he also fixed my broken door handle.
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