correlative conjunction · academic
not only ... but also
UK/nɒt ˈəʊnli ... bʌt ˈɔːlsəʊ/US/nɑːt ˈoʊnli ... bət ˈɔːlsoʊ/NOT·O·NLY · BUT · AL·so
used to emphasize that the second point is in addition to the first; often stronger than 'and'
Examples
“Not only did she finish the report, but she also presented it to the board.”
“He is not only talented but also hardworking.”
“Not only have unemployment rates fallen, but wages have risen as well.”
Band 8 sentence
“Not only did the policy fail to reduce emissions, but it also exacerbated economic inequality in the region.”
Collocations
- Not only + auxiliary + subject + verb (inversion) ... but also + clause
- Not only + noun/adj + but also + noun/adj/phrase
Word family
Common mistakes
Not only he likes music, but also he plays the guitar.→Not only does he like music, but he also plays the guitar.
She is not only clever but also she is hardworking.→She is not only clever but also hardworking.
Say it for a higher band
5and→6both ... and→7+not only ... but also
Synonyms
both ... and
Easily confused
both ... and
“She is both intelligent and diligent.”
not just ... but
“He is not just talented but extremely disciplined.”
Related words
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In Adding ideas
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