“Not only … but also”

not only A but (also) B adds a second point, B, to a first point, A — and B is usually stronger or more surprising. A and B can be adjectives, nouns, verbs, prepositional phrases or whole clauses.

💡Not only pairs with but: not only … but (also) … — not “not only … and also”. Learners whose language uses a word like “and” here often make this mistake.

What comes after not only and what comes after but also should be the same kind of thing in the same form: adjective with adjective, verb with verb in the same tense, to-verb with to-verb. Put not only right before the first part.

• Minh not only fixed my bike but also cleaned it.

  fixed … cleaned: both past simple

• I enjoy not only cooking but also eating.

• She wants not only to travel but also to work abroad.

• I like not only tea but also coffee.

  not only goes before tea, to match coffee

In conversation, native speakers sometimes put not only in a less balanced place (I not only like tea but also coffee) and nobody minds. In writing and in exams, the balanced version is the one that counts as correct.

For extra emphasis, you can move Not only to the front. The first half then inverts — the auxiliary comes before the subject, as in a question. The second half keeps normal order: but + subject + (auxiliary) + also + verb.

💡When you borrow do / does / did, the main verb goes back to its base form: Not only does he speak (not: speaks), Not only did the shop cancel (not: cancelled). Trick: write the first half as a yes/no question (Does he speak Thai?) and put Not only in front.

The inverted form is more formal and dramatic — common in writing, speeches and the news. In conversation people usually keep it simpler: He's not only clever — he's really kind too.

• Where also goes: right after but in the short form (but also cheap); in a full clause it comes after the subject — before a main verb, or after an auxiliary / be: but she also coaches…, but it was also…, but she can also….
• You can leave out also: not only cheap but delicious. Or replace it with as well / too at the end.
• Informal speech sometimes drops but as well: Not only is it cheap, it's also good for you.
• When it joins two subjects, the verb agrees with the nearer one (B).
• Compare both … and (see the lesson “Both / either / neither”): both A and B treats the two points equally; not only A but also B puts the weight on B.

• The soup is not only cheap but really tasty.

  also left out

• Not only did he apologise, but he paid for the damage as well.

• Not only the kids but also their dad was soaked.

  the verb agrees with their dad

• Both the kids and their dad were soaked.

  both … and → plural

• ✗The flat is not only small and also very dark.

  ✓The flat is not only small but also very dark.

  Not only pairs with but (also), not and.

• ✗Not only she is clever, but she is also hard-working.

  ✓Not only is she clever, but she is also hard-working.

  Not only at the start → invert the auxiliary.

• ✗Not only does he speaks Korean, but he also speaks Thai.

  ✓Not only does he speak Korean, but he also speaks Thai.

  After does, use the base form.

• ✗Not only we visited Hue, but we also went to Hoi An.

  ✓Not only did we visit Hue, but we also went to Hoi An.

  Past simple borrows did to invert.

• ✗She not only sings but also dancing.

  ✓She not only sings but also dances.

  Both parts must have the same form.

• ✗He not only plays the guitar but also he sings.

  ✓He not only plays the guitar but also sings. / … but he also sings.

  After but also, put only the part that matches; to keep the subject, put also after it.