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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
Not only ... but also
Hi everyone,
Recently my students are studying how to use "not only... but also," and they have a question about combing two sentences. Here are the sentences.
The earthquake took many lives.
The earthquake made many buildings collapse. (use "not only")
=> Not only did the earthquake take many lives but it also made many buildings collapse.
I don't understand why we should use "Aux + S + Verb" when we put "not only" in the beginning of a sentence. Can I write the sentence in this way: Not only the earthquake took many lives but also it also made many buildings collapse. Thanks.
gloria
Recently my students are studying how to use "not only... but also," and they have a question about combing two sentences. Here are the sentences.
The earthquake took many lives.
The earthquake made many buildings collapse. (use "not only")
=> Not only did the earthquake take many lives but it also made many buildings collapse.
I don't understand why we should use "Aux + S + Verb" when we put "not only" in the beginning of a sentence. Can I write the sentence in this way: Not only the earthquake took many lives but also it also made many buildings collapse. Thanks.
gloria
Top answer
[nq:1]Hi everyone, Recently my students are studying how to use "not only... but also," and they have a question about ... sentence in this way: Not only the earthquake took many lives but also it also made many buildings collapse.
- [nq:1]Hi everyone, Recently my students are studying how to use "not only...
- but also," and they have a question about ...
- sentence in this way: Not only the earthquake took many lives but also it also made many buildings collapse.
- [/nq] Your rewrite is not idiomatic.
- " This sentence has a compound subject "earthquake" and "fires" in inversion.
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10 Answers
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[nq:1]Hi everyone, Recently my students are studying how to use "not only... but also," and they have a question about ... sentence in this way: Not only the earthquake took many lives but also it also made many buildings collapse. Thanks.[/nq]
Your rewrite is not idiomatic. It now implies that two things each took many lives: the earthquake and whatever follows "but also." Here's an idiomatic
Your rewrite is not idiomatic. It now implies that two things each took many lives: the earthquake and whatever follows "but also." Here's an idiomatic
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[nq:2]Recently my students are studying how to use "not only... ... lives but also it also made many buildings collapse. Thanks.[/nq]
[nq:1]Your rewrite is not idiomatic. It now implies that two things each took many lives: the earthquake and whatever follows ... lives, but also the fires that followed." This sentence has a compound subject "earthquake" and "fires" in inversion.[/nq]
Gosh,
[nq:1]Your rewrite is not idiomatic. It now implies that two things each took many lives: the earthquake and whatever follows ... lives, but also the fires that followed." This sentence has a compound subject "earthquake" and "fires" in inversion.[/nq]
Gosh,
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[nq:2]Your rewrite is not idiomatic. It now implies that two ... a compound subject "earthquake" and "fires" in inversion.[/nq]
[nq:1]Gosh, I don't like that one at all.[/nq]
I'm sorry to have displeased you.
[nq:1]It says that the earthquake took also the fires that followed.[/nq]
Not so. Although it is true that this is better: "Many lives were taken not only by the earthquake bu
[nq:1]Gosh, I don't like that one at all.[/nq]
I'm sorry to have displeased you.
[nq:1]It says that the earthquake took also the fires that followed.[/nq]
Not so. Although it is true that this is better: "Many lives were taken not only by the earthquake bu
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Well, sort of. In a klutzy way. I mean, read it, building the stress up all the way to the "lives".
[nq:1]Although it is true that this is better: "Many lives were taken not only by the earthquake but also by the fires that followed."[/nq]
Oh, much, much better.
[nq:2]And I like it.[/nq]
[nq:1]May I use you as a reference?[/nq]
Soitenly.
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
[nq:1]Although it is true that this is better: "Many lives were taken not only by the earthquake but also by the fires that followed."[/nq]
Oh, much, much better.
[nq:2]And I like it.[/nq]
[nq:1]May I use you as a reference?[/nq]
Soitenly.
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
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...
}> Although it is true that this is better: "Many lives were }> taken not only by the earthquake but also by the fires that }> followed."
}
} Oh, much, much better.
...
Except it still wants a comma or two.
R. J. Valentine
Mandatory in some circles.
}> Although it is true that this is better: "Many lives were }> taken not only by the earthquake but also by the fires that }> followed."
}
} Oh, much, much better.
...
Except it still wants a comma or two.
R. J. Valentine
Mandatory in some circles.
00
[nq:1]... }> Although it is true that this is better: "Many lives were }> taken not only by the earthquake but also by the fires that }> followed." } } Oh, much, much better. ... Except it still wants a comma or two.[/nq]
Depends on whether you say it with a pause or two. I would (= BizarroMattE "I would do").
Depends on whether you say it with a pause or two. I would (= BizarroMattE "I would do").
00
}> ...
}> }> Although it is true that this is better: "Many lives were }> }> taken not only by the earthquake but also by the fires that }> }> followed."
}> }
}> } Oh, much, much better.
}> ...
}>
}> Except it still wants a comma or two.
}
} Depends on whether you say it with a pause or two. I would (= } BizarroMattE "I would do")
}> }> Although it is true that this is better: "Many lives were }> }> taken not only by the earthquake but also by the fires that }> }> followed."
}> }
}> } Oh, much, much better.
}> ...
}>
}> Except it still wants a comma or two.
}
} Depends on whether you say it with a pause or two. I would (= } BizarroMattE "I would do")
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Robert Lieblich filted:
[nq:1]I'm no fan of the "not only ... but also" construction and do my best to avoid us. But ya gotta answer the mail.[/nq]
Come now...it may not have been Pete and Dud's very best work, but there was plenty of entertaining stuff there..r
[nq:1]I'm no fan of the "not only ... but also" construction and do my best to avoid us. But ya gotta answer the mail.[/nq]
Come now...it may not have been Pete and Dud's very best work, but there was plenty of entertaining stuff there..r
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[nq:2]... }> Although it is true that this is better: ... fires that }> followed." } } Oh, much, much better.[/nq]
I wouldn't have said so. To me, this says that there were many individual lives each with the property that it was taken twice over.
In speech, I think it could be made clear that this was not the intended meaning, but in writing that's how it comes across to me.
I wouldn't have said so. To me, this says that there were many individual lives each with the property that it was taken twice over.
In speech, I think it could be made clear that this was not the intended meaning, but in writing that's how it comes across to me.
00
[nq:1]Robert Lieblich filted:[/nq]
[nq:2]I'm no fan of the "not only ... but also" construction and do my best to avoid us. But ya gotta answer the mail.[/nq]
[nq:1]Come now...it may not have been Pete and Dud's very best work, but there was plenty of entertaining stuff there..r[/nq]
Not the least entertaining of which stuff is the sight of all those respectud regallers struggli
[nq:2]I'm no fan of the "not only ... but also" construction and do my best to avoid us. But ya gotta answer the mail.[/nq]
[nq:1]Come now...it may not have been Pete and Dud's very best work, but there was plenty of entertaining stuff there..r[/nq]
Not the least entertaining of which stuff is the sight of all those respectud regallers struggli
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