That clause

Question

What has this world come to that not only did someone wear the shirt,but someone made money off it.

1) I think this is ungrammatical. Am I correct in correcting it like this below?

What has this world come to that someone not only wore the shirt, but someone made money off it.

2) How is the phrase functioning, please?

Thanks

Ed_shaw · Accepted Answer

Both sentences are all right. Your own revision is an improvement over the original.
I'm not sure about the phrase, "someone made money off it." That is commonly heard,
and the dictionary sanctions "borrowed money off him," so I guess it is all right. I'd
prefer made money "on" it, "with it", or, "made money selling it."

The sentence is interrogative, menaing it asks a question. So, it requires a question
mark. The way the sentence is structured, by the end of sentence, the reader has almost
forgotten it is a question.

The sentence is also on risky grounds using the same pronoun to refer to two different people.
I realize the wording was chosen for effect, or impact. Still, because "vague pronoun reference" is the number one fault of writers, most of us tread very carefully in that area.

I'd say:

What has this world come to? Not only was someone willing to wear the shirt, but someone else was willing to make money selling it.

English 1b3 · Answer

The sentence was not my own, but I agree with what you say.

You wouldn't know the type of that clause this is, would you? I cannot figure out how it is working in the setence, but it does sound natural read aloud.

Ed_shaw · Answer

I think it is a restrictive clause that modifies world.
You're getting pretty technical, here. Don't take my word for it.

That clause

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