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'Not only... but also' adds emphasis to the second element; 'both... and' connects two elements with equal weight.
Side-by-side comparison
"Not only... but also" connects two ideas and gives more weight to the second. The structure adds emphasis: the second thing is even more notable than the first.
Not only did he cook dinner, but he also cleaned up the whole kitchen after.
She is not only a great teacher but also an incredibly patient person.
Not only did we miss the flight, but we also lost our bags at the airport.
When "not only" goes at the start of the sentence, the auxiliary and subject are inverted: "Not only did she pass, but she also got the highest grade". This inversion is required.
Both the food and the service were excellent, we will definitely go back.
She plays both the piano and the guitar and is really good at both of them.
Both my sister and my brother live abroad, so I rarely see them in person.
Common mistake
- •When "not only" opens a clause, subject-auxiliary inversion is mandatory: "Not only did she pass the exam, but she also broke the record" (not "Not only she passed").
- •To avoid the inversion, place "not only" mid-sentence: "She not only passed but also broke the record."
Trick to remember it
Turn it into a question: "Did she pass?" becomes "Not only did she pass". If you do not want to invert, move "not only" to the middle: "She not only passed but also broke the record". And if both items weigh the same, stay with "both... and".
Quick rule
- •"Not only" at start of clause = mandatory inversion (auxiliary + subject).
- •Mid-sentence = no inversion.
- •The second element amplifies or surpasses the first.
Did you know?
The inversion after NOT ONLY belongs to the family of "negative inversions" in English: constructions where a negative or quasi-negative expression at the start of a clause forces the auxiliary + subject order. The family includes: NEVER ("Never have I seen..."), RARELY ("Rarely does she..."), SELDOM ("Seldom had he..."), HARDLY ("Hardly had they arrived when..."), NO SOONER... THAN ("No sooner had she left than..."). These constructions belong to formal and literary English, they appear frequently in academic texts, political speeches, and novels. Using them correctly is a clear signal of advanced formal English proficiency.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She speaks _____ Spanish but also Portuguese and French.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Not only _____ she arrive late, but she also forgot the gift.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'Both' affirms two; 'neither' denies both; 'either' refers to one of two (as a choice) or reinforces negation.
'Both... and' connects two elements positively; 'neither... nor' connects them negatively.
The comparative compares two things; the superlative designates the extreme in a group of three or more.
"Too" means also in affirmative sentences; "either" means also in negative sentences.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy