These phrases always work together within sentences.
If you see “not only”, then the correct answer choice must
contain “but also”.
If you see “but also”, then the sentence must have “not
only.”
Please remember that “not only” always comes before “but
also”.
Furthermore, the words or phrases that go after “not only”
and “but also” must match in part of speech and form. For
example, “Frank recycles not only cans (plural
noun) but also bottles (plural noun)”.
Incorrect: She jogs daily not only to
improveher health but also stamina.
Correct: She jogs daily not only to
improve her health but also to increase her stamina.
SAMPLE PRACTICE QUESTION FOR NOT
ONLY...BUT ALSO
The
students enjoyed the professor’s lectures on chemistry not only
because they were informative
but also entertaining.
(A)
not only because they were informative but also entertaining
(B) not only because they
were informative but entertaining
(C) not only because they
were informative but also they were entertaining
(D) not only because they
were informative and also entertaining
(E) not only because they
were informative but also because they were entertaining
Reading the question, your first task
is to eliminate any answer choices that do not match “not only”
with “but also”. This allows you to eliminate choices (B)
and (D).
You can then move onto choices that do not match the phrases after “not
only” and “but also”. Choices (A) and (C) can be eliminated
based on this.
Only choice (E) correctly contains “not only…but also”
and properly matches their proceeding phrases.