Not only…but also, and both…and, are well known cumulative coordinating conjunctions. These conjunctions are used to add extra information to the main clause. And, they are also used to introduce independent clauses or to form compound sentences. Here, I’m going to reveal The power of “not only but also and both and.”
Exploring the power of not only but also and Both
Now, let’s learn how to use not only but also and both and cumulative Conjunctions.
Both….and for highlighting similarities
In the process of understanding the power of not only but also and both and cumulative Conjunctions, first of all let’s start with both….and.
“Both…..And” is used to join two equal grammatical forms with plural auxiliary verb. On the other hand, “As well as”is used to join two grammatical forms with great emphasis on one compares to other.
For as well as, singular auxiliary verb is taken. Generally, these conjunctions are used to join two words, phrases, and coordinating or independent clauses.
Both…. And are used to join two equal grammatical forms. This coordinating as well as Correlative conjunction emphasis equally on both sides.
Plural auxiliary verb is taken and comma is omitted in the use of both and. In addition, it is used only when the parts are equal in value. Both is paired with “And”. Moreover, “And” acts as a coordinator for “Both”.
Some useful examples of both and cumulative conjunction
- Both global warming and climate change are threat for biodiversity.
- Oceans are both deep and vast.
- US wants both to reduce trade deficit and to increase employment through negotiations.
- She aspires both to visit US and to study there.
- China is both planning to boost export and trying to make bilateral agreements to generate surplus.
Further, it is limited to only positive sentences. It is not used in the negative sense.
Exploring As well as Vs both….and differences
As well as is different in meaning than “And”or Both… And. Though it is a cumulative coordinating conjunction, it is used in the different context.
Both… And is used to join equal value grammatical units or forms with equal emphasis. On the other hand, “As well as” is used to add extra emphasis in the second part.
- Temperature, as well as soil, is very important to support life.
- Soil as well as water pollution, is dangerous for plants’ growth.
- China, as well as US, is capable to shape global economy.
- Fossil fuel, as well as coal, is responsible for the carbon dioxide emission.
In all the examples, you can notice that the use of comma is essential to separate the emphasised earlier grammatical form from second.
Hope, you will understand the techniques to use “Both… And” and “As well As”. After practice, you will be able to do it on yourself.
Understanding the power of not only but also
Like others, it is also used to add extra information to the main clause. If you are going to express more information about the subject, then, generally, it is preferred.
We also call it paired or correlated as it is used together relating to each other. Using separately cannot make a sense.
First of all, we must know that it is used to add extra information and it may be in the form of noun, noun phrase, adjective or adjective phrase. Its position should follow the following rules:-
In case of in the middle of the sentence, it should be placed immediately after auxiliary verb. For example —
He is + not only + any part of speech or phrase or clause + comma in case of emphasis + but also + additional information in the earlier format.
- Gobal warming is not only a cause of climate change but also a threat for biodiversity.
In this example, not only is used immediately after auxiliary ‘is’ but before the phrase. In the second part, same phrasal nature is used after but also.
Parallelism in not only but also
Parallelism means following the same grammatical pattern at the both end. In the earlier example, global warming is not only a cause of climate change but also a threat for biodiversity, the same grammatical pattern is used.
In the first part, a cause of climate change, whereas in the second part, a threat for biodiversity. So, it is highly essential to be consistent with the rules of parallelism.
Use of comma in the not only….. but also sentences depends on the degree of emphasis. In case greater degree, it is recommended to use it, otherwise no need to use.
“Water scarcity is not only a challenge, but also a big environmental concern.”
In this example, there is an extra stress over the environmental concern compare to earlier part.
1.UN is not only an intergovernmental forum for discussion but also a catalyst for global development.
2.Green energy is not only a potential solution for global warming, but it also a sustainable alternative for conventional energy.
3.Trees not only breathe through leaves but also produce food through photosynthesis.
4.Fruits are not only nutritious but also affordable.
There is no dearth of examples but essence is important. Now we are going to understand the other type.
Use of not only…. but also at the beginning of sentence
In this case, inversion of auxiliary is essential. Here, in the absence of auxiliary we can use do, does, did according to tense and demand of sentence.
- Not only are natural disasters challenging human lives, but they are also damaging infrastructure and property.
- Not only is it raining continuously but it is also making daily routine difficult.
In both example, you might have observed that in the second part, we are repeating the subject and auxiliary. It is different from earlier type when we used not only….. but also in the middle of the sentence.
Second, the introduction of comma is also important to make natural sense.
“Not only did technology make human life easy, but it also created sense of fear”.
“Not only is industrial sector providing higher wages, but it also bringing structural changes.”
This is all about the understanding The power of not only but also and both and
Alternative coordinating conjunctions