Parallelism With Not Only But Also

Not only but also can be a difficult correlative conjunction to work with
because of the extra words and their placement in the sentence. Just remember to use two verbs that make chronological sense, two adjectives, or two nouns. Hes not only funny, but also hes intelligent. When using a correlative conjunction, both clauses have to be parallel. He's not only funny but also intelligent. He has not only a sense of humor but also intelligence. Not only is Matthew going to Egypt for a month, but also Greece for a couple of weeks. Because the subject is after not only, there also needs to be a subject after but also. Not only is Matthew going to Egypt for a month, but hes also going to Greece for a couple of weeks. When writing, consider not only your topic but also your audience. The name Ann has not only many different spellings but also many diminutives. When not only is followed by but also (or simply but), it's considered good form to make sure the parts that follow each set of words are formatted the same way.

He is not only a great swimmer, but also a great musician. (Good: the sentence uses two noun clauses, which are underlined.) He is not only a great swimmer, but also plays amazing music. (Bad: the sentence uses a noun clause and a verb clause. It's bad because they don't match.)

You could make the second example better by rewriting it with two verb clauses:

He not only swims with ease, but also plays amazing music.

The Rule: In the not only . . . but also construction, the two items connected must be similar in kind. So: Wrong: He not only painted the "Annunciation" but also [painted] the "Mona Lisa." Right: He painted not only the "Annunciation" but also the "Mona Lisa." Wrong: He not only played for Washington but also for Detroit and Pittsburgh. Right: He played not only for Washington but also for Detroit and Pittsburgh. Wrong: He not only coached soccer but also tennis. Right: He coached not only soccer but also tennis. Right: He taught not only physics and chemistry but also algebra and geometry. Right: He not only taught five periods a day but also coached three sports. The place was not only good, but also safe.

She is not only a good wife, but also a good mother. She speaks not only English, but also French.

Mid position with verb is also possible.

She not only speaks English, but also French.

For emphasis not only can be moved to the beginning of a clause. Note that we use the inverted word order 'not only + auxiliary verb + subject'. But can be left out in some cases.

She was not only sad, but also angry. Not only was she sad; she was also angry.

They not only need food, but also shelter. Not only do they need food, but they also need shelter. Not only do they need food; they also need shelter.