The phrase “not only…but also” is a common correlative conjunction used to add emphasis and connect two related pieces of information. While effective, overuse can make writing sound repetitive.
Mastering synonyms for this phrase enhances writing style, adds variety, and allows for more nuanced expression. This article provides a detailed exploration of synonyms for “not only…but also,” along with examples, usage rules, and practice exercises to help you improve your English grammar and writing skills.
This guide is beneficial for students, writers, and anyone looking to refine their command of the English language.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Definition of “Not Only…But Also”
- Structural Breakdown
- Synonym Categories
- Examples
- Usage Rules
- Common Mistakes
- Practice Exercises
- Advanced Topics
- FAQ
- Conclusion
Definition of “Not Only…But Also”
The correlative conjunction “not only…but also” is used to connect two related elements in a sentence, emphasizing that both are true or applicable. It highlights the second element as being particularly important or surprising, adding weight to the statement.
The phrase functions to add information and create a sense of completeness or thoroughness in the sentence.
Classification: Correlative Conjunction
Function: To connect two related elements while emphasizing both, often highlighting the second element.
Contexts: Formal and informal writing and speech.
Structural Breakdown
The structure of “not only…but also” follows a specific pattern:
Not only + [element 1] + but also + [element 2]
Where element 1 and element 2 must be grammatically parallel. This means if element 1 is a noun, element 2 should also be a noun; if element 1 is a verb phrase, element 2 should also be a verb phrase, and so on. Maintaining parallelism is crucial for clarity and grammatical correctness.
For example:
- Not only did she sing, but also did she dance. (verb phrases)
- Not only the teacher but also the students enjoyed the field trip. (nouns)
- Not only is it expensive, but also is it time-consuming. (adjectives)
When “not only” begins a sentence, it requires inversion of the subject and auxiliary verb.
For example:
- Not only is she intelligent, but she is also kind. (Correct)
- Not only she is intelligent, but she is also kind. (Incorrect)
Synonym Categories
Several alternatives can replace “not only…but also,” each with slightly different nuances and applications.
Both…And
“Both…and” is a straightforward alternative emphasizing that two things are true or involved.
As Well As
“As well as” indicates that something is included in addition to something else, often placing less emphasis on the second element.
In Addition To
“In addition to” introduces extra information or elements, often at the beginning of a sentence.
Besides
“Besides” adds another reason or element, similar to “in addition to,” but often used more informally.
Furthermore/Moreover
“Furthermore” and “moreover” are used to add more information that supports or expands on a previous point, typically in formal writing.
And
In some cases, a simple “and” can replace “not only…but also,” especially when the emphasis is less critical.
Not Just…But
Similar to “not only…but also,” this emphasizes the second element as being more significant or unexpected.
Not Merely…But
Similar to “not just…but”, this phrase is often used in formal contexts to highlight the importance of the second element.
Examples
The following tables provide examples of how to use each synonym effectively.
Examples with “Both…And”
The following table demonstrates the usage of “Both…And” with various examples.
| Original Sentence | Rewritten Sentence with “Both…And” |
|---|---|
| She is not only intelligent but also beautiful. | She is both intelligent and beautiful. |
| He plays not only the guitar but also the piano. | He plays both the guitar and the piano. |
| The project requires not only time but also effort. | The project requires both time and effort. |
| Not only did they win the game, but they also broke the record. | They both won the game and broke the record. |
| The restaurant offers not only delicious food but also excellent service. | The restaurant offers both delicious food and excellent service. |
| The company not only increased its profits but also expanded its market share. | The company both increased its profits and expanded its market share. |
| The course covers not only theoretical concepts but also practical applications. | The course covers both theoretical concepts and practical applications. |
| The athlete is not only strong but also agile. | The athlete is both strong and agile. |
| The politician not only promised reform but also delivered results. | The politician both promised reform and delivered results. |
| The book is not only informative but also entertaining. | The book is both informative and entertaining. |
| The solution is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. | The solution is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. |
| The software not only simplifies tasks but also enhances productivity. | The software both simplifies tasks and enhances productivity. |
| The city is not only vibrant but also safe. | The city is both vibrant and safe. |
| The research project not only explores new theories but also validates existing findings. | The research project both explores new theories and validates existing findings. |
| The diet is not only healthy but also delicious. | The diet is both healthy and delicious. |
| The training program not only builds skills but also fosters teamwork. | The training program both builds skills and fosters teamwork. |
| The museum is not only educational but also engaging. | The museum is both educational and engaging. |
| The car is not only fast but also fuel-efficient. | The car is both fast and fuel-efficient. |
| The concert not only featured famous artists but also showcased emerging talent. | The concert both featured famous artists and showcased emerging talent. |
| The policy not only addresses current issues but also anticipates future challenges. | The policy both addresses current issues and anticipates future challenges. |
Examples with “As Well As”
The following table demonstrates the usage of “As Well As” with various examples.
| Original Sentence | Rewritten Sentence with “As Well As” |
|---|---|
| She is not only intelligent but also beautiful. | She is intelligent as well as beautiful. |
| He plays not only the guitar but also the piano. | He plays the guitar as well as the piano. |
| The project requires not only time but also effort. | The project requires time as well as effort. |
| Not only did they win the game, but they also broke the record. | They won the game as well as broke the record. |
| The restaurant offers not only delicious food but also excellent service. | The restaurant offers delicious food as well as excellent service. |
| The company not only increased its profits but also expanded its market share. | The company increased its profits as well as expanded its market share. |
| The course covers not only theoretical concepts but also practical applications. | The course covers theoretical concepts as well as practical applications. |
| The athlete is not only strong but also agile. | The athlete is strong as well as agile. |
| The politician not only promised reform but also delivered results. | The politician promised reform as well as delivered results. |
| The book is not only informative but also entertaining. | The book is informative as well as entertaining. |
| The solution is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. | The solution is cost-effective as well as environmentally friendly. |
| The software not only simplifies tasks but also enhances productivity. | The software simplifies tasks as well as enhances productivity. |
| The city is not only vibrant but also safe. | The city is vibrant as well as safe. |
| The research project not only explores new theories but also validates existing findings. | The research project explores new theories as well as validates existing findings. |
| The diet is not only healthy but also delicious. | The diet is healthy as well as delicious. |
| The training program not only builds skills but also fosters teamwork. | The training program builds skills as well as fosters teamwork. |
| The museum is not only educational but also engaging. | The museum is educational as well as engaging. |
| The car is not only fast but also fuel-efficient. | The car is fast as well as fuel-efficient. |
| The concert not only featured famous artists but also showcased emerging talent. | The concert featured famous artists as well as showcased emerging talent. |
| The policy not only addresses current issues but also anticipates future challenges. | The policy addresses current issues as well as anticipates future challenges. |
Examples with “In Addition To”
The following table demonstrates the usage of “In Addition To” with various examples.
| Original Sentence | Rewritten Sentence with “In Addition To” |
|---|---|
| She is not only intelligent but also beautiful. | In addition to being intelligent, she is beautiful. |
| He plays not only the guitar but also the piano. | In addition to playing the guitar, he plays the piano. |
| The project requires not only time but also effort. | In addition to time, the project requires effort. |
| Not only did they win the game, but they also broke the record. | In addition to winning the game, they broke the record. |
| The restaurant offers not only delicious food but also excellent service. | In addition to offering delicious food, the restaurant provides excellent service. |
| The company not only increased its profits but also expanded its market share. | In addition to increasing its profits, the company expanded its market share. |
| The course covers not only theoretical concepts but also practical applications. | In addition to covering theoretical concepts, the course includes practical applications. |
| The athlete is not only strong but also agile. | In addition to being strong, the athlete is agile. |
| The politician not only promised reform but also delivered results. | In addition to promising reform, the politician delivered results. |
| The book is not only informative but also entertaining. | In addition to being informative, the book is entertaining. |
| The solution is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. | In addition to being cost-effective, the solution is environmentally friendly. |
| The software not only simplifies tasks but also enhances productivity. | In addition to simplifying tasks, the software enhances productivity. |
| The city is not only vibrant but also safe. | In addition to being vibrant, the city is safe. |
| The research project not only explores new theories but also validates existing findings. | In addition to exploring new theories, the research project validates existing findings. |
| The diet is not only healthy but also delicious. | In addition to being healthy, the diet is delicious. |
| The training program not only builds skills but also fosters teamwork. | In addition to building skills, the training program fosters teamwork. |
| The museum is not only educational but also engaging. | In addition to being educational, the museum is engaging. |
| The car is not only fast but also fuel-efficient. | In addition to being fast, the car is fuel-efficient. |
| The concert not only featured famous artists but also showcased emerging talent. | In addition to featuring famous artists, the concert showcased emerging talent. |
| The policy not only addresses current issues but also anticipates future challenges. | In addition to addressing current issues, the policy anticipates future challenges. |
Examples with “Besides”
The following table demonstrates the usage of “Besides” with various examples.
| Original Sentence | Rewritten Sentence with “Besides” |
|---|---|
| She is not only intelligent but also beautiful. | Besides being intelligent, she is beautiful. |
| He plays not only the guitar but also the piano. | Besides playing the guitar, he plays the piano. |
| The project requires not only time but also effort. | Besides time, the project requires effort. |
| Not only did they win the game, but they also broke the record. | Besides winning the game, they broke the record. |
| The restaurant offers not only delicious food but also excellent service. | Besides offering delicious food, the restaurant provides excellent service. |
| The company not only increased its profits but also expanded its market share. | Besides increasing its profits, the company expanded its market share. |
| The course covers not only theoretical concepts but also practical applications. | Besides covering theoretical concepts, the course includes practical applications. |
| The athlete is not only strong but also agile. | Besides being strong, the athlete is agile. |
| The politician not only promised reform but also delivered results. | Besides promising reform, the politician delivered results. |
| The book is not only informative but also entertaining. | Besides being informative, the book is entertaining. |
| The solution is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. | Besides being cost-effective, the solution is environmentally friendly. |
| The software not only simplifies tasks but also enhances productivity. | Besides simplifying tasks, the software enhances productivity. |
| The city is not only vibrant but also safe. | Besides being vibrant, the city is safe. |
| The research project not only explores new theories but also validates existing findings. | Besides exploring new theories, the research project validates existing findings. |
| The diet is not only healthy but also delicious. | Besides being healthy, the diet is delicious. |
| The training program not only builds skills but also fosters teamwork. | Besides building skills, the training program fosters teamwork. |
| The museum is not only educational but also engaging. | Besides being educational, the museum is engaging. |
| The car is not only fast but also fuel-efficient. | Besides being fast, the car is fuel-efficient. |
| The concert not only featured famous artists but also showcased emerging talent. | Besides featuring famous artists, the concert showcased emerging talent. |
| The policy not only addresses current issues but also anticipates future challenges. | Besides addressing current issues, the policy anticipates future challenges. |
Examples with “Furthermore/Moreover”
The following table demonstrates the usage of “Furthermore/Moreover” with various examples.
| Original Sentence | Rewritten Sentence with “Furthermore/Moreover” |
|---|---|
| She is not only intelligent but also beautiful. | She is intelligent. Furthermore, she is beautiful. |
| He plays not only the guitar but also the piano. | He plays the guitar. Moreover, he plays the piano. |
| The project requires not only time but also effort. | The project requires time. Furthermore, it requires effort. |
| Not only did they win the game, but they also broke the record. | They won the game. Moreover, they broke the record. |
| The restaurant offers not only delicious food but also excellent service. | The restaurant offers delicious food. Furthermore, it provides excellent service. |
| The company not only increased its profits but also expanded its market share. | The company increased its profits. Moreover, it expanded its market share. |
| The course covers not only theoretical concepts but also practical applications. | The course covers theoretical concepts. Furthermore, it includes practical applications. |
| The athlete is not only strong but also agile. | The athlete is strong. Moreover, he is agile. |
| The politician not only promised reform but also delivered results. | The politician promised reform. Furthermore, he delivered results. |
| The book is not only informative but also entertaining. | The book is informative. Moreover, it is entertaining. |
| The solution is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. | The solution is cost-effective. Furthermore, it is environmentally friendly. |
| The software not only simplifies tasks but also enhances productivity. | The software simplifies tasks. Moreover, it enhances productivity. |
| The city is not only vibrant but also safe. | The city is vibrant. Furthermore, it is safe. |
| The research project not only explores new theories but also validates existing findings. | The research project explores new theories. Moreover, it validates existing findings. |
| The diet is not only healthy but also delicious. | The diet is healthy. Furthermore, it is delicious. |
| The training program not only builds skills but also fosters teamwork. | The training program builds skills. Moreover, it fosters teamwork. |
| The museum is not only educational but also engaging. | The museum is educational. Furthermore, it is engaging. |
| The car is not only fast but also fuel-efficient. | The car is fast. Moreover, it is fuel-efficient. |
| The concert not only featured famous artists but also showcased emerging talent. | The concert featured famous artists. Furthermore, it showcased emerging talent. |
| The policy not only addresses current issues but also anticipates future challenges. | The policy addresses current issues. Moreover, it anticipates future challenges. |
Examples with “And”
The following table demonstrates the usage of “And” with various examples.
| Original Sentence | Rewritten Sentence with “And” |
|---|---|
| She is not only intelligent but also beautiful. | She is intelligent and beautiful. |
| He plays not only the guitar but also the piano. | He plays the guitar and the piano. |
| The project requires not only time but also effort. | The project requires time and effort. |
| Not only did they win the game, but they also broke the record. | They won the game and broke the record. |
| The restaurant offers not only delicious food but also excellent service. | The restaurant offers delicious food and excellent service. |
| The company not only increased its profits but also expanded its market share. | The company increased its profits and expanded its market share. |
| The course covers not only theoretical concepts but also practical applications. | The course covers theoretical concepts and practical applications. |
| The athlete is not only strong but also agile. | The athlete is strong and agile. |
| The politician not only promised reform but also delivered results. | The politician promised reform and delivered results. |
| The book is not only informative but also entertaining. | The book is informative and entertaining. |
| The solution is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. | The solution is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. |
| The software not only simplifies tasks but also enhances productivity. | The software simplifies tasks and enhances productivity. |
| The city is not only vibrant but also safe. | The city is vibrant and safe. |
| The research project not only explores new theories but also validates existing findings. | The research project explores new theories and validates existing findings. |
| The diet is not only healthy but also delicious. | The diet is healthy and delicious. |
| The training program not only builds skills but also fosters teamwork. | The training program builds skills and fosters teamwork. |
| The museum is not only educational but also engaging. | The museum is educational and engaging. |
| The car is not only fast but also fuel-efficient. | The car is fast and fuel-efficient. |
| The concert not only featured famous artists but also showcased emerging talent. | The concert featured famous artists and showcased emerging talent. |
| The policy not only addresses current issues but also anticipates future challenges. | The policy addresses current issues and anticipates future challenges. |
Examples with “Not Just…But”
The following table demonstrates the usage of “Not Just…But” with various examples.
| Original Sentence | Rewritten Sentence with “Not Just…But” |
|---|---|
| She is not only intelligent but also beautiful. | She is not just intelligent, but beautiful as well. |
| He plays not only the guitar but also the piano. | He plays not just the guitar, but the piano too. |
| The project requires not only time but also effort. | The project requires not just time, but effort too. |
| Not only did they win the game, but they also broke the record. | They didn’t just win the game, but they broke the record as well. |
| The restaurant offers not only delicious food but also excellent service. | The restaurant offers not just delicious food, but excellent service too. |
| The company not only increased its profits but also expanded its market share. | The company didn’t just increase its profits, but it expanded its market share as well. |
| The course covers not only theoretical concepts but also practical applications. | The course covers not just theoretical concepts, but practical applications as well. |
| The athlete is not only strong but also agile. | The athlete is not just strong, but agile as well. |
| The politician not only promised reform but also delivered results. | The politician didn’t just promise reform, but he delivered results as well. |
| The book is not only informative but also entertaining. | The book is not just informative, but entertaining as well. |
| The solution is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. | The solution is not just cost-effective, but environmentally friendly as well. |
| The software not only simplifies tasks but also enhances productivity. | The software doesn’t just simplify tasks, but it enhances productivity too. |
| The city is not only vibrant but also safe. | The city is not just vibrant, but safe as well. |
| The research project not only explores new theories but also validates existing findings. | The research project doesn’t just explore new theories, but also validates existing findings. |
| The diet is not only healthy but also delicious. | The diet is not just healthy, but delicious as well. |
| The training program not only builds skills but also fosters teamwork. | The training program doesn’t just build skills, but it fosters teamwork as well. |
| The museum is not only educational but also engaging. | The museum is not just educational, but engaging as well. |
| The car is not only fast but also fuel-efficient. | The car is not just fast, but fuel-efficient as well. |
| The concert not only featured famous artists but also showcased emerging talent. | The concert didn’t just feature famous artists, but it showcased emerging talent as well. |
| The policy not only addresses current issues but also anticipates future challenges. | The policy doesn’t just address current issues, but it anticipates future challenges as well. |
Examples with “Not Merely…But”
The following table demonstrates the usage of “Not Merely…But” with various examples.
| Original Sentence | Rewritten Sentence with “Not Merely…But” |
|---|---|
| She is not only intelligent but also beautiful. | She is not merely intelligent, but beautiful as well. |
| He plays not only the guitar but also the piano. | He plays not merely the guitar, but also the piano. |
| The project requires not only time but also effort. | The project requires not merely time, but also effort. |
| Not only did they win the game, but they also broke the record. | They did not merely win the game, but they also broke the record. |
| The restaurant offers not only delicious food but also excellent service. | The restaurant offers not merely delicious food, but also excellent service. |
| The company not only increased its profits but also expanded its market share. | The company did not merely increase its profits, but also expanded its market share. |
| The course covers not only theoretical concepts but also practical applications. | The course covers not merely theoretical concepts, but also practical applications. |
| The athlete is not only strong but also agile. | The athlete is not merely strong, but also agile. |
| The politician not only promised reform but also delivered results. | The politician did not merely promise reform, but also delivered results. |
| The book is not only informative but also entertaining. | The book is not merely informative, but also entertaining. |
| The solution is not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly. | The solution is not merely cost-effective, but also environmentally friendly. |
| The software not only simplifies tasks but also enhances productivity. | The software does not merely simplify tasks, but also enhances productivity. |
| The city is not only vibrant but also safe. | The city is not merely vibrant, but also safe. |
| The research project not only explores new theories but also validates existing findings. | The research project does not merely explore new theories, but also validates existing findings. |
| The diet is not only healthy but also delicious. | The diet is not merely healthy, but also delicious. |
| The training program not only builds skills but also fosters teamwork. | The training program does not merely build skills, but also fosters teamwork. |
| The museum is not only educational but also engaging. | The museum is not merely educational, but also engaging. |
| The car is not only fast but also fuel-efficient. | The car is not merely fast, but also fuel-efficient. |
| The concert not only featured famous artists but also showcased emerging talent. | The concert did not merely feature famous artists, but also showcased emerging talent. |
| The policy not only addresses current issues but also anticipates future challenges. | The policy does not merely address current issues, but also anticipates future challenges. |
Usage Rules
When using synonyms for “not only…but also,” it’s essential to follow specific grammatical rules to ensure clarity and correctness.
- Parallel Structure: Maintain parallel structure between the elements being connected. This means ensuring that the grammatical form of each element is the same (e.g., noun phrases, verb phrases, adjectives).
- Word Order: Pay attention to word order, especially when using “as well as” and “in addition to.” These phrases often modify the subject of the sentence.
- Emphasis:
Consider the level of emphasis you want to convey. “Furthermore” and “moreover” add stronger emphasis compared to “and.”
Rule: Ensure parallelism, correct word order, and appropriate emphasis when substituting “not only…but also” with its synonyms.
Common Mistakes
Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using synonyms for “not only…but also”:
- Lack of Parallelism: Failing to maintain parallel structure between the connected elements.
- Incorrect Word Order: Misplacing phrases like “as well as” or “in addition to,” leading to unclear or grammatically incorrect sentences.
- Overuse of Synonyms: Relying too heavily on one synonym, which can make writing sound monotonous.
- Misplaced Emphasis: Using a synonym that doesn’t accurately reflect the intended level of emphasis.
Example of Incorrect Parallelism:
Incorrect: She not only sings beautifully but also is a great dancer.
Correct: She not only sings beautifully but also dances gracefully.
Practice Exercises
Test your understanding with the following exercises:
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the following sentences using appropriate synonyms for “not only…but also.”
- The movie was _______ entertaining _______ educational. (Both…And)
- _______ being a talented musician, he is also a skilled painter. (In addition to)
- She is intelligent _______ kind. (As well as)
- The project requires _______ dedication _______ hard work. (Both…And)
- He is _______ a great athlete _______ an excellent student. (Not only…but also)
Answers:
- The movie was both entertaining and educational.
- In addition to being a talented musician, he is also a skilled painter.
- She is intelligent as well as kind.
- The project requires both dedication and hard work.
- He is not only a great athlete but also an excellent student.
Exercise 2: Sentence Transformation
Rewrite the following sentences using the specified synonyms:
- The course is not only informative but also engaging. (Both…And)
- He not only plays the guitar but also sings. (As well as)
- She is not only a doctor but also a researcher. (In addition to)
Answers:
- The course is both informative and engaging.
- He plays the guitar as well as sings.
- In addition to being a doctor, she is also a researcher.
Exercise 3: Error Correction
Identify and correct the errors in the following sentences:
- She is both intelligent and also kind.
- In addition to sings, she dances.
- He not only is smart, but also hardworking.
Answers:
- Incorrect: She is both intelligent and also kind.
Correct: She is both intelligent and kind. - Incorrect: In addition to sings, she dances.
Correct: In addition to singing, she dances. - Incorrect: He not only is smart, but also hardworking.
Correct: He is not only smart, but also hardworking.
Advanced Topics
For advanced learners, consider these nuances:
- Varying Emphasis: Different synonyms emphasize different aspects. “Moreover” adds more weight than a simple “and.”
- Formal vs. Informal: “Furthermore” and “moreover” are more formal than “besides” or “and.”
- Sentence Structure: Adjusting sentence structure for smoother transitions when using synonyms.
FAQ
What is the best synonym for “not only…but also”?
There is no single “best” synonym; the choice depends on the context, emphasis, and desired tone.
How can I avoid overuse of “not only…but also”?
Vary your sentence structure and use a range of synonyms to keep your writing fresh and engaging.
Is it always necessary to use a synonym for “not only…but also”?
No, but using synonyms can improve the flow and variety of your writing, especially in longer texts.
Conclusion
Mastering synonyms for “not only…but also” enhances your writing by adding variety, nuance, and emphasis where needed. By understanding the different options available and practicing their usage, you can elevate your English writing skills and communicate more effectively.
Remember to pay attention to parallel structure, word order, and the level of formality required in different contexts. With practice, you’ll be able to seamlessly integrate these synonyms into your writing, making it more engaging and impactful.