Also | Not Only … But Also

Also is an adverb. It is used for adding another fact or idea to what you have already said.

• Mary writes excellent short stories. She also likes to paint.
• Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world. He is also a great philanthropist.
• My brother is a good singer. He is also a great actor.
• Coffee is a very popular beverage. It is also rich in antioxidants.

Also can also be used for showing that what you have just said about someone or something is true about another person or thing.

• John now works at the State Bank of India, where his father also worked for thirty years.

Not only…but also

This is a relatively formal structure. When you use this structure don’t forget to put not only and but also before the words or expressions that they modify. Also make sure that the structure is parallel.

• He was not only a great singer but also an accomplished pianist.
• I was not only upset but also angry.
• He not only misbehaved with the servants but also broke the windows and furniture.

Not only can be moved to the beginning of the sentence for emphasis. It is then followed by auxiliary verb + subject. If there is no auxiliary verb, we use do / does / did.

• Not only did he misbehave with the servants, but he also broke the windows and furniture. (NOT Not only he misbehaved with …)

But can be left out in this case and then we separate the two clauses with a semi-colon.

• Not only did he misbehave with the servants; he also broke the windows and furniture.