Avangi  +  628510 Thu, 01 Jan 09 08:58 AM Yankee “ - Not only do you not do your homework, but you also copy it from the classmates. ”   Yes indeed!  This is the one!   I don't know what I could have been thinking.  Sorry about the spelling.  I thought it looked weird! (I got "parallel" right!) Avangi Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007 Veteran Member 7,960 ". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier Spelling, Writing, Apologies

	Lcwang  +  628669 Thu, 01 Jan 09 02:27 PM Hi, Mister Micawber: Is it correct to say: Not only does he speak but also write English fluently. Or verb/subject inversion occurs only when "not only....but also" connects  two complete clauses, such as: Not only does he speak English fluently but also he writes English fluently. In other words, which of the following is correct:  Not only does he speak but also write English fluently. Not only does he speak English fluently but also he writes English fluently. He not only speaks but also writes English fluently. Lcwang Joined on Mon, Aug 29 2005 Junior Member 94 Clauses, Writing, Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Languages

	Yankee  +  628717 Thu, 01 Jan 09 03:31 PM Hi Lcwang Mister Micawber is not online at the moment, but here is my input: I would not begin your sentence with "Not only", and I'd say that's because the meaning is much to close to being the same for both verbs:  doing something fluently in English.  I would say that an introductory "Not only" would generally refer to the entire clause -- not just the verb.  Thus, beginning your sentence with "Not only" would force you to repeat the words "English fluently".  You can avoid unneccesary repetition by using "not only" elsewhere -- so that it refers only to the verb. Lcwang “Not only does he speak but also write English fluently. No Not only does he speak English fluently but also he writes English fluently.  This sentence is extremely awkward because it is excessively repetitious.  In addition, the word order in the second half would normally be "... but he also writes..." He not only speaks but also writes English fluently. OK! ” Yankee Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006 Connecticut, USA Veteran Member 6,409 Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain Clauses, Word Order, Writing, Sentences, Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Online, Languages

	Verb_aTIM  +  629821 Sun, 04 Jan 09 01:02 AM     Happy New Year!  And the best of the wishes to you all. When Tuongvan wrote the following post at Tue, Dec 30 2008 :           "He not only doesn't buy my goods  but also disparrage them." I answered him with a parallel in an schematic way, this is, a pattern where is easier for a statement to be visualized.          He              not only            doesn't buy          my goods                             but also            disparages           them.        (Subject )   (Parallel Pattern )      (Verb )              (Complement ) As you can see,  in both sentences of the Statement,  the Predicate has a verb that heads them. The same principle applies for:        " He not only speaks but also writes English fluently." Although the pattern is also valid, in the following statement the sentences are headed by the Subject.      "Not only             you           don"t do        your homework,         but also              you            copy            it from the classmates."  (Parallel Pattern )  (Subject )   (Verb )             (Complement ) Kindly, TIM. Verb_aTIM Joined on Mon, Oct 27 2008 New Member 29 Pattern Seekers welcome. Predicates, Sentences, Countries, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Languages