Not only proteins but also vitamin C is
"Not only I but also he likes dancing."

When I asked whether something like this was correct, I'm sure I remember all native speakers that answered said this was wrong. They all said it's better to say:

"Not only does he like dancing, but so do I,"
"Not only do I like dancing, but so does he."
"He likes dancing, and so do I"
"I like dancing, and so does he."
"He likes dancing as much as I do."
"I like dancing as much as he does."

So at that time I concluded that "Not only A but also B" can't be a subject. However, today I visited a few websites explaining:

"Not only proteins but also vitamin C is essential for small children."
(source: https://www.grammarbank.com/not-only-but-also.html)

is the way I should write. Can any native speaker please confirm that the above sentence is the way you would say in real life?

Thank you in advance! :D

Question

Not only proteins but also vitamin C is
"Not only I but also he likes dancing."

When I asked whether something like this was correct, I'm sure I remember all native speakers that answered said this was wrong. They all said it's better to say:

"Not only does he like dancing, but so do I," 
"Not only do I like dancing, but so does he."
"He likes dancing, and so do I" 
"I like dancing, and so does he."
"He likes dancing as much as I do." 
"I like dancing as much as he does."

So at that time I concluded that "Not only A but also B" can't be a subject. However, today I visited a few websites explaining:

"Not only proteins but also vitamin C is essential for small children." 
(source: https://www.grammarbank.com/not-only-but-also.html)

is the way I should write. Can any native speaker please confirm that the above sentence is the way you would say in real life?

Thank you in advance! :D

Answer

"Not only I but also he likes dancing."

It's unnatural because we don't use or rarely use  the "Not only .... but also ...." when we are talking about ourselves or people.

Answer

I'm a native English speaker from the U.S. The sentence "Not only I, but he likes dancing" is grammatically correct, but it sounds a bit formal and awkward. That's why people corrected it, not because  "Not only A but B" is incorrect construction.

"Not only proteins but also vitamin C is essential for small children,"  is correct grammar, and people do sometimes say it this way.  Normally you would say, "Proteins and Vitamin C are essential for small children."  However, if you are trying to emphasize the importance of Vitamin C, you might use the "Not only A, but also B"  format. Other examples of this construction are:

Not only my sister, but also my brother is a doctor.
Not only my house, but also my neighbor's house caught on fire.
Not only schools, but also government offices will be closed on Monday.

Answers · 4

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