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Description:

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Language:

English Language

Subjects:

Grammar & Punctuation / Grammar

Common Core Standards:

Transcript

00:04
Not only, but also, a la Shmoop Mr. Coleman not only yells at the kids to
00:09
get off his lawn, but also takes detailed descriptions of them to bring to the police
00:15
station every Sunday.
00:16
The police not only don't care, but also use the other side of Mr. Coleman's note
00:22
to play hangman while off-duty. The phrase not only, but also is a great tool

00:28
for bringing something to the next level...
00:30
...sometimes a questionably sane level, but that's a matter we'll leave to the local
00:35
police. The setup is pretty simple.
00:38
Not only this thing, but also this crazier-scarier-fancier-whatever-er thing!
00:43
And there's only one rule to doing not only, but also right...
00:48
Agreement.
00:49
Agreement between the clauses following the not only and the but also.
00:53
So, the clauses have to agree.
01:00
They can be noun or verb clauses, but if they're in
01:02
the same sentence, they have to match.
01:05
That means that if you've got a noun clause before not only, you've got to have a noun
01:09
clause after but also.
01:11
"Mr. Coleman is not only a big jerk but also eats boogers for breakfast."
01:18
After not only, there's the noun clause "a big jerk," and after but also there's
01:23
the verb clause "eats boogers for breakfast."
01:26
So not only is followed by a noun clause while but also is followed by a verb clause. There's
01:32
no agreement. "Mr. Coleman is not only a big jerk but
01:40
also an eater of boogers."
01:41
...okay, that's... well, technically better.
01:44
Changing the second clause from "eats boogers" to "an eater of boogers" made both clauses
01:49
into noun clauses. Now there's agreement.
01:54
So as long as the clauses following not only and but also match -- they're both verb
01:59
clauses or noun clauses -- the sentence works.
02:03
But proper grammar doesn't make Mr. Coleman any happier about those kids on his lawn.
02:07
They really need to go inside and play Mario Party for six hours or something...
Full Transcript