Connectors · CEFR B2 · Confident
both…and / not only…but also — English conjunctions
These come in pairs, and the two halves must be the same shape — two nouns, or two verbs, or two clauses.
The shape
both A and B · not only A but also B · whether A or B
Link two things in a way that sounds deliberate.
In Hindi
ये जोड़े में आते हैं, और दोनों हिस्सों की बनावट एक जैसी होनी चाहिए।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
He not only sings but also he dances. | He not only sings but also dances. Both halves should be verbs — repeating "he" breaks the pair. |
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- either…or / neither…norB2Offer two options, or rule both out
- Keeping a list in shapeB2Write a list that does not trip the reader
Questions people ask
- What is the both…and / not only…but also used for?
- These come in pairs, and the two halves must be the same shape — two nouns, or two verbs, or two clauses. In practice: link two things in a way that sounds deliberate.
- How do you form the both…and / not only…but also?
- both A and B · not only A but also B · whether A or B.
- What is the most common mistake with the both…and / not only…but also?
- Saying “He not only sings but also he dances.” instead of “He not only sings but also dances.”. Both halves should be verbs — repeating "he" breaks the pair.
Where both…and / not only…but also fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
both…and / not only…but also is a CEFR B2 structure — the confident band — and it belongs to connectors. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.
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