Not only ... But also problem

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Is this sentence correct:

Not only can’t that help, but it also makes things worse

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Type: Question • Score: 6 • Views: 2,408 • Replies: 17

[+4] - contrex - 03/15/2015[quote="layman"] In my view, to even say "He's funny and also intelligent" is redundant. I mean, like, "and also?" What's up with that? Take one or the...
[+3] - contrex - 03/15/2015[quote="layman"]combining "not only" with "but also" makes it redundant.[/quote] It doesn't. We use not only...but also... in situations of parallelism, that is...
[+3] - contrex - 03/15/2015[quote="timur"] [quote=layman]you're right about[b] useage[/b],[/quote] It never ceases to amaze me how come people think they can be helpful with such gaps in their own knowledge.....

@w1228,

Clumsy, at best.

I would write it:

Not only is that not helpful...it makes things worse.

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Not only does that not help, it makes things worse.

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@w1228,

Quote:

Not only can’t that help, but it also makes things worse

combining "not only" with "but also" makes it redundant.

Not only is it redundant, but also it is just like saying the same thing twice, and repeating it for a second time, all over again, on top of it, too.

1 Reply

@layman,

layman wrote:

combining "not only" with "but also" makes it redundant.

It doesn't. We use not only...but also... in situations of parallelism, that is situations where we want to say two different things at the same time:

He's not only funny but also intelligent.

Not only is Matthew going to Egypt for a month, but he’s also going to Greece for a couple of weeks.

When writing, consider not only your topic but also your audience.

The name Ann has not only many different spellings but also many diminutives.

3 Replies

@contrex,

Yeah, you're right about useage, but it sounds redundant. Why not just say:

He's funny and intelligent.

Matthew's going to Egypt for a month, then he’s going to Greece for a couple of weeks.

When writing, consider both your topic and your audience.

The name Ann has many different spellings and also many diminutives.

At the minimum, there's a whole lot of unnecessary words in the "not only, but also" combo.

By the way, just curious: How many "diminutives" of the name Ann are there?

2 Replies

@contrex,

In my view, to even say "He's funny and also intelligent" is redundant.

I mean, like, "and also?"

What's up with that?

Take one or the other, but not both. He's funny; also intelligent.

1 Reply

@contrex,

0 Replies

layman wrote:

you're right about useage,

It never ceases to amaze me how come people think they can be helpful with such gaps in their own knowledge..

2 Replies

@timur,

timur wrote:

layman wrote:
you're right about useage,

It never ceases to amaze me how come people think they can be helpful with such gaps in their own knowledge..

Including the spelling of 'usage', I note.

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@layman,

layman wrote:

In my view, to even say "He's funny and also intelligent" is redundant.

I mean, like, "and also?"

What's up with that?

Take one or the other, but not both. He's funny; also intelligent.

Your view is defective. Redundancy and repetition are often used - legitimately - for emphasis and clarity.

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@layman,

layman wrote:

Yeah, you're right about useage, but it sounds redundant. Why not just say:

He's funny and intelligent.
[etc]

The point is the parallelism being signalled by the 'not only... but also' construct. Your examples lack this.

Annie, Anna, Anni, Anik, Anka, Anneska, Annusia, Ania, Annette, Anja, Annouk, among others.

1 Reply

@layman,

layman wrote:

At the minimum, there's a whole lot of unnecessary words in the "not only, but also" combo.

Why don't you spend some time editing out the 'unnecessary words' from Shakespeare or Dickens?

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@timur,

Quote:

It never ceases to amaze me how come people think they can be helpful with such gaps in their own knowledge..

I hear ya! It's simply AMAZING that anyone who has ever made a mistake of any kind would think they have the right to ever opine on anything again!

Quote:

I was educated in England and I distinctly remember being taught
''useage'' as a correct spelling. However, I find that most people (and
all US dictionaries that I have seen) spell it as ''usage''.

Which is correct? Was/is ''useage'' ever correct? If not, either my
teacher, or my memory is errant.
====

That's not to say that "useage" isn't perfectly logical, just that it
doesn't appear to be in use. -- Elizabeth J. Pyatt, Ph.D.

http://linguistlist.org/ask-ling/message-details1.cfm?asklingid=200312267

I wonder why she even took the time to respond to an uneducated idiot like that?

1 Reply

@layman,

It's not the only mistake you made, I can post a lot more since I've been reading some of your posts.

Language wise, you are useless.

I can also cite ten dictionaries that point out useage as wrong..

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@contrex,

Quote:

Annie, Anna, Anni, Anik, Anka, Anneska, Annusia, Ania, Annette, Anja, Annouk, among others

Hmmm? Those are diminutives of Ann? Who knew?

Quote:

diminutive; plural noun: diminutives

1. a smaller or shorter thing, in particular.
--a diminutive word or suffix.
--a shortened form of a name, typically used informally.
"“Nick” is a diminutive of “Nicholas.”"
--Heraldry
a charge of the same form as an ordinary but of lesser size or width.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=diminutive+definition

1 Reply

@layman,

layman wrote:

Hmmm? Those are diminutives of Ann? Who knew?

Not you, apparently.

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Quote:

Not only can’t that help, but it also makes things worse

The sentence is incorrect because it doesn't end with a full stop.

On a lighter note Bo Dudly from "Not Only But Also", with a nod to izzy.

0 Replies

Not only ... But also problem

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