[Grammar] Parallel structure: [Not only the play was excellent, but also......]

[Lumia625]

Hello,

I am dubious that if the following sentence according to "parallel structure" rules is correct or not. would you please help me?

Not only the play was excellent, but also it was beautifully performed.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Raymott]

"Not only was the play excellent, but it was also beautifully performed."

Parallel structure doesn't apply, because you invert after "Not only", but not after "but".

 

[Lumia625]

"Not only was the play excellent, but it was also beautifully performed."

Parallel structure doesn't apply, because you invert after "Not only", but not after "but".

See the following instruction:

The following words must be placed near the word or words they describe: not, only, both, either, neither, not only ... but also.
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I wanted to describe "play", therefore I placed "not only" before "the play". :-?

 

[bhaisahab]

Are you trying to suggest that Raymott is wrong? He is not.

 

[Lumia625]

Are you trying to suggest that Raymott is wrong? He is not.

No, I never intended to say it. I just said that the instruction above says we should place those words near the words that we want to describe them. I placed "not only" before "the play" but it seems that my sentence does not make sense for you English speakers. Don't know why!

 

[bhaisahab]

It says "near", not "next to".

 

[Raymott]

That is not a construct with "Not only ..., but also ..."
This one is: Not only the play, but also the meal afterwards was excellent."
"Not only Tom, but also Jane went."
"Not only did Tom go, but Jane also went."

 

[Tdol]

No, I never intended to say it. I just said that the instruction above says we should place those words near the words that we want to describe them. I placed "not only" before "the play" but it seems that my sentence does not make sense for you English speakers. Don't know why!

If the only thing separating them is was, it meets the requirement of being near the words.

 

[Barb_D]

Shorter: The play was not only excellent but also beautifully performed.

(Though I would have thought that a great performance was part of overall excellence.)

A lot of people mess up the parallelism in the not only-but also structure. j