Metkagram
EN RU

B2–C1 · GFF · GFF006

Not only did + subject + bare infinitive, but + subject + also + past verb

Explanation

A reusable frame from “Negation, inversion and focus”. Compare how English and German express negation, inversion and focus. Practise reusable constructions with Russian translations.

Structure

EN · EnglishNot only did + subject + bare infinitive, but + subject + also + past verb
DE · GermanSubject + past verb + nicht nur ..., sondern + past verb + auch ...

Anchor phrase

RU · Translation

Она не только нашла ошибку, но и объяснила её причину.

EN · English

Not only did she identify the error, but she also explained its cause.

DE · German

Sie erkannte nicht nur den Fehler, sondern erklärte auch seine Ursache.

Try variations2 · more examples

  1. RU · Translation

    Мы не только закончили раньше, но и уложились в бюджет.

    EN · English

    Not only did we finish early, but we also stayed within budget.

    DE · German

    Wir wurden nicht nur früher fertig, sondern blieben auch im Budget.

  2. RU · Translation

    Он не только извинился, но и предложил исправить ущерб.

    EN · English

    Not only did he apologise, but he also offered to repair the damage.

    DE · German

    Er entschuldigte sich nicht nur, sondern bot auch an, den Schaden zu beheben.

Pattern graph

Continue with nearby patterns

GFF001Not until + past clause + did + subject + bare infinitiveGFFGFF002Only after + -ing phrase + did + subject + bare infinitiveGFFGFF015All + subject + did + was + bare infinitive phraseGFFGFF003Only by + -ing phrase + can + subject + bare infinitiveGFF