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Could someone please suggest me which one of the below two options is correct in terms of usage of 'Not only but also'. Feel free to suggest an alternative option.

  1. Not only does it justice to both, but also presents them in a way that they complement each other.

OR

  1. It not only does justice to both, but also presents them in a way that they complement each other.

Following question - I am more inclined towards starting the sentence with 'Not only'. So if the first option is not correct, could you please help me with correctly framing one.

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  • Your #1 has some missing words (eg do justice; it also). The form itself can be used either way.
    – Lawrence
    Commented Sep 2, 2018 at 12:42
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    Thanks for your reply, Lawrence. Just to confirm, 'Not only does it do justice to both, but it also presents them in a way that they complement each other' should be correct, right?
    – Ankit
    Commented Sep 2, 2018 at 12:46
  • Please also comment on the usage of comma in this sentence (#1). Thanks.
    – Ankit
    Commented Sep 2, 2018 at 12:48
  • That sentence in your comment makes sense grammatically. The comma looks fine where it is.
    – Lawrence
    Commented Sep 2, 2018 at 12:54

1 Answer 1

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Not only but also OED

  1. In correlative constructions using not only: usually with contrast expressed by but, but also, also, etc., but occasionally implied

As in:

1987 P. McCabe Bad News at Black Rock: "Collins not only did reviews, she incorporated bites from interviews into pieces."

and

2001 Daily Tel. 27 Nov. "I want the courts to think very carefully not only about perhaps not using custody but, if they can, issuing shorter sentence lengths."

and

1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VI "Not onely now..but also after."

And lastly your sentence, modified:

Not only does it do justice to both, but also presents them in a way that they complement each other.

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