The syntax of the not only ... but also ... construction

Abstract

This paper investigates the syntax of the English not only ... but also ... construction, focusing on the linearization possibilities of not only. Based on novel corpus data, I argue that the not only ... but also ... construction exhibits different properties from the not ... but ... construction or the adverbial only. I propose that a linearization-based account, along with coordinate ellipsis, can explain the various linearization possibilities of not only. I also propose that the construction as a whole is a subtype of the type correlative-coord-ph, which is a novel subtype of coord-ph. Finally, I argue that subject-auxiliary inversion triggered by the clause-initial not only is a new subtype of the type negative-inversion-ph.