Mikael
Cleft sentences

What is the correct phrase? And could you please explain why?

1. Not only it's cheap, it's also...

2. Not only is it cheap, it's also...


2018年7月24日 22:45
留言 · 2
1

#2 is correct. 

It is hard to explain, except with the unsatisfactory explanation "it just is." 

"It's" is an abbreviation for "it is," and, for whatever reason,

1) Not only it is cheap, it is also nutritious is wrong, while

2) Not only is it cheap, it is also nutritious is right.

2018年7月25日
1

É uma boa pergunta.
Inversion is required following negative or certain limiting adverbs, and expressions beginning with “not”. I’d recommend you simply memorize the most common ones (your course-book should have a list in the relevant unit). This is typical of formal style; rarely will you hear this in conversations with your friends ;) Should you want to avoid inversion, simply start the sentence with the subject instead of the negative adverb. So, your correct sentence is the second one — with inversion. Cambridge saves me the trouble of writing more details:


2018年7月25日