not only but also...

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Ray - 04 Sep 2006 03:35 GMT

Hi,

I saw the following sentence and have been wondering whether it sounds
awkward to native speakers. Note that it is the first sentence on the
web page which the link below will take you to.
Please tell me what you think after you have viewed the page.

Not only will you find the Russian language courses offered listed
below, but also any special Russian literature and culture classes that
will be available.

http://www.southalabama.edu/languages/russian/russiancourses.html

I'd appreciate your help.

Ray

Reply to this Message

Jim Heckman - 04 Sep 2006 04:54 GMT

On 3-Sep-2006, "Ray" <raymondaliasapollyon@yahoo.com.tw>
wrote in message <1157337339.128887.270160@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com>:

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> I'd appreciate your help.

Are you going to keep asking this over and over again in different
newsgroups until you get an answer you like?

Signature

Jim Heckman

Reply to this Message

Ray - 04 Sep 2006 05:23 GMT

> On 3-Sep-2006, "Ray" <raymondaliasapollyon@yahoo.com.tw>
> wrote in message <1157337339.128887.270160@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com>:
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> Are you going to keep asking this over and over again in different
> newsgroups until you get an answer you like?

I'm gathering comments by native speakers.

Reply to this Message

Dan - 04 Sep 2006 05:23 GMT

> Not only will you find the Russian language courses offered listed
> below, but also any special Russian literature and culture classes that
> will be available.

This sentence isn't awkward to me. It is as about as concise as one could
make it with the volume of information included. I might look for ways to
break it down into smaller sentences and it could possibly do without "that
will be." Maybe the author wants to emphasize the fact that the classes
will be available in the future, though. Most people aren't so persnickety.

Dan

Reply to this Message

Ray - 04 Sep 2006 05:40 GMT

> > Not only will you find the Russian language courses offered listed
> > below, but also any special Russian literature and culture classes that
> > will be available.
>
> This sentence isn't awkward to me. It is as about as concise as one could
> make it with the volume of information included. I might look for ways to

What is your definition for "awkward English"? Native speakers seem to
have different ideas about "awkward English". While gathering their
judgments, I've become aware of a need for its definition.

As for its conciseness, I am not sure whether it is about as concise as
one could make it. But native speakers in other newsgroups did come up
with different, arguably more concise, ways of writing it.

Ray

> break it down into smaller sentences and it could possibly do without "that
> will be." Maybe the author wants to emphasize the fact that the classes
> will be available in the future, though. Most people aren't so persnickety.
>
> Dan

Reply to this Message

Dan - 04 Sep 2006 15:27 GMT

Awkward is a feeling one gets from reading it. I'm a native speaker of 37
years, too. Thank you.

Dan

>> > Not only will you find the Russian language courses offered listed
>> > below, but also any special Russian literature and culture classes that
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>>
>> Dan

Reply to this Message

Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / September 2006

not only but also...