【问】 B's TOEEL一书中有这样一道改错题：

Dairying is concerned not only with the production of milk，but with the manufacture ofmilk products such as butter and cheese. (P. 119)

not only...but的用法有错误吗?

【答】 该书作者指出这里使用“not only...but”是错误的，必须改为“not only...but also”。我们认为，这种说法没有反映英语的实际使用情况。事实上，not only... but不仅用于口语中，而且也广泛用于书面语中。例如，这个格式就常常出现于以纯粹标准书面英语为准则的TOEFL试题中：

He is always polite not only to his supervisors and colleagues but to anyone else whom hethinks deserves of kindly consideration.他不仅对上级和同事们总是很有礼貌，而且对他认为值得亲近的人也很礼貌。(答案规定将whom改为who，TOEFL.1970.1月)

为了证实这一点，我们对New Concept English第三、四册进行抽样检查，结果发现，在我们所找到的12个句子中有10个句子用的是“not only...but。”这里仅举几例：

1. If the project is successful，scientists will not only learn a great deal about the earth，butpossibly about the nature of the universe itself. (NCE，Book 3，P. 118)

如果这项计划成功，科学家不仅可以获知大量地球的信息，而且可能了解有关宇宙本身的性质。

2. Moreover television appeals not only to those who can read but to those who can’t.

(NCE，Book 4，P.99)

此外，电视不仅吸引能阅读的人，而且也吸引不会阅读的人。

3. With experience，and with improved apparatus，it is now possible not only to locate ashoal but to tell if it is herring，cod，or other well-known fish，by the pattern of its echo. (New Concept English，Book 4，L. 9)

……可以根据鱼群回声的方式来判断是鲱鱼、鳕鱼还是其他一些为人们所熟知的鱼类。

英国和美国的现代语言学家们都承认not only...but这个格式的正确性：

1. They not only broke into his office and stole his books，but they tore up his manuscripts.(GCE，P. 568)

他们不仅进入他的办公室，偷走了他的书，而且还撕坏了他的手稿。

2. She’s not only an excellent housewife but a first class mathematician. (CGEL，P.161)

她不仅是一个出色的家庭主妇，而且是一个一流的数学家。

3. Not only did they break into his office and steal his books，but they also tore up hismanuscripts. (CGEL)

(译文同上)