Pankaj0901 wrote:
AndrewN - Request you to please help me with me, as I seem to be missing something here.
Pankaj0901 wrote:
Is "are" not redundant in the below example?
According to me, the correct version should be:
Idioms are not only difficult to memorize but are also easy to mix up.
Idioms are:
(not only) difficult to memorize
(but also) easy to mix up.
Request you to please throw some light on this.
Typically, a
not only... but also construct will see whatever precedes
not only carry over into the second element, the one that follows
but also. The sentence in question is a strange one in that the word in question is a helping verb,
are. Does it need to be repeated? Does the more streamlined version make sense?
Idioms are not only difficult to memorize but also easy to mix up.Sure, I have no problem with the sentence, one that clearly expresses at the tail-end the notion that idioms are easy to mix up. Do I have a problem with the repetition of
are? No, not exactly. This is not a transitive verb such as
run that would lead to a clearly incorrect repetition if it fell outside the
not only:
He ran not only to the store but also ran to the arcade.I guess I would have to see a Sentence Correction question in which the only decisive consideration was between a sentence with an extra
are or one without. Otherwise, I would not worry too much about such a contingency.
I hope that helps a bit. Thank you for thinking to ask.
- Andrew