cpe grammar – To The Point English with Ben

November 9, 2026November 9, 2026

How to Use ‘Not Only… But Also’ in Cambridge English Exams (B2, C1 and C2)

The structure not only… but also is a particularly useful grammatical construction for Cambridge English exams. It allows you to connect two related ideas while placing emphasis on both of them.

Although it can be used in spoken English, it is more common in written English, making it especially useful in the Writing paper of the B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency exams.

It is also a structure worth learning because it demonstrates your ability to use more sophisticated ways of linking ideas. However, there are several grammatical rules to remember, and students often make small mistakes when trying to use it.

Let’s look at how it works and how you can use it accurately.

1. When do we use ‘not only… but also’?

We use not only… but also to emphasise two complementary aspects of the same subject or situation.

For example:

Not only is YouTube entertaining, but it is also educational.

Here, we are emphasising two positive qualities of YouTube: it is entertaining and educational.

We could simply say that YouTube is entertaining and educational, but the not only… but also construction gives the sentence greater emphasis and creates a more sophisticated structure.

An important point to remember is that the two elements should be complementary and logically consistent. In the examples below, both qualities are positive:

Not only is the course informative, but it is also highly practical.
Not only is exercise beneficial for our physical well-being, but it also improves our mental health.

The structure can also emphasise two negative aspects:

Not only have they broken the vase, but they’ve also spilled wine on the carpet.

Both events are undesirable, and the construction highlights the fact that one unfortunate incident has been accompanied by another.

2. Remember to use inversion in the first clause

This is probably the most common mistake students make with this structure.

When not only introduces the first clause, we must use inversion. In other words, we change the usual word order by placing the auxiliary verb before the subject.

Compare:

Incorrect: Not only YouTube is entertaining, but it is also educational.
Correct: Not only is YouTube entertaining, but it is also educational.

Notice the position of the verb is. It comes before the subject YouTube.

Here are some more examples:

Not only is the city expensive, but it is also extremely crowded.
Not only are these measures ineffective, but they are also costly.
Not only have we wasted time, but we’ve also spent a considerable amount of money.

The type of inversion depends on the verb tense and the grammatical structure of the sentence.

If you are using the verb to be, you simply place it before the subject:

Not only is the film entertaining, but it is also thought-provoking.

If you are using another verb in the present or past simple, you generally need the auxiliary verb do, does or did:

Not only does investing in renewable energy reduce carbon emissions, but it also creates jobs.

In this example, does comes before the subject investing in renewable energy. The main verb, reduce, remains in its base form.

3. Don’t use inversion in the second clause

Another frequent mistake is to use inversion in both clauses.

Remember that inversion is required after not only, but not after but also.

For example:

Not only does investing in renewable energy reduce carbon emissions, but it also creates jobs.

The second clause follows normal word order: subject (it), auxiliary verb (does), and main verb (create).

The following sentence is incorrect:

Not only does investing in renewable energy reduce carbon emissions, but also does it create jobs.

We don’t need to invert the second clause.

This is an important distinction. Students sometimes remember that inversion is necessary but then apply it to the wrong part of the sentence, or use it in both clauses.

4. You don’t always need to repeat the subject and verb

In some sentences, repeating the subject and verb in the second clause is unnecessary. This is particularly common when the two elements are closely related.

For example:

Not only is exercise good for our physical well-being, but also our mental health.

The second clause does not contain a subject or a verb. We understand that exercise is also good for our mental health.

We could write:

Not only is exercise good for our physical well-being, but it is also good for our mental health.

However, this version repeats information that is already clear from the first clause. The shorter version is more concise and avoids unnecessary repetition.

The same principle applies when the two elements share the same action:

Not only have they broken the vase, but also the mirror.

Here, we don’t need to repeat they have broken because the meaning is perfectly clear.

This is a useful way of making your writing more concise and avoiding unnecessarily repetitive sentences.

5. Make sure you use parallel structures

This is another important point, particularly when using this construction in your writing.

Parallelism means that the two elements connected by not only… but also should follow the same grammatical pattern.

For example, if you use adjectives in the first part, you should use an adjective in the second part:

Not only is YouTube entertaining, but it is also educational.

Both entertaining and educational are adjectives.

Similarly, if you use nouns, you should generally use nouns in both parts:

The course provides not only practical advice but also valuable information.

And if you use verbs, make sure the two parts are grammatically consistent:

Not only does the policy reduce pollution, but it also improves public health.

Notice that both verbs are in the present simple: reduce and improves.

This brings us to another important aspect of parallelism: maintaining consistent verb tenses.

For example:

Not only did the company reduce its prices, but it also improved the quality of its products.

Both actions are in the past simple.

And in the present perfect:

Not only have they introduced new regulations, but they have also invested in renewable energy.

Both actions are in the present perfect.

When constructing sentences with this structure, pay attention to the grammatical form of both elements. They should be balanced and consistent.

6. Where should you place ‘also’?

One final detail worth remembering concerns the position of also.

We do not separate not only in the first clause. However, we can separate but and also in the second clause by placing also after the verb.

For example:

Not only is the city beautiful, but it is also relatively inexpensive.

Or:

Not only have they broken the vase, but they’ve also damaged the furniture.

However, when we omit the repeated subject and verb, also can appear directly before the second element:

Not only have they broken the vase, but also the mirror.

Both patterns are possible. The choice depends on whether you repeat the subject and verb in the second clause.

Summary: Six things to remember

Before using not only… but also in your Cambridge English exam, make sure you remember these six points:

Use it to emphasise two complementary ideas. The two elements should be logically consistent.
Use inversion after not only. Remember to place the auxiliary verb before the subject.
Don’t use inversion after but also. The second clause follows normal word order.
Avoid unnecessary repetition. You don’t always need to repeat the subject and verb in the second clause.
Use parallel structures. Make sure the two elements have a consistent grammatical form and, where relevant, matching verb tenses.
Pay attention to the position of also. It normally comes after the verb when the second clause is complete.

Final advice for your Cambridge English exam

The not only… but also construction is a useful way of making your writing more sophisticated, particularly when you want to emphasise two related arguments or advantages.

For example, in an essay about the benefits of investing in public transport, you could write:

Not only would greater investment in public transport reduce traffic congestion, but it would also help to improve air quality.

This is a natural and effective way of connecting two arguments without simply listing them.

You can use advanced grammatical structures in the B2 First exam as well as in C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency. The important thing is to use them accurately and appropriately. There is little benefit in attempting a sophisticated construction if you cannot control its grammar.

So, practise creating your own examples, paying particular attention to inversion and parallelism. Once you are comfortable with the structure, it can become a very useful addition to your grammatical repertoire.

For more help with grammar structures like this, check out my Essential Grammar course.

November 9, 2026November 9, 2026

The Most Useful Grammar Structure for Cambridge C1 and C2 Exams: The Passive Voice

What is the most useful grammatical construction you can use in your Cambridge English exam? Conditionals? Relative clauses? Cleft sentences? Perhaps reported speech?

All of these structures are important, particularly if you’re preparing for C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE). However, in my opinion, there’s one grammatical construction that is more useful than all the others: the passive voice.

Why? Because you can use it in almost every part of the Cambridge English exams. It appears frequently in Reading and Use of English, it’s particularly useful in formal writing, and you can even use it naturally in the Speaking paper.

Having helped thousands of students prepare for Cambridge English exams over more than 23 years, I’ve seen just how useful this structure can be.

And the good news is that it’s not particularly difficult to learn. The real challenge is knowing when and how to use it appropriately.

Let’s look at why the passive voice is so important and how you can use it to improve your performance in your Cambridge English exam.

1. The passive voice in Reading and Use of English

One of the reasons I consider the passive voice so useful is that it appears regularly in the Reading and Use of English paper, particularly in Part 4: Key Word Transformations.

If you’re not familiar with this task, you’re given a sentence, a key word and a second sentence with a gap. You have to complete the second sentence using the key word without changing it, ensuring that the meaning remains as similar as possible to the original.

Let’s look at an example from a C1 Advanced sample test.

Original sentence:

They say a visitor to the National Gallery damaged an eighteenth-century painting.

Key word: ALLEGED

Second sentence:

A visitor to the National Gallery __________ an eighteenth-century painting.

The answer is:

A visitor to the National Gallery is alleged to have damaged an eighteenth-century painting.

Notice the grammatical construction: is alleged to have damaged.

This is a passive reporting structure. We use it when reporting what people generally say, believe or claim about something without identifying a specific person making the statement.

Here’s another example, this time from a C2 Proficiency sample test.

Original sentence:

The driver instructed passengers to move down the bus.

Key word: WAY

Second sentence:

Passengers __________ down the bus by the driver.

The answer is:

Passengers were instructed to make their way down the bus by the driver.

Here, the passive voice is relatively straightforward. The subject of the original sentence (the driver) becomes the agent in the passive construction, while passengers becomes the subject.

The more challenging aspect of this transformation is the fixed expression make your way.

What’s interesting about these two examples is that the C2 question actually uses relatively basic passive grammar, whereas the C1 question requires a more sophisticated structure.

This illustrates an important point: a higher-level exam doesn’t necessarily mean that every grammatical structure being tested is more complicated. Vocabulary, fixed expressions and the ability to recognise how language works in context are equally important.

2. The passive voice in the Writing paper

This is arguably where the passive voice becomes particularly useful.

If you’re writing an essay, report, proposal or formal letter, you’ll often need to adopt a neutral or formal register.

One way to achieve this is by using the passive voice.

Let’s look at some examples from actual Cambridge student writing.

C2 Proficiency example

The following examples come from a C2 Proficiency candidate’s essay. Interestingly, this candidate achieved maximum marks across the assessment criteria.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the essay was perfect or completely free of mistakes. It means that the writing demonstrated the standard required to achieve the highest marks.

Consider this sentence:

It should be noted that the things that irritate people will vary.

This is an excellent example of the passive voice being used appropriately.

Compare it with:

People should note that the things that irritate people will vary.

The second sentence is grammatically correct, but the first is more impersonal and arguably more appropriate for the context.

Here’s another example from the same essay:

It was once considered…

The candidate could have written:

People once considered…

Again, there’s nothing grammatically wrong with the active version. However, the passive construction creates a more neutral, impersonal tone.

These are relatively simple grammatical structures, but they’re very effective.

C1 Advanced example

Let’s look at another example, this time from a C1 Advanced essay.

The candidate wrote:

It has to be said that…

Compare this with:

I have to say that…

Both expressions are grammatically correct, but the passive construction is less personal and can be more appropriate in a formal essay.

Here’s another example:

Rules can be placed differently.

The candidate has used the passive voice correctly here, although there’s a vocabulary problem. We don’t normally say place rules. More appropriate verbs would be set, impose or implement.

For example:

Rules can be set differently.
Stricter rules could be imposed.
New regulations need to be implemented.

The important point is that the candidate has recognised an opportunity to use the passive voice rather than unnecessarily identifying the people responsible for setting or imposing the rules.

An example of how to improve your writing

Now let’s look at a weaker example from a B2 First essay.

The candidate wrote:

I think that my country has problems with pollution to the environment like all other countries.

There are several ways we could improve this sentence, but let’s focus on the use of the passive voice.

One possible alternative would be:

It is believed that this country, like many others, has problems with pollution.

Notice how we’ve changed I think to It is believed.

We’ve also changed my country to this country, making the statement less personal and more general.

Here’s another example from the same student’s essay:

I don’t know what should we do.

Apart from the word order problem, this sentence is rather informal and personal for an academic essay.

One possible improvement would be:

It is not known what should be done.

We’ve used two passive constructions here:

It is not known.
What should be done.

However, there’s an even better alternative:

The correct course of action is not clear.

This is a more sophisticated way of expressing the same general idea.

The lesson here is that you shouldn’t simply use the passive voice because you want to demonstrate advanced grammar. You should use it when it helps you communicate your ideas more effectively.

Ultimately, that’s what Cambridge examiners are looking for.

3. The passive voice in the Speaking paper

You might associate the passive voice primarily with formal writing, but it’s also extremely common in everyday spoken English.

In fact, there are several expressions that you can use quite naturally in your Cambridge Speaking exam.

Here are five particularly useful examples.

1. I was born and bred in Madrid.

This is a very common expression meaning that you were born and grew up in a particular place.

Born and bred is a particularly natural way of talking about your hometown.

2. My hometown is known for its architecture.

We use is known for to describe something that a place or person is famous for.

Other possibilities include:

My hometown is renowned for its beautiful beaches.
The region is particularly well known for its traditional cuisine.

3. I’ve been told that the Earth is flat.

We use this expression when we want to report information without necessarily identifying who gave us that information.

It’s often unnecessary to mention the person responsible.

4. It’s said that AI will eventually take over the world.

This is another passive reporting structure.

We use expressions such as it’s said that, it’s believed that and it’s thought that to communicate general opinions or beliefs.

5. The photograph looks like it was taken at night.

This isparticularly useful in the collaborative and long-turn parts of the Speaking paper when describing photographs.

Notice the passive construction was taken.

These are all relatively straightforward expressions, but they’re natural, useful and appropriate for a wide range of speaking situations.

4. Why do we use the passive voice?

So far, we’ve looked at several examples of how the passive voice can be used in your Cambridge exam. But it’s also important to understand why we use it.

There are four main reasons.

A. To create a more formal or impersonal register

As we’ve already seen, the passive voice is particularly useful in formal writing because it allows us to present information without making everything about our personal opinions.

For example:

I believe that increased investment is needed.

Compare this with:

It is believed that increased investment is needed.

The second version is more impersonal and presents the idea as a general belief rather than an explicitly personal opinion.

B. To emphasise the action rather than the person performing it

Sometimes, the action itself is much more important than the person or people responsible for carrying it out.

For example:

Alien life has been discovered on Pluto.

The important information here is the discovery itself, not necessarily who made it.

We could add by scientists if we wanted to, but it’s not essential.

C. When the person performing the action is unknown or unimportant

For example:

The cathedral was built in the fifteenth century.

We don’t know who built the cathedral, and in this context, that’s not particularly important.

The focus is on the cathedral and when it was built.

D. To be less direct or less accusatory

The passive voice can also be useful when we don’t want to identify or directly blame the person responsible for something.

For example:

The project wasn’t finished on time.

This sentence doesn’t identify who failed to complete the project.

Perhaps it was Mary, perhaps it was the entire team, or perhaps there were circumstances beyond their control.

By using the passive voice, we can focus on what happened without directly accusing anyone.

5. How to form the passive voice

Finally, let’s have a quick look at how to construct a passive sentence.

Consider this sentence in the active voice:

Experts believe the Earth is spherical.

We have the familiar subject-verb-object structure:

Subject: Experts
Verb: Believe
Object: The Earth

To change this into the passive voice, we move the object to the beginning of the sentence.

The result is:

The Earth is believed to be spherical.

There are two important things to remember when forming the passive voice:

The verb to be must be used in the appropriate tense.
The main verb must be in the past participle form.

For example:

Active	Passive
They build houses.	Houses are built.
They built the house.	The house was built.
They are repairing the road.	The road is being repaired.
They have completed the project.	The project has been completed.
They will announce the results.	The results will be announced.

Notice that the tense of the original sentence is maintained through the appropriate form of to be.

We can also include the person or thing responsible for the action using by:

The novel was written by George Orwell.

However, it’s important to remember that the agent isn’t always necessary. In many cases, we omit it because it’s unknown, obvious or simply unimportant.

Final thoughts: Make the passive voice your priority

There are plenty of grammatical structures you need to study if you’re preparing for Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency.

Conditionals, relative clauses, cleft sentences, inversion and reported speech are all important.

However, if I had to choose one grammatical construction that offers the greatest versatility across the different parts of the exam, it would undoubtedly be the passive voice.

You can use it in Reading and Use of English, particularly in Key Word Transformations. It’s extremely useful in formal writing, where you need to demonstrate an appropriate register, and it also appears naturally in everyday spoken English.

But remember one important thing: using advanced grammar isn’t about making every sentence as complicated as possible. It’s about choosing the most appropriate grammatical structure for the context.

If you can use the passive voice accurately and naturally, you’ll have a very useful tool at your disposal, not just for your Cambridge English exam, but for your English in general.

Check out my Essential Grammar Course for more help with the most useful asvanced structures and concepts!