Casa · C1 Advanced · Lesson 14 of 20 · Step 2
Complex Sentence Patterns (Not only…but also, No sooner…than, Scarcely…when)
Words · tap a card to see it used
Grammar
Correlative conjunctions and inverted patterns add emphasis and formality. 'Not only…but also': When 'not only' begins a clause, inversion follows: 'Not only did the study confirm X, but it also revealed Y.' 'No sooner…than': 'No sooner had the results been published than they were challenged.' 'Scarcely/Hardly…when/before': 'Scarcely had the experiment begun when the equipment failed.' These patterns are particularly effective in academic writing and formal presentations for creating rhetorical impact.
Exercises · type, then check
1. Complete each sentence using the correct inverted pattern.
2. Choose the correct completion for each inverted pattern.
Reading
Not only has the study of neuroplasticity revolutionised our understanding of the brain, but it has also transformed approaches to rehabilitation after injury. For much of the twentieth century, it was assumed that the adult brain was essentially fixed — that damaged neurons could not be replaced and lost functions could not be recovered. No sooner had advanced imaging technologies become available than researchers began to observe something remarkable: the brain reorganises itself in response to experience, forming new synaptic connections and, in some cases, recruiting entirely different regions to compensate for damage. Scarcely had these findings been confirmed when their implications for treating degenerative diseases began to be explored. Not only does regular cognitive stimulation appear to slow the onset of conditions such as Alzheimer's, but physical exercise has also been shown to promote neurogenesis — the growth of new neurons — in the hippocampus, a region critical for memory. Hardly had the scientific community absorbed these findings before the commercial sector seized upon them, marketing 'brain training' applications with claims that far outstripped the evidence. The science of neuroplasticity is genuinely transformative, but it is also susceptible to oversimplification and exploitation.
1. What long-held assumption about the brain did neuroplasticity research challenge?
2. What criticism of the commercial application of neuroplasticity does the passage raise?
Speaking · say it out loud, with a partner or alone
Writing
Write a formal paragraph (6–8 sentences) about a scientific discovery or medical advance. Use at least one 'Not only…but also', one 'No sooner…than', and one 'Scarcely/Hardly…when/before' structure.
Check your exercises first, then mark the lesson done.