Sino vs. Sino que

Question

I know to use sino que when sino introduces a clause with a conjugated verb, but our teacher gave us two examples that have confused me. In one instance with a conjugated verb, she used sino que: No vamos a dejar de buscar dinero, sino que vamos a hacer un esfuerzo más grande. However, in another she did not: No sólo eran buenos agricultores sino eran astrónomos también. Can someone explain the difference between why one sentence uses sino que and one just uses sino? Is there a requirement other than having a conjugated verb?

I suppose perhaps it is because the verbs are the same, not contrasting.

Hi and welcome to the forum! - sanlee, Mar 15, 2012

Answer 1

Hi. I´m a spanish native speaker and I find that the second phrase is incorrect. We would say "No sólo eran buenos agricultores sino que eran astrónomos tambien".

Both phrases need "Sino que".

I hope this help you.

Regards.

I thought so as well but wasn't sure enough to answer. - gringojrf, Mar 8, 2012

Thanks, Juan! - sanlee, Mar 15, 2012

Answer 2

i am also a native speaker and i also agree with juan