Magister non tantum exemplum bonum ostendit, sed etiam rationem clare explicat.

The teacher not only shows a good example, but also explains the reason clearly.

Breakdown of Magister non tantum exemplum bonum ostendit, sed etiam rationem clare explicat.

• magister: the teacher
• bonus: good
• clare: clearly
• ostendere: to show

Questions & Answers about Magister non tantum exemplum bonum ostendit, sed etiam rationem clare explicat.

What does non tantum ... sed etiam ... mean, and how does it work in this sentence?

This is a very common Latin pairing. It means not only ... but also ...

In this sentence:

• non tantum exemplum bonum ostendit = he shows not only a good example
• sed etiam rationem clare explicat = but also explains the reason clearly

So Latin is linking two ideas:

1. the teacher shows a good example
2. the teacher also explains the reason clearly

A learner should remember this as a set phrase:

• non tantum = not only
• sed etiam = but also

You may also see a very similar version in Latin: non solum ... sed etiam ...

Why is magister in that form?

Magister is in the nominative singular, which is the case normally used for the subject of the sentence.

Here, magister is the person doing both actions:

• ostendit = shows
• explicat = explains

So magister is the subject of both verbs.

Its dictionary form is:

• magister, magistri = teacher

Because it is singular, the verbs are also singular.