Breakdown of Jego praca polega nie tylko na analizie, ale i na twórczym pisaniu.
i
and
nie
no / not
ale
but
praca
work
tylko
only
jego
his, its
polegać na
to rely on
pisanie
writing
analiza
analysis
twórczy
creative (artistic, productive)
Questions & Answers about Jego praca polega nie tylko na analizie, ale i na twórczym pisaniu.
Why is the preposition na repeated after ale i?
When using correlative conjunctions like nie tylko ..., ale i ... (not only..., but also...), Polish strongly prefers a parallel structure. Since the verb polegać requires the preposition na, it sounds much more natural and correct to repeat it before both items: na analizie and na twórczym pisaniu.
Could I use ale też or ale także instead of ale i?
Polegać na often means "to rely on" someone. Does it mean exactly the same thing here?
Not quite. While polegać na translates to "to rely on" when talking about trusting a person, when discussing tasks, jobs, or games, it is better translated as "to consist of", "to be about", or "to involve". Here, his work consists of analysis and creative writing.
What case is being used for the phrases analizie and twórczym pisaniu?
They are in the Locative case, which is always required by the preposition na when it pairs with the verb polegać. The feminine noun analiza takes the standard -ie ending, while the neuter phrase twórcze pisanie changes its adjective and gerund endings to become twórczym pisaniu.
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