Pretty much all conjunctions in English can join two (or in some instances more) elements of the same kind: two noun phrases, two verb phrases (ideally of the same form), two verbs, two adverbial phrases, two adjectival phrases etc. Compare:
- I love (both lemons and oranges)
- (Both Jack and Jane) love lemons
- I (both love and dread) lemons
- I (both (love lemons) and (dread oranges))
- I love lemons (both unsweetened and (with tons of sugar))
- I love (both sweet and sour) lemons.
You can't mix and match though, with results ranging from mild irritation to catastrophic failure of interpretation (unless done deliberately for comedic effect):
- ?I (both (love lemons) and (have been avoiding oranges))
- *I both love lemons and passionately
You will find that (not only ... but also ...) behaves in the same way. Your first example coordinates two different noun phrases in the subject position; your last example coordinates two whole clauses.
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