As well as

1) meaning

As well as has a similar meaning to 'not only... but also'.

She's got a car as well as a motorbike.

(-... not only a motorbike, but also a car.)

He's clever as well as good-looking.

(= He's not only good-looking, but also clever.) She works in television as well as writing children's books. Note the 'information structure': usually as well as introduces information which is already known to the listener/reader; the rest of the sentence gives new information.

They speak French in parts of Italy as well as France.

(not They speak French in France as well as parts of Italy. Everybody knows that French is spoken in France, so this information is introduced by as well as.)

2) verbs after as well as

When we put a verb after as well as, we most often use the -ing form. Smoking is dangerous, as well as making you smell bad.

(not ... as well as it makes you smell bad.) As well as breaking his leg, he hurt his arm. (not ... as well as he broke his leg,...) After an infinitive in the main clause, an infinitive without to is possible.

I have to feed the animals as well as look after the children. Note the difference between:

She sings as well as playing the piano. (= She not only plays, but also sings.) She sings as well as she plays the piano.{- Her singing is as good as her playing.)

3) subjects

It is possible to connect two subjects with as well as before a verb. If the first subject is singular, the verb is also likely to be singular, especially if as well as... is separated by commas.

Alice, as well as Paula, was shocked by the news. (not Alice, as well as Paula, were shocked...) With longer singular subjects, a plural verb is more likely, especially if commas are not used.

His appearance as well as his strange way of talking make me suspicious. However, this is not a common structure. It is more normal to put as well as... after the main clause; with pronoun subjects, this almost always happens.

Alice was shocked by the news as well as Paula.
He's ill as well as me.