Aug 20, 2012 · Generally, people use can't in speech and informal writing, and cannot or can not in formal writing or very formal speech. Also (as @Kris points out in a comment), cannot might …

Oct 29, 2010 · Why is “cannot” spelled as one word whereas other similar constructions such as “do not,” “will not,” “shall not,” “may not” and “must not” are spelled as two words (unless they …

Apr 20, 2021 · The phrase "can not" may mean "cannot" or "can't," but it also may mean "able not to," which is much different than "not able to" as it conveys the ability to not do something …

Jun 16, 2011 · I cannot find the tool, it is neither in the kitchen nor in the bathroom. I dislike that punctuation and I would either use a semicolon or make it two sentences. But if the sentence …

9 "cannot not say" would only rarely be used in English, and only in very specific circumstances. In particular, this is not a simple double negative. "cannot not" does not mean the same as …

Sep 18, 2014 · If you suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, then you cannot control your impulses. You can't help it, but you exhibit undesirable behavior. There are other explanations …

The use of seem to is usually a hedge, or a softener. The examples above are suggesting that the person feels they should be able to do something but cannot find the right way to do it …

Is there a difference in meaning and/or connotation between "can not" and "cannot"? I have read and seen both used interchangeably, but I know people who argue for a slight difference in …

Dec 2, 2011 · Cannot is the only negative form that contains not rather than -n't. Theoretically, since it is a single word, you can say why cannot you... without a problem. My theory is that …

Dec 12, 2017 · Is the following wording okay? He can not only do this, but also do that. In this case, it seems that the writer is dividing 'cannot' into two words. Is that acceptable?