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 …

Apr 20, 2021 · This isn't really a duplicate, as both the question and answer are different, and include the form "can not" with valuable info as to when not to use it. This was exactly what I …

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 …

8 Both are acceptable, but cannot is now more common. OED has this much to say about cannot: (ˈkænət) the ordinary modern way of writing can not: see CAN v. Notwithstanding, in some …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Oct 15, 2015 · 1 There is no correct way to use "cannot help but." There are two traditional and synonymous idioms, "cannot but [do something]" and "cannot help [doing something]." Those …

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 …

Oct 23, 2014 · So, "cannot" means something (denoted S) is impossible, while "can not" means the inverse of that something (denoted !S) is possible. These two statements do not imply …