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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Which one is right?

cannot or can not. what is the difference?thnaks.
  

Top answer

Both cannot and can not are acceptable spellings, but the first is much more usual. You would use can not when the 'not' forms part of another construction such as 'not only'

— SunnyShiny

  • Both cannot and can not are acceptable spellings, but the first is much more usual.
  • You would use can not when the 'not' forms part of another construction such as 'not only'
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2 Answers
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Both cannot and can not are acceptable spellings, but the first is much more usual. You would use can not when the 'not' forms part of another construction such as 'not only'
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A few years ago, a friend whose knowledge and judgement I trust told me that the only two choices are cannot and can't. I fail to see any logic in this limitation. I use cannot in written form.
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