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Thu 29 May, 2008 05:24 pm
Hi all,
Actually this may be a silly question, but I really need to know.
is "can not" (with a space) can be considered in the same position as "cannot" (formally speaking).
Thanks !
same
same thing. You can use these interchangeably.
Both "cannot" and "can not" are acceptable spellings, but the first is much more usual. Using "can not" in situations where "cannot" is more usual may make your writing look odd and old fashioned. In my opinion it is better to save "can not" for situations where the 'not' forms part of another construction such as 'not only'.
Some birds cannot fly.
Some birds can not only fly but also swim.
contrex wrote:Both "cannot" and "can not" are acceptable spellings, but the first is much more usual. In my opinion it is better to save "can not" for situations where the 'not' forms part of another construction such as 'not only'.
"This is like deja vu all over again." (Yogi Berra)
In everyday usage, can't is found more often, as abbreviation for cannot.
Can not is used when more emphasis is required on the not.
(J McEnroe: "You can NOT be serious!")
But they are the same in meaning.
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