- differences - When to use cannot versus cant? - English Language . . .
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 be used when you need to carefully distinguish it from can't in speech
- What is the difference between can not, cannot, and cant?
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 was looking for, and the other question+answer wasn't
- Why is “cannot” spelled as one word? - English Language Usage . . .
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 are contracted as “
- If I am writing a formal letter, should I use cant, cannot, or . . .
Stick with cannot Can't tends to be informal, and can not is usually considered a typo
- The usage of can not vs. cannot in mathematics
So here it’s about minimizing ambiguity: can not permits two interpretations, while cannot permits only one Such care is critical in the language of mathematics As another example, West would tell you that in mathematical discourse, both “x is a minimum” and “x is a minimal” are valid utterances, but they mean different things
- grammaticality - Is it incorrect to say, Why cannot. . . . ? - English . . .
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 modern English speakers don't want to put cannot before the subject because it contains not and sounds like can not
- double negation - Is cannot not say standard English? - English . . .
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 "can", it means "must" It also carries a connotation that not saying is the expected or default action
- meaning - What is the correct way to use neither and nor in a . . .
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 is interpreted that way then it only has a minor punctuation issue, while the use of 'neither' and 'nor' is actually correct
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