- 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
- Can not vs. cannot - English Language Usage Stack Exchange
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 meaning
- 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
- 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
- Can we use the wording We can not only . . . but also . . . ?
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?
- 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
- differences - Get hold of, get ahold of, get a hold of - English . . .
The three variations of this expression exist and are acceptable The meaning actually depends on what follows of, so get hold ahold of someone means communicate with reach someone and get hold ahold of something means obtaining literally reaching out for something And I believe they convey the same meaning, with "get ahold of" being spoken English (apparently because it's easier to pronounce
|