Any time you need a reminder, you can reread this article. Now that you know the difference between cannot and can not, you don’t need to worry about misusing either of them.
Can not should only be used when not is part of another phrase. Cannot can be further shortened into the contraction can’t. Cannot should always be spelled as a single word. Is it cannot or can not? These two spellings cause a lot of problems for writers, but the solution is quite simple. In these rare cases where it is appropriate, you would be well advised to simply rephrase your sentence, but if you insist on keeping it as it is, just remember that can not must be a part of two separate constructions to be correct. Of course, rules are meant to be broken, and sometimes, albeit rarely, cannot can appear as two words. cannot.Ī good rule of thumb is that cannot is always one word, never two. Since Alina bought two cakes, she can now have her cake and eat it too. You might also just rework the sentence as a whole. In this case, you would separate cannot into two words. In this sentence, not is a part of another construction, i.e., not only…but also. By buying two cakes, Alina can not only have her cake, but she can also eat it, too. The words can and not should only appear together when they are part of separate but adjacent phrases. You would use CAN NOT when the NOT forms part of another construction such as NOT ONLY. When describing an action which is impossible, you should always use cannot. Can CANNOT also be written as two words CAN NOT Both CANNOT and CAN NOT are acceptable spellings. What does can not mean? Can not, as two separate words, is not a proper verb phrase. 
Remember, however, to avoid contractions in formal writing.
You can’t drive faster than the speed limit and expect to avoid getting a ticket.Cannot can also be shortened into the contraction can’t, which means the same thing.
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