8 Both are acceptable, but cannot is now more common. OED has this much to say about cannot: (ˈkænət) the ordinary modern way of writing can not: see CAN v. Notwithstanding, in some …

Mar 23, 2025 · In "The Waves", page 74 in Wordsworth Editions Limited (2000), Virginia Woolf writes Veined as I am with iron, with silver and streaks of common mud, I cannot contract into …

Oct 23, 2014 · So, "cannot" means something (denoted S) is impossible, while "can not" means the inverse of that something (denoted !S) is possible. These two statements do not imply …

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 …

Oct 15, 2015 · 1 There is no correct way to use "cannot help but." There are two traditional and synonymous idioms, "cannot but [do something]" and "cannot help [doing something]." Those …

Sep 19, 2023 · 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 …

Aug 20, 2012 · 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 …

Jun 16, 2015 · The person is used in contrast to a goalkeeper, ( a famous athlete) . Hope Solo as a private individual vs Hope Solo as a public figure. “By now, though, it’s not a stretch to think …

Apr 20, 2021 · 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 …

The irony of the idiom is that one would expect to be able to eat the cake that he or she owned. In that case, possession of the cake would logically come before usage of the cake: You cannot …