できないか、またはできないか：違いは何か？

Cannot or Can Not: What’s the Difference? - Writing Explained Skip to content Home » Cannot or Can Not: What’s the Difference? English rules surrounding compound words and contractions are not always easy to remember. Cannot belongs to a certain category of helping verbs and almost always appears as a single word. There are very rare occasions, however, where it is appropriate to have the words separated. Continue reading to find out what they are. What is the Difference Between Cannot and Can Not? In this article, I will compare cannot vs. can not . I will use each in a sentence to illustrate the proper context, and I will also reveal a helpful trick to use when you can’t decide whether to use can not or cannot in your own writing. When to Use Cannot What does cannot mean? Cannot is a contraction of the two words can and not. It functions as an auxiliary verb that describes an action as impossible or not allowed. Here are some examples, You cannot have any pudding until you eat your meat. You cannot possibly jump far enough to reach the other side of the chasm. But it cannot be easy for Woods to forget how he started 2015: with a first-round withdrawal and three scores in the 80s in his first six events. – The New York Times On a more technical level, cannot is a negative modal auxiliary verb. Modal verbs, like can , modify grammatical mood; in other words, they reflect a person’s perception of the possibility, likelihood, obligation, or necessity of an action or event. The verb can communicates the potential mood, which indicates likelihood or possibility. In the contraction cannot , the likelihood or possibility is negated, therefore expressing impossibility or denial. Is Cannot One Word? Most readers here probably know the aforementioned information; they understand the meaning of cannot . The primary question at hand is, “Is cannot one word?” In most cases—say 99 percent of ordinary writing— cannot will appear as a single word. There are only rare circumstances that cannot should appear as two words—and most of these should probably be rewritten anyway (see below for more examples) Cannot can also be shortened into the contraction can’t , which means the same thing. For example, You can’t drive faster than the speed limit and expect to avoid getting a ticket. Remember, however, to avoid contractions in formal writing. When to Use Can Not What does can not mean? Can not , as two separate words, is not a proper verb phrase. When describing an action which is impossible, you should always use cannot . The words can and not should only appear together when they are part of separate but adjacent phrases. For example, By buying two cakes, Alina can not only have her cake, but she can also eat it, too. In this sentence, not is a part of another construction, i.e., not only…but also. In this case, you would separate cannot into two words. You might also just rework the sentence as a whole. For example, Since Alina bought two cakes, she can now have her cake and eat it too. Trick to Remember the Difference Here is a trick to remember can not vs. cannot . A good rule of thumb is that cannot is always one word, never two. Of course, rules are meant to be broken, and sometimes, albeit rarely, cannot can appear as two words. 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. Summary Is it cannot or can not? These two spellings cause a lot of problems for writers, but the solution is quite simple. Cannot should always be spelled as a single word. Cannot can be further shortened into the contraction can’t. Can not should only be used when not is part of another phrase. Now that you know the difference between cannot and can not , you don’t need to worry about misusing either of them. Any time you need a reminder, you can reread this article. Contents Search for: Confusing Words A versus An A lot versus Alot Accent versus Ascent versus Assent Accept versus Except Access versus Excess Accidently versus Accidentally Acclimation versus Acclamation Acknowledgement versus Acknowledgment Acumen versus Acuity versus Acuteness Acute versus Chronic Ad versus Add Adapter versus Adaptor Addenda versus Addendum Addicting versus Addictive Adsorb versus Absorb Advice versus Advise Adviser versus Advisor Aerobic versus Anaerobic Affect versus Effect Affect Change versus Effect Change Affective versus Effective Afflict versus Inflict Afterward versus Afterwards Ageing versus Aging Ahold versus A hold Aeroplane versus Airplane Aisle versus Isle Aka versus A.k.a. All of a Sudden versus All of the Sudden Allowed versus Aloud Allude versus Elude Aloud versus Out Loud Alter versus Altar Altogether versus All Together Aluminum versus Aluminium Alright versus All Right Always versus All ways Ambiance versus Ambience Amend versus Emend Among versus Amongst Analog versus Analogue Analyse versus Analyze Analysis versus Analyses Anime versus Manga Anxious versus Eager Anyone versus Any one Anyplace versus Any Place Anytime versus Any Time Anyway versus Any way Anyway versus Anyways Apart versus A part Assent versus Consent Attorney versus Lawyer Attain versus Obtain Aural versus Oral Autumn versus Fall Avenge versus Revenge Averse versus Adverse Avocation versus Vocation Awaiting versus Waiting Award versus Reward Awhile versus A While Aww versus Awe Backup versus Back up Backward versus Backwards Backyard versus Back Yard Bad versus Badly Bad rap versus Bad rep Barbecue versus Barbeque Bass versus Base Bearing versus Baring Because versus Since Bedpost versus Bed Post Behavior versus Behaviour Believes versus Beliefs Below versus Bellows Bent versus Bended Beside versus Besides Between versus Among Biannual versus Semiannual Bi-weekly versus Semi-weekly Binded versus Bound Bingeing versus Binging Bit versus Bitten Blatant versus Flagrant Blimp versus Zeppelin Blond versus Blonde Bourgeois versus Bourgeoisie Breach versus Breech Break versus Brake Brief versus Debrief Brick and Mortar versus Brick and Morter Bring versus Take Broach versus Brooch Broth versus Stock Brung versus Brought Buck Naked versus Butt Naked Buildup versus Build up Bunny versus Rabbit Burst versus Bursted Buses versus Busses Buy versus Bye versus By By Accident versus On Accident Cactuses versus Cacti Caddie versus Caddy Calvary versus Cavalry Camaraderie versus Comradery Can versus May Canceled versus Cancelled Canon vs. Cannon Capability versus Ability Capital versus Capitol Cappuccino versus Latte Cardinal Numbers versus Ordinal Numbers Case in Point versus Case and Point Cast versus Casted Catalog versus Catalogue Center versus Centre Certificate versus Diploma versus Degree Charley Horse versus Charlie Horse Check in versus Check-in Checkout versus Check out Checkup versus Check up Childcare versus Child Care Choir versus Chorus Choose vs. Chose Cite versus Site versus Sight Cleanup versus Clean up Client versus Customer Climatic versus Climactic Cloth versus Clothes Co-operate versus Cooperate Co-Worker versus Coworker Coca versus Cocoa Cocoa versus Cacao Cold versus Flu Coleslaw versus Coldslaw Coliseum versus Colosseum Collaborate versus Corroborate Collectable versus Collectible College versus University Competence versus Competency Compliment versus Complement Comprise versus Compose Conscience versus Conscious Consignor versus Consignee Contagious versus Infectious Contiguous versus Continuous Continually versus Continuously Convince versus Persuade Copywritten versus Copyrighted Cord versus Chord Corn Flour versus Corn Meal Correspondence versus Correspondance Could Have versus Could Of Could versus Would Counselling versus Counseling Counselor versus Councilor Cozy versus Cosy Crayfish versus Crawfish Creek versus Crick Criticise versus Criticize Current versus Currant Curricula versus Curriculum Dairy versus Diary Dam versus Damn Deceased versus Diseased Defendant versus Plaintiff Depository versus Repository Device versus Devise Dialog versus Dialogue Dice versus Die Different From versus Different Than Diner versus Dinner Disc versus Disk Discreet versus Discrete Disinterested versus Uninterested Disorganized versus Unorganized Disperse versus Disburse Dissatisfied versus Unsatisfied DNA versus RNS Do versus Due Doughnut versus Donut Drank versus Drunk Draught versus Draft Dreamed versus Dreamt Drier versus Dryer Drop off versus Drop-off Duplicate versus Replicate Dwarfs versus Dwarves Dying versus Dieing Eatable versus Edible Effective versus Efficient Efficacy versus Efficiency Efficiency versus Effectiveness Either versus Neither Elder versus Older Elegy versus Eulogy Elfs versus Elves Elicit versus Illicit E-mail versus Email Embed versus Imbed Emigrate versus Immigrate Eminent versus Imminent Emoji versus Emoticon Empathy versus Sympathy Emphasise versus Emphasize En route versus In route Encase versus Incase Enclosed versus Inclosed Endeavors versus Endeavours Endemic versus Epidemic Endorsement versus Indorsement Engrained versus Ingrained Enrolment versus Enrollment Ensure versus Insure versus Assure Entitled versus Titled Envelop versus Envelope Envision versus Invision Equal versus Equitable Ethics versus Morals Everyday vs Every Day Everyone or Every One Evoke versus Invoke Excretion versus Secretion Expiry versus Expiration Expresso versus Espresso Extortion versus Blackmail Fair versus Fare Favorite versus Favourite Feed versus Fed Fewer versus Less Fiancé versus Fiancée Fiber versus Fibre Fillet versus Filet Firsthand versus First-hand Fit versus Fitted Flair versus Flare Flammable versus Inflammable Flesh out versus Flush out Flier versus Flyer Founder versus Flounder Flutist versus Flautist Flys versus Flies Followup versus Follow-up Follow-up versus Follow up Foolproof versus Fullproof Forgo versus Forego Former versus Latter Formulas versus Formulae Forth versu