Cannot versus Can Not
Just add a small space in the words and you will see the entire meaning of the context will change. Too often we know the usage of the term but when we see an another look alike term we get confused. In this article we are going to deal with such two terms only namely can not and cannot.
In this article we are going to see meanings of the term described above and also we are going to use them in sentence making for better understanding.
Use of the term can not and cannot in sentence making
Cannot |
Can not |
Cannot as a verb |
Can not as a verb |
Term often refers to indicate that something is impossible or that someone is unable to do something. It expresses a negative condition or a lack of ability or permission.
Use in sentences Sam and I cannot attend the meeting tomorrow because we have a prior commitment.
Sam said despite his efforts, he cannot solve this complex math problem.
Sam and I cannot believe the incredible news that was just shared with us.
Due to the storm, Sam cannot go outside until the weather improves. |
Term can not used to express the same meaning as of the term cannot and there is no difference in them.
Use in sentences Sam software cannot be installed on your computer because it requires a newer operating system.
Sam and I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and support during difficult times.
The doctor advised that I cannot eat certain foods while I’m on this medication.
Sam and I cannot proceed with the project until we receive approval from the client. |
Important note
As in the above segment of the article we have seen the meaning of both the words and created sentences using both the terms. As it is clearly visible to us that indeed both terms are same and there is no difference between them but still there is one thing to look out for.
Term cannot is a single term and a valid term while the term can not is used much less and generally considered to be grammatically wrong and hence we can say that the term cannot is right term.
After knowing the meaning, framed the sentences and acknowledging difference between both the terms let’s now proceed to correct pronunciation of both the terms.
Cannot is pronounced as kænət
Can not is pronounced as kæ nət
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Summary
As to quickly summarize what we have learnt in this article first we learned the meaning of both term as term cannot and can not is used to show that the task is impossible however the term can not is not grammatically correct and should not be used. We also framed sentences using both the terms, learnt a simple trick to remember the difference between both the terms and at last we learned about correct pronunciation of both the terms.
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