Which is right? "Can not" or "cannot"?
Habit tells me "cannot," but I can't find this peculiar spelling in the index of any of my style guides.However, Wikipedia gives me this quote, in which I've added the bolding to "cannot":
In this regard, the following quotation from The Chicago Manual of Style deserves notice:
- Rules and regulations such as these, in the nature of the case, cannot be endowed with the fixity of rock-ribbed law. They are meant for the average case, and must be applied with a certain degree of elasticity.
What's your practice?
This is a reposting of one of the most popular posts on one of my predecessor blogs. I originally posted it in April 2006.
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I was always taught that "cannot" is standard, but it may be separated to emphasize the "not": "Employees without a pass can not enter the building after 6:00."
ReplyDeleteInteresting that separating the "not" is supposed to add emphasis. I'd probably bold or capitalize the separated "not" when emphasis is needed.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting!
I always thought the distinction between the two was whether you could or could not actually do the thing in question. I can enter a building with a pass, therefore if I forget my pass I can not enter the building. This is compared to cannot which would imply the action could never be done. "I cannot be in two places at the same time."
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I hadn't heard that before.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting!