Is the single word "cannot" considered a contraction of "can not"? If not, what is its status?
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MvL
ANSWERS: 3
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The word "cannot" is not considered a contraction, but just a one word form of "can not." "Can't" is the contraction form.
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http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutspelling/cannot You piqued my curiosity :)
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Cannot is not a contraction of can not. A contraction is formed when two words are combined into a shorter form, where letters are omitted, with an apostrophe in place of the missing letters. Contractions are always shorter and have apostrophes. So, what is cannot then? Cannot and can not are the same thing with the same meaning, and they are generally interchangeable. Cannot should be used most of the time, except when you want to show emphasis on the 'not.' There are also instances where the word not connects to another phrase, and in that situation, can and not should be written separately. I'm a high school English teacher. :)
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