Well this one doesn't really work since cannot is one word, but I (burn down orphanages and also) get the idea.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Can not is not one word all the time. Most people use can not instead of cannot. Personally cannot annoys the crap out of me, but either one is ok to use.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If I can not do something, then I can also do it. I can not write these words if I choose (and you may think I shouldn't), but I also can, and am, writing them. What I cannot do is know who will read them, or what they will think. I can imagine such things, but I'm limited by my experience and perceptions. So this is the rule: if you either could or could not do something, then you use two words, because you can leave out the second word if you so choose. If you could not do something no matter how much you desired or tried, then you use one word, cannot. There is no other option. Source: http://alexfiles.com/cannot.shtml So in this case you and the OP are correct: "can not" makes sense here. However I would disagree about most people using "can not" most of the time. I rarely see it used that way. Maybe it's a regional thing, but I've always grown up seeing "cannot," and learning that that is the correct usage.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I find that funny, because I googled to make sure I wasn't incorrect and thats the website I found. It probably is a regional thing. I'm from Texas and we use can not most of the time. The only time I was ever told that cannot is the correct way and can not is incorrect is when I had an english teacher from the north. So I'm kinda hoping you are from somewhere up north or from a somewhere other than the United states.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Either way, you would have to vote yes on this.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

*parentheses

by Anonymous 13 years ago

This is really confusing. If you read it without parentheses, it says "Anything in parentheses can not be ignored." But then if you skip, over the not in parentheses, it says, "Anything in parentheses can be ignored," and you have to ignore the not. Quite frankly, this gave me a headache.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

paradox!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

MUTINY

by Anonymous 13 years ago