Can not or Cannot

[BertiWooster]

Please check your change before leaving the shop as mistakes 'can not' be rectified afterwards .

Should that be 'cannot' ?

[Buenchico]

Either is acceptable.

[RATTER15]

Does this help?

http://www.dailywriti...om/cannot-or-can-not/

[Old_Geezer]

I agree both are ok. Cannot is more common. If in doubt, use can't. :-)

[THECORBYLOON]

I would go for can not rather than cannot. I say can you not rather than can't you, so it makes sense to think of can not as separate words.

[bunkmoreland]

its most likely the american influence again! But,i would agree with thecorbyloon.

[MichaelZZ]

Irrespective of which is correct, your post reminded me of the story about the chap who was given too much change by a shopkeeper. As he was walking away down the street the shopkeeper came running after him shouting that he'd given the wrong change. The customer pointed to the sign in the window and said something along the lines of "tufftitty".

[jake-the-peg]

Stephen Fry on people who obsess on such things

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7E-aoXLZGY

[starone]

Love that michaelzz. What you might call tit for tat!

[Quizmonster]

Both are obviously acceptable, though the single word is much more prevalent. I would only separate them in circumstances in which I wanted to stress the negative aspect. In other words, if saying, in effect, "Don't even bloody THINK of trying to get a mistake rectified!"