Thread:Mendes2/@comment-30269588-20200119150412/@comment-366087-20200119155245

Haya.

To boil it down, While many use the two forms interchangeably and think there is no difference between them, "cannot" is a matter of permission ("Can I do this?" "You cannot.") while "can not" is a matter of choice ("You can work in this mess." "No, I can not.").

It is a bit of writing technicality that those not doing it for a profession or career often miss.
 * I simply can not throw a ball to save my life. (lacking the skill)
 * Mom says I cannot throw balls in the house. (lacking permission)
 * Speed limit says I can not speed Xmph. (can but should not)
 * My old car cannot go Xmph. (unable to do it)

I hope this helps.