That's only partly true, Daniella. The word sequence "can not" is sometimes used for emphasis: I simply can not believe it! And sometimes "can not" is required in comparative constructions: He can not only dance, but he can sing as well! Note also that the negative form "can't" is more common then "cannot" in speech; indeed it is compulsory when it precedes the subject: Can't / Cannot / Can not we stay a little longer? By the way, I gave a link to the Oxford's entry for "can not" in my first answer. PaulM