Search from various English teachers...
绑德sings
Hello native English speakers.
What is difference between these two sentences?
1a. You can not smoke here.
1b. You can't smoke here.
2a. You may not smoke here.
2b. You mayn't smoke here.
Question:
Which is grammatically correct?
Do they have the same meaning?
Apr 26, 2026 4:02 AM
Answers · 2
Invitee
Hello, in this sentence to express that smoking is prohibited here, we use the negative form of 'can', which is 'cannot', with no space. The other three sentences are gramatically correct, however 'mayn't' is rarely used nowadays as the negative form of 'may'. Saying 'you may not smoke here' is slightly more formal than 'you cannot smoke here'. Contractions such as 'can't' are more common in spoken, everyday language, whereas the full form 'cannot' is more emphatic.
P.s. 'can not' would be used in a sentence with two clauses such as 'I can not only see it, but hear it'.
Apr 26, 2026 7:00 AM
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!
绑德sings
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English
Learning Language
English
Articles You May Also Like

How to Answer “How Was Your Weekend?” Naturally in English
35 likes · 15 Comments

Why Some Jokes Don’t Translate: Understanding Humor in English
11 likes · 2 Comments

How to Talk About Your Strengths and Weaknesses Professionally
11 likes · 4 Comments
More articles
