Microsoft word spelling corrects the word then and can not.

[wafer157]

Hello,
This little spelling correction is driving me crazy.....well, not quite, LOL.

When I type a document I prefer to use the word then, but word always thinks I am spelling it wrong and that I should use the word than. The same thing takes place with can not. Yeah, it could have changed over the years, but when I grew up can and not were two sperate words. Is there a way to fix this?
Thanks

 

[Gavona]

I don't have that problem but it would be worth checking Tools, AutoCorrect Options. (Word 2003)

Gavin

 

[wafer157]

Hi,
I have checked auto correct options and they look fine. I might try adding the words to the dictionary - perhaps it's that simple.
Thanks.

 

[xwb]

It may be the syntax check that is causing this. Even when you say UK English, it uses US English. The result is it prefers which to that.

He said that that that that that boy used was an adjective

becomes

He said that that that which that boy used was an adjective

 

[MakeItSo]

Hello wafer,

no offense but: could it be that you use "then" when indeed "than" would be correct?
Also "can" and "not" are separate words but AFAIK the correct negation of "can" is indeed "cannot", except for cases when you wish to emphasise the "not" like "No, I can not do this."

[navy]"We had to turn off that service to comply with the CDA Bill."[/navy]
- The Bastard Operator From Hell

 

[wafer157]

MakeItSo,
No offense taken, but I work in a school system and I actually checked out the difference with the eng. teacher. So depending on the intent of my phrase determines the word choice. With that aside, the fact that MS word does not give me that choice is "maddening" which is why I would like to find a fix Any other thoughts accepted.

 

[TonyJollans]

If it's not AutoCorrect, what triggers Word to change these words for you?

Enjoy,
Tony

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[wafer157]

Hi Tony,
For example, if I write - "If we all work together then we can solve......" In this case the intent of the word then is a better choice then than, but word still flags it as a spelling error. I do have grammer checker off. Thanks.

 

[webrabbit]

If Word is flagging it as a spelling error, then the word "then" must be missing from the dictionary. I don't know how this could be, perhaps you need to re-install Office. BTW, which version of Office are you using?

 

[wafer157]

webrabbit,
Good thought - I'll check updates/repair/poss reinstall. It is office 2007.
Thanks

 

[TonyJollans]

If Word flags it as a spelling error then, assuming the language is set to English, it must be in an Exclude Dictionary. Look in your %AppData%\Microsoft\Proof or %AppData%\Microsoft\UProof folder.

Enjoy,
Tony

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[MakeItSo]

Hey wafer,

I just had another idea: Check your proofing options. Perhaps they are set to "grammar and style", in which case Word might consider the word "then" as bad style since it can be ommitted in such a sentence:
If we all work together [red]then[/red] we can solve.....
"can not" would then probably also be considered bad style.

Hope this helps.

[navy]"We had to turn off that service to comply with the CDA Bill."[/navy]
- The Bastard Operator From Hell

 

[MakeItSo]

Have you got it sorted?

[navy]"We had to turn off that service to comply with the CDA Bill."[/navy]
- The Bastard Operator From Hell

 

[tf1]

Put simply, the word cannot is a single word unless it is specifically used in emphasis. Cannot and can not have different uses and your English Teacher needs to go back to school. The majority of the time, cannot will be correct.

An example of where you can use can not and where you cannot.

I can NOT post to the forum if I choose.
I cannot post to the forum as I am blocked.
You can NOT do it.
You cannot do it.

There are many examples of peculiarities in English, because English is easy to speak lazily. Have not, must not, should not, may not, ought not are all commonly abbreviated to haven't, mustn't, shouldn't, mayn't, and oughtn't. Cannot can be abbreviated too to can't. But whereas we always write ought not and must not as separate words, can ends in an n and thus can not is naturally written as cannot except in the examples of emphasis as illustrated above.

Unfortunately, the proofing tools in Office, particularly the grammar checker are limited, because English is such a complex language where mostly rules don't exist or where they do exist are wrong more often than right. Can not is one of those errors where the blue wavy line will flag up a suspected error.

Regards: Terry

 

[wafer157]

Terry,
As noted above, depending on the intent of your statement determines whether you use cannot, can not, should not, shouldn't, have not, haven't etc. BTW - when I went to school way back when cannot was not a sigle word, but two seperate words.

Perhaps I "oughtn't" have brought it up at all -
Wafer

 

[MakeItSo]

Well, you have brought it up, and it does seem to cause problems so it needs be addressed.

I went to school way back when cannot was not a sigle word, but two seperate words

Begs the question as to what country this school was in, because according to this page on the website of the Illinois Wesleyan University (as it is about grammar and not about orthography, we might kindly ignore the "niether"):

These last two are so picky and recondite that almost no one else knows or cares about them.

4. "Cannot" versus "Can not"
There is an important difference between the verb phrases "can not" and "cannot". "Can not" is an awkward way to mean is able to refrain from doing, while "cannot" means is not able to do." (In general, it's best to avoid "can not" altogether.) The following illustrates the difference:

Case #1: You bet me that I will not be able to keep my nervous tick under control today. I reply confidently, "I can not jiggle my leg."

Case #2: A bad reaction to medication paralyzes the lower half of my body. You ask me what's wrong. I reply, "I cannot jiggle my leg."

Which agrees with what the Georgia State University says on this page (which is a rather neat collection indeed!):

Some Common Grammar and Usage Mistakes in Undergraduate Philosophy Papers
© 2003 Tim O'Keefe
Georgia State University
...
...
Can not
Cannot should be one word, not two. If you say "Tim cannot sing well," you mean that Tim is unable to sing well. If you say "Tim can not sing well," you mean that Tim is able to refrain from singing well.

Perhaps MS Word isn't so wrong in finding fault with "can not" after all. The case with "then" I suspect to be a mere style issue.



[navy]"We had to turn off that service to comply with the CDA Bill."[/navy]
- The Bastard Operator From Hell

 

[Gruuuu]

erm... Contrary to what Bureaucrat #1.0 believes, technically correct is not always the best kind of correct.

Wafer is looking for a way to have the autocorrect options not kick in during certain circumstances. Those of you arguing that the autocorrect is not at fault are tilting at windmills.

Did the reinstall or the grammar/style settings fix this for you? If not, can you post some specific examples from Word that are definitely being auto corrected?

 

[TonyJollans]

> Wafer is looking for a way to have the autocorrect options not kick in during certain circumstances.

Well, maybe (s)he is. Despite having posted about usage, Wafer seems to have lost interest in the original problem.

Enjoy,
Tony

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