cannot be able

USAGE SUMMARY

? The phrase "cannot be able" is grammatically incorrect and should not be used in written English.
It is redundant and can be corrected to either "cannot" or "not be able to." Example: She cannot be able to attend the party tomorrow because she has a conflicting schedule. Correction: She cannot attend the party tomorrow because she has a conflicting schedule.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

Attempts have also been made to propose a real forecast experiment, which, however, often cannot be able to adapt to the non-stationary changes in runoff due to the lack of adaptive ability.

Journal of Hydrology

Therefore, we have researched on the Human Machine Interaction using Physical Human Body Gestures and came up to proposed solution of the said issue as Low Cost Retina Controlled Computer Using Head mount and Wrist Tilt for Persons who are Paralyzed and cannot be able to move their hands and even they can't able to walk.

Procedia Engineering

For this reason, we cannot be able to prove the optimality mathematically and also cannot be able to find any closed form solution.

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

The bidders cannot be able to modify and/or deny the submitted bids.

EURASIP Journal on Information Security

Consequently, these feedstock cannot be able to meet the amazing rising market demand for ARA.

Bioresources and Bioprocessing

This means that without the University of Dar es Salaam and other established public universities, these private universities and university colleges cannot be able to run their programmes.

Bandung: Journal of the Global South

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

I always make sure to save enough…You cannot really be able to determine how much money you will earn in a day and therefore how much will be saved per day, but I always try to save 500 shillings per day when the circumstances allow it.

AIDS and Behavior

"You cannot expect to be able to solve those problems simply by splashing money around".

Independent

Social workers, like others, cannot guarantee to be able to protect children (just as no doctor can guarantee that a patient will not die or a police officer cannot guarantee to be able to clear up all crimes).

The Guardian

"Even I, as head of state in this very tense situation, cannot claim to be able to control those elements".

The Guardian

Put simply you cannot expect to be able to use the fruit of someone else's labours for your own benefit.

The Guardian - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "cannot be able" in your writing; it's grammatically incorrect. Choose either "cannot" or "is/are not able to" for clarity and correctness.

Common error

The phrase "cannot be able" includes redundant words. Simplify your sentence by removing "be able", as "cannot" already implies an inability to do something.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cannot be able" functions as a negative expression indicating a lack of capacity or possibility. While grammatically incorrect, Ludwig shows examples of its occurrence in various contexts, revealing a common, though flawed, attempt to convey inability.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

37%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "cannot be able" appears with some frequency in various sources according to Ludwig, it is considered grammatically incorrect and redundant. Ludwig AI reinforces this, advising that either "cannot" or "is/are not able to" should be used instead. Though prevalent in science and news media, it's best to avoid "cannot be able" in formal writing to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy. Using simpler alternatives like “"cannot"” or “"unable to"” will improve your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

cannot

Direct replacement, removing the redundancy.

is not able to

Rephrasing to use the negative form of 'able'.

are not able to

Plural subject agreement with 'is not able to'.

unable to

Using the adjective 'unable' instead of the phrase.

cannot manage to

Emphasizing the difficulty in achieving something.

is incapable of

Formal way of expressing lack of ability.

are incapable of

Plural subject agreement with 'is incapable of'.

lacks the ability to

Focusing on the absence of a specific skill or capacity.

is not equipped to

Suggesting a lack of necessary resources or preparation.

is powerless to

Emphasizing a lack of influence or control.

FAQs

Why is “cannot be able” considered grammatically incorrect?

The phrase “cannot be able” is grammatically incorrect because it's redundant. The word “cannot” already implies an inability, so adding “be able” is unnecessary. You can use either “cannot” or “not be able” instead.

What's a simple way to correct a sentence using “cannot be able”?

To correct a sentence using “cannot be able”, simply remove “be able”. For instance, change “She cannot be able to attend” to “She "cannot attend"”.

Are there situations where “cannot be able” is acceptable?

No, “cannot be able” is generally not considered acceptable in standard English. It is always better to use “cannot” or “not be able” for clarity and grammatical correctness.

What can I say instead of "cannot be able"?

You can use alternatives like “"cannot"”, “is not able to”, or “"unable to"” depending on the context.