it cannot have

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it cannot have" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is typically used to suggest that something is not possible or cannot be true. For example: - "The evidence suggests that the suspect cannot have committed the crime." - "I cannot believe that it will rain tomorrow, the forecast says it cannot have any rain." - "The student cannot have studied for the test, their grades are consistently poor." - "It cannot have been easy for her to make such a difficult decision."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The key lesson for North Korea now is, it cannot have its cake and eat it too, as it wishes.

Huffington Post

It cannot have both.

The Economist

Consequently, it cannot have been rejected.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It cannot have been easy.

The New York Times

It cannot have been a comforting experience.

The Guardian

It cannot have been easy for any of them.

The Guardian

It cannot have been good for morale on the circuit.

The Guardian - Sport

It cannot have been an easy one for Crennel.

The Guardian - Sport

It cannot have been as seamless as it sounds.

The New York Times - Books

It cannot have privilege, but pressure alone will not get it to deliver.

The New York Times

Israel has yet to understand that it cannot have peace while denying justice.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it cannot have" to express a strong deduction or conclusion based on available evidence. Ensure the context clearly supports the impossibility or high improbability of the situation.

Common error

Avoid using "it cannot have" to describe present tense situations where "it cannot have" implies a past action or state. Use "it cannot have" to express deduction about a past event, not a present state.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it cannot have" functions as a modal verb construction used to express a strong negative deduction or conclusion about a past event or state. This indicates the speaker's belief that something was impossible or highly improbable. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness and common usage of this phrase.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Encyclopedias

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it cannot have" is a grammatically sound and frequently used construction to express strong negative deductions about past events or states. Ludwig AI's analysis shows that it is most commonly found in news, scientific, and encyclopedia contexts. When writing, ensure its usage accurately reflects a past impossibility rather than a present condition. While alternatives like "it must not have" and "it could not have" exist, "it cannot have" conveys a higher degree of certainty.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it must not have

Emphasizes prohibition or obligation not to possess something.

it could not have

Suggests a lack of possibility in the past.

it should not have

Indicates that something was not advisable or correct to possess.

it may not have

Expresses uncertainty about past possession or occurrence.

it didn't have

A simpler, more direct way to express lack of possession in the past.

it does not have

Indicates a current lack of possession or attribute.

it is impossible for it to have

Expresses impossibility with a more formal and emphatic tone.

it's out of the question for it to have

Highlights that having something is not even a consideration.

it is precluded from having

A formal way of stating that something is prevented from possessing.

it lacks

A concise way to express the absence of something.

FAQs

How can I use "it cannot have" in a sentence?

Use "it cannot have" to express that something is impossible or highly improbable in the past. For instance, "The suspect "cannot have been" at the scene of the crime, as they were out of the country at the time".

What does "it cannot have" mean?

"It cannot have" suggests a conclusion that something could not have happened or existed, based on available information or reasoning. It implies a strong degree of certainty about the impossibility.

What are some alternatives to "it cannot have"?

Alternatives include "it must not have", "it could not have", or "it is impossible that", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is there a difference between "it cannot have" and "it could not have"?

"It cannot have" implies a stronger degree of certainty and impossibility than "it could not have". "It could not have" suggests that something was unlikely, but still theoretically possible, whereas "it cannot have" suggests that it was absolutely impossible.