After a sentence, do you use one space or two?

[nerp]

If you write for print, the first rule is to abandon the stupid two spaces rule pounded into your head from the world of academia.

As a reporter, you're told from the beginning not to use two spaces because it makes it a pain for flowing properly across pages with quark, etc. It's a standard style rule in the business.

I find it cleaner looking too. This is a carryover from the typewriter era and needs to be abandoned ASAP. It's a dumb rule that has nothing to do with writing.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: KeithTalent

Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Originally posted by: OdiN
Kids these days. Too freaking lazy to hit space twice. Ridiculous.

In elementary school, I was taught to use two spaces after each period that signified the end of a sentence. I thought that it was fairly stupid, myself, and never did it. In high school, the English teachers said that it was an antiquated practice that was no longer necessary using computers and modern typesets. They actively encouraged that we discard knowledge of using two spaces after periods.

Those of you that still use two spaces: why? Is it just because "it's always been done that way?"

I do it for the same reason I will never use the letter 'U' in a sentence in place of the word 'you'.

I do it for the same reason I capitalize the first letter of the word at the start of a sentence.

I do it because I am adamantly opposed to the ongoing degradation of the English language I witness on a daily basis.

I also do it because that's how I was taught growing up and I'm a tad anal about these sort of things.

KT

Apparently you're not adamantly opposed to misuse of white space and the omission of the semicolon in a list. Get off your high horse.

I should take grammar advice from you? I think not. The white space and the omission of semicolons was on purpose, to elucidate my point.

I never claim to be correct all of the time anyway, I just do the best I can with what I have learned over the years.

KT

 

[marvdmartian]

Here's what I learned years ago, in typing class. After a period or colon, 2 spaces. After a comma or semicolon, one space.

Anything else is just people doing what they think is correct, without any formal training, imho.

 

[Shadow Conception]

Two after periods, one after any other punctuation mark.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
KT, you're supposed to put periods and commas inside the quotes, not outside. So when you posted

'you'.

it should have read

'you.'

People do this a lot.

Nitpicky, yes, but isn't that what grammar is all about? :laugh:

No, he's from Canadia. They have weird rules of grammar there, like spelling ton and color with approximately 300 more letters than they need. In traditional British style, any punctuation falls outside the quotation marks rather than within them, the opposite of the American system.

See, that's interesting. In school, up until University, I was taught punctuation should fall inside the quotation marks, but in University my English and my Economics Professors both tried to get me to do it the other way.

KT

 

[oddyager]

If it's formal I'll use two. Otherwise, one. Types faster that way.

 

[BoomerD]

This same thing gets asked what, twice per year?

Same answer as always. I learned to type in the 60's on an old IBM electronic typewriter, and 2 spaces was the standard at the time.<space-space> My typing teacher carried one of the long wooden pointers, and when he caught you fucking up, you'd get a whack...on the hands, on the head, where ever he could get you!

Nowadays, with computers and computer fonts, double spacing after the period is no longer necessary, in fact, I re-took typing when I started college just to help break that double-space habit that I've had for 40 years.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
KT, you're supposed to put periods and commas inside the quotes, not outside. So when you posted

'you'.

it should have read

'you.'

People do this a lot.

Nitpicky, yes, but isn't that what grammar is all about? :laugh:

No, he's from Canadia. They have weird rules of grammar there, like spelling ton and color with approximately 300 more letters than they need. In traditional British style, any punctuation falls outside the quotation marks rather than within them, the opposite of the American system.

See, that's interesting. In school, up until University, I was taught punctuation should fall inside the quotation marks, but in University my English and my Economics Professors both tried to get me to do it the other way.

KT

As far as I know, in American English, the only time you can put a punctuation mark on the outside of a quote rather than the inside is when it's something like an exclamation point or question mark that isn't part of the quoted statement.

That would explain, though, why I see that so often. Again, most grammar "rules" aren't rules at all, they're just conventions or habits. The hard-and-fast grammar rule is, to some extent, the creation of hard-nosed English teachers who wanted to ensure consistency and easy grading. The most important thing is that you are consistent throughout.

 

[StageLeft]

One, two is for people who use typewriters or are otherwise retarded.

 

[yelo333]

One. It's the title of the first chapter of The Mac is Not a Typewriter.

 

[nerp]

Seriously.

Just because some high school teacher insists that it's two, they're wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

 

[duragezic]

I don't know why anyone would use two. I hated having people in my group who used two spaces. Actually one person comes to mind who was a complete fucking idiot and couldn't write a single sentence correctly, so the fact that he used two spaces was a non-issue really.

 

[thomsbrain]

APA format, which is the format preferred by all modern libraries, requires one space after a period. Two spaces is an antiquated holdover from the days when cavemen wrote on walls with rocks and charcoal.

 

[Itchrelief]

Screw it, I will continue to put two spaces after periods until society starts to definitely say that it is absolutely wrong and unacceptable. I will also continue to use the comma before the "and" in a list of three or more. I don't see how it contributes to any confusion; in fact, it helps to reduce it (albeit trivially and in rare circumstances). It's my habit.

 

[PHiuR]

ONE. I'm typing on a computer, not a typewriter!

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Itchrelief
Screw it, I will continue to put two spaces after periods until society starts to definitely say that it is absolutely wrong and unacceptable. I will also continue to use the comma before the "and" in a list of three or more. I don't see how it contributes to any confusion; in fact, it helps to reduce it (albeit trivially and in rare circumstances). It's my habit.

Commas can only become "and" if the fragment after the comma can stand as a complete sentence on its own. Society says so, caveman!

 

[Eli]

The poll results surprise me.

Why would you use two? lol

Edit: Weird. I was never told to use, nor have I ever even heard of using two spaces.

 

[wahoyaho]

Used to be 2 when in high school. Now 1.

 

[Born2bwire]

I use two, I was always told to use two. But in these days, it doesn't matter because the word processors that I use automatically adjust the spacing after a period correctly. I keep doing it out of habit and convention.

 

[Xylitol]

2
looks better and better helps some people distinguish between commas, semicolons, etc. - anything that's not a period.

it's the correct way to do it anyways

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Xylitol
2
looks better and better helps some people distinguish between commas, semicolons, etc. - anything that's not a period.

it's the correct way to do it anyways

I have never, ever heard of this.

I would be curious to see the ages of all the people that voted two.

 

[Arcadio]

2. I was taught to use 2. I will always use 2.

 

[sash1]

how many times are people gonna ask this on the forums? anyway, one space is correct.

 

[imported_Imp]

Wow. Wasn;t expecting moe twos than one. I use two for simplicity. Sometimes I spasm and accidentally use 2, but rarely notice it.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: OdiN
I do it the correct way. Which is two spaces. There is a software bug in the forum software which screws this up though.

Your grammar certainly isn't correct.