How many spaces do you put between sentences?

[grrl]

When writing formal papers, how many spaces do you put between sentences? Personally, I prefer 2, but most formatting I see uses just one. I'm just curious about what seems to be most common.

 

[Jeff7]

One, I've always done it that way.

 

[MrPickins]

Last time this thread came up, it started a war...

/lawnchairandpopcorn

 

[warmodder]

I've always used 1 but I think technically 2 is correct. Than again, no one's every called me out on 1 so...whatever floats your boat I guess.

 

[destrekor]

2 is what was originally taught, but I use 1, and nobody has corrected me to this date, including professors who grade harshly for bad grammar/improper formatting.

 

[Leros]

No matter how many spaces you put in between your sentences, the forums reduce it to one.

 

[olds]

Did some pass a law that this topic has to be started every 3 months?

 

[grrl]

Originally posted by: MrPickins
Last time this thread came up, it started a war...

/lawnchairandpopcorn

You've got to love ATOT.... Reminds me of Kissinger's quip about arguments in academia, they are so venomous "because the stakes are so low".

 

[pulse8]

I use one, but I believe that two is the correct amount.

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

Two is the correct amount of spacing.

 

[blinky8225]

One space is correct. The two space rule is a vestige of the typewriter age.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Two

 

[mooglemania85]

Depends on how long the paper has to be.

Oh, and don't forget to bump up the font size for all the periods.

 

[ChaoZ]

One

 

[grrl]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Did some pass a law that this topic has to be started every 3 months?

Not everyone lives on ATOT, plus I did 3 searches and came up with nothing. You should at least thank me though, since I gave you something to do at 10:07 AM.

 

[ppdes]

>No matter how many spaces you put in between your sentences, the forums reduce it to one.

Testing.1.2.3.

 

[DrVos]

Most typographers consider double spaces a quaint holdover from the dark ages of monospaced typewriters- where every letter and punctuation mark occupied the same amount of space. Because of this limitation, the practice of adding double space became helpful in visually separating sentences. Modern word processors use typefaces that are proportionally sized and spaced and do not require extra spacing after the period. Its allowable to use both methods of spacing, but many designers will say that a single space looks better because it mitigates the appearance of "rivers" in a block of text.

 

[mooglemania85]

Originally posted by: ppdes
>No matter how many spaces you put in between your sentences, the forums reduce it to one.

Testing. 1. 2. 3.

He's not asking about posts in this forum. He's asking about formal papers.

 

[Throckmorton]

2 spaces is not correct. It used to be a convention but it isn't anymore.

 

[mooglemania85]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
2 spaces is not correct. It used to be a convention but it isn't anymore.

Now it's down to just a function with no open bar?

 

[grrl]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
2 spaces is not correct. It used to be a convention but it isn't anymore.

2 spaces has a definite edge in the poll though...

Edited for "definite"

 

[ThePresence]

1

 

[Cyco]

2

 

[mooglemania85]

3

 

[PrinceofWands]

Although I was raised with 2, the current writing guidelines is 1.