Spaces Between Sentences

[Village Idiot]

I was taught once upon a time that you're supposed to put two spaces after a period. Like so. Then I started to become the sort of person who actually reads books (never would have thought!) and noticed that this isn't generally the case, at least not in the books I'm reading. So I copied this and started to only use one space. Like so.

Now I write a lot of papers for school, papers that have requirements for length. Being brutally honest, as a shady trick, so to speak, I started using two spaces so that I could add, oh, I don't know, an extra paragraph's worth of "space" to my papers.

Now I'm totally confused and I'm noticing that in many of my posts, for example, I go back and forth: I'm accustomed to using one, but have been cultivating the habit of using two.

This is bothering me and I need closure. Which ever option wins this poll I will stick with for the rest of my life.

[Brandon13]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

One. Two.

Lol, I thought I noticed that before. The board here automatically makes two spaces after a period into one.

[Village Idiot]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

One. Two.

Lol, I thought I noticed that before. The board here automatically makes two spaces after a period into one.

Ha! So I guess the board votes "1".

Edit: And you're right, heh, my like so's don't have any effect in the OP.

[Blzer]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

I've never done two spaces, though my mom says it is proper. I don't think I ever will... it is just too common of a habit for me to change. It's like asking me to throw a baseball with four fingers again like I did when I was seven years old. Unless I'm deliberately pitching a change up, you just plain couldn't get me to do it all the time by habit.

I say the world sticks with just one.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/011803.htm

Use one space after all punctuation, including periods, question marks, exclamation points, and colons. Putting two spaces after these marks of punctuation is a convention that evolved because typewriters were equipped only with monospaced fonts, which made it difficult to see where sentences ended. Professional typographers have always used only one space because they use proportionally spaced fonts, which do not require the extra spaces in order for a series of sentences to be readable. Because most of the fonts in today's word processing software programs are proportional, in other words, we do not need to put an additional space after end punctuation or colons when we use our computers to compose.

In other words, it was only necessary and correct on old typewriters. OS correctly uses one space after a period.

[nyyanksfan20]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

I was always taught to use 2 and still do for papers and such.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

Yeah, I remember it used to be taught that way, too. but supposedly they've moved on to teaching people to use one space after periods.

[Village Idiot]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/011803.htm

Use one space after all punctuation, including periods, question marks, exclamation points, and colons. Putting two spaces after these marks of punctuation is a convention that evolved because typewriters were equipped only with monospaced fonts, which made it difficult to see where sentences ended. Professional typographers have always used only one space because they use proportionally spaced fonts, which do not require the extra spaces in order for a series of sentences to be readable. Because most of the fonts in today's word processing software programs are proportional, in other words, we do not need to put an additional space after end punctuation or colons when we use our computers to compose.

In other words, it was only necessary and correct on old typewriters. OS correctly uses one space after a period.

Very nice. I believe that closes the matter. Thank you.

Sorry for starting such an ultimately useless thread, in hindsight.

[LiquidCrash]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

I guess the question has been answered now, but I've always used two spaces since that's how I was taught. It's such a habit now I'm not sure I'll change it.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

It's not really wrong either way. I doubt anyone would point to a sentence that has two spaces after it and point it out as a problem, but there is a certain way that is accepted and taught, and that is with one space. I think the bigger, tougher question is, when listing 3 or more items is there a comma before the "and"?

Is it, "brought the games, books, and movies" or "brought the games, books and movies"?

Personally I do use the comma before the "and" and I think that's also explained nicely: http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/021201.htm

[Village Idiot]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

I think the bigger, tougher question is, when listing 3 or more items is there a comma before the "and"?

Is it, "brought the games, books, and movies" or "brought the games, books and movies"?

Personally I do use the comma before the "and" and I think that's also explained nicely: http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/021201.htm

I agree with the link, that it promotes clarity, but I don't think it's "rule" worthy. I am conscious of it, though, which is to say I decide on the spot whether to use a comma there depending on the specific sentence. Sometimes I think it's useful, othertimes not.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

Yeah, you're right, I just like to be consistent wholly throughout my writing so I put the comma there all the time even if it's not that necessary. Wow, who would've thunk that this kinda grammar discussion would go on OS, lol.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

I think 2 spaces looks cleaner IMO. One looks too bunched together.

[p_rushing]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

Yeah, you're right, I just like to be consistent wholly throughout my writing so I put the comma there all the time even if it's not that necessary. Wow, who would've thunk that this kinda grammar discussion would go on OS, lol.

This is my own rule, I correct people when they don't do it that way. For the 2 spaces, that would depend on what I am writing. I mainly do 1 space, but I write technical documents now so I don't fill the need to do 2 spaces. FOr school I always did 2 spaces.

[The C]

Re: Spaces Between Sentences

I don't want my sentences to be lonely so I only put one space.