Following a period, one or two spaces?

[Grenage]

When I was in school (25 now), I'm sure that I was taught to use two spaces after a period; in fact I am positive. Regardless, to this day I still use two spaces at the beginning of each new sentence following a period.

The reason I bring this up is because nobody else in my office has ever heard of this rule (apparently). Have any of you?

Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[philhege]

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec011.html

(requires subscription; can be trial sub.)

and

http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=112

Man, I guess I have to unlearn my medieval habits.

Phil Hegedusich
Senior Programmer/Analyst
IIMAK

http://www.iimak.com

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I'll have the roast duck with the mango salsa.

 

[rjoubert]

I think philhege got it right...2 spaces after a sentence-ending punctuation mark. MS Word doesn't complain if you use one space or two.

 

[KornGeek]

I learned to do two spaces, but it seems that technology is moving us away from this. Microsoft Word, for example, tends to report this as an error. When typing text messages on my cell phone, it will auto-capitalize after a period and a single space, but if you use two spaces, you have to manually capitalize the next sentence.

I was taught (similar to what SantaMufasa said above) that the reason for using 2 spaces was to emphasize the break between sentences. With variable-width fonts, etc., is it possible that those of us who are stuck in the old ways are simply out-of-date?

 

[SF0751]

No, no, no - we are correct and everyone else is wrong.

Susan
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls, and looks like work." - Thomas A. Edison

 

[strongm]

>MS Word doesn't complain

Interestingly, MS Word uses 2 spaces in its 'sample text' feature.

 

[pinkgecko]

I've always used two. It also makes more sense to me - pause in thought is one space, end of thought is two spaces. Otherwise, it seems to run together for me.

 

[LadySlinger]

I was taught 2 spaces as a kid (in English/typing).

However as I got older, I got marked down for doing 2 spaces (in English).

Basically all the English people tend to think their right...even if they tell us different sentance structures.

 

[Thadeus]

I would say the jury is out until every application uses proportional fonts or auto-adjusts the spacing. At this time, I can't count on those things in all of my correspondence and documentation software apps.

And really, it is still easier on my eyes. I know because I am drawn to the topic every time I review my son's essays and reports. The single space he uses stands out to me as glaringly wrong.

~Thadeus

 

[AnotherHiggins]

MS Word doesn't complain if you use one space or two.

Heh. I made that same argument the last time we discussed this (I can't find the thread).

Someone quickly pointed out to me that Word won't complain no matter how many spaces you include. Try using one, two, three or forty-seven spaces between sentences.

[tt]_____
[blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

Help us help you. Please read FAQ181-2886 before posting.

 

[mjldba]

I was taught the "2 spaces" rule years ago back when the earth was cooling and "history books" were referred to as "history pamphlets". This method puts some significant white space at the end of a sentence (a period takes up very little of its "space") and is much easier on my eyes.

 

[SQLSister]

2 spaces was how you did it on typewriters. The invention of proportional fonts and desktop publishing made this look bad on documents printed with them and so only one space after a sentence is what is correct now.

Questions about posting. See faq183-874

 

[MallardVHS]

"Two spaces" is one of my convictions. You know, after a sentence.

lil' Don

[green]Tis far easier to keep your duck in a row if you just have the one.[/green]

 

[pinkgecko]

There are so many definitive guides out there... I know in college writing my papers, every professor used a different writing guide, and you'd have to research it to figure out how to do sentence spacing, ellipses, footnotes and endnotes, etc. Don't think you can ever say there is one method all experts agree on.

 

[Gooser]

How does a proportional font make a difference? I'm not sure I get how. becomes. from one to the other. What about if I am on Tek-Tips, where I enter my post as monospace, and the output is proportional?

--Gooser

 

[JD5241]

I took typing on an electric typewriter in the mid-80's, and don't remember the 2 space rule, in fact, I'd never heard of it until I read this. Ergo, I only use one space. In fact, if I'm forwarding an email, and the original author of it uses two spaces, I'll go through it and delete the extra space. OCD can be fun.

 

[traingamer]

No, no, no - we are correct and everyone else is wrong.

I wholeheartedly concur. (With whichever answer you are espousing!)

Greg
"Personally, I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught." - Winston Churchill

 

[KenCunningham]

I was taught to use two, but have always used one. Rebel, rebel!

I don't mind people who aren't what they seem. I just wish they'd make their mind up.

 

[CajunCenturion]

One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It's the loneliest number since the number one"

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[SF0751]

Susan
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls, and looks like work." - Thomas A. Edison

 

[xwb]

I was taught 2.

Word flags something silly if you use 1. It depends on the settings. On some settings it does on others it doesn't. I haven't found out which one causes it to complain. It always complains on whatever setting I've got if I use 1.

HTML ignores whether you have one or two and always gives you 1 unless you put it in as a non breaking space.