1 or 2 spaces after a period to end a sentence? (1 Viewer)

[jasonl55]

It was brought to my attention today that I am not suppose to use 2 spaces. I was taught back in Jr. High to use 2 and now I am hearing it is wrong.... What's your thoughts?

 

[FullMonte]

Here's what the MLA Handbook has to say about it:

Publications in the United States today usually have the same spacing after a punctuation mark as between words on the same line. Since word processors make available the same fonts used by typesetters for printed works, many writers, influenced by the look of typeset publications, now leave only one space after a concluding punctuation mark. In addition, most publishers’ guidelines for preparing electronic manuscripts ask authors to type only the spaces that are to appear in print.

Because it is increasingly common for papers and manuscripts to be prepared with a single space after all punctuation marks, this spacing is shown in the examples in the MLA Handbook and the MLA Style Manual. As a practical matter, however, there is nothing wrong with using two spaces after concluding punctuation marks unless an instructor or editor requests that you do otherwise.

So, it's really up to you.

 

[Sun Wukong]

It's a holdover from typewriter usage. If you grew up using a typewriter or were taught by someone that used a typewriter, you were probably taught to do this. And even then, it wasn't really right. It was just something people did to create more space between sentences due to the limitations of the typewriter's character spacing.

But with modern word processors, there's no real reason to do it.

 

[jasonl55]

Yeah I read similar articles but it drives me crazy because at work we work on several shared documents and I use 2 while several other (younger) folks use 1 and it looks funny throughout the document.

 

[Sandman]

I learned to double-space on a manual typewriter (yes, I am that old). I will never change. Long live the double space and the Oxford comma!

 

[Saint_Ward]

I learned double spaced on a word processor. This was in the mid 90's.

Throughout college in the 2000's I was never told single vs double, so I've always used double space after punctuation. Like I'm doing now.

Now, on twitter, I do single or none. like this.or this.

 

[not2rich]

Call me old school but I like double-space. I also like justified text and non- justified aggravates me.

 

[Goatman Saint]

I double space, but also was taught on a typewriter.

 

[Yatman]

First thought is that you misspelled tacoes as a pole response.

Second thought is the concern for spacing rather than for grammar.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Do you happen to notice that green line between the period and the next letter?

2 spaces is one too many

 

[jasonl55]

First thought is that you misspelled tacoes as a pole response.

Second thought is the concern for spacing rather than for grammar.

IPad spell check!

 

[mt15]

I'm really old, and was taught back in the dark ages to use a double space on a typewriter. However, when I first learned typesetting on a computer back in the 80's, for crying out loud, I have not used the double space since. I'm really surprised that this dinosaur still roams the earth.

 

[Yatman]

IPad spell check!

 

[JimEverett]

I learned to double-space on a manual typewriter (yes, I am that old). I will never change. Long live the double space and the Oxford comma!

Amen!

 

[Charlie Brizzown]

I've never heard of double spacing after a period until this thread.