|
Spaces between sentences
I was always taught that when typing, two spaces should be put between the end of a sentence and the start of the next. I've met many people that have heard either way, and I've noticed that vBulletin automatically reverts any double spaces to single spaces. Anyone have any light to shed on this, or have heard (or have links) of any authoritative statements on this?
I realize most people won't care, but I'm honestly curious. |
I'm pretty sure that's the accepted usage, but it just doesn't look right on a message board.
|
I always type all my posts with double spaces too! I've just come to expect that it will revert to a single space but I do it anyway.
Actually, if you look at your post when you edit it, it will remember how many spaces you put. =) |
Yeah, it's the HTML rendering that ignores any extra spaces you put. For example, there are twenty spaces between this sentence and the last, and it still shows as one. That's just how web browsers work. (if you try to indent a paragraph with tabs, the tabs will be ignored too)
When I type stuff as schoolwork, I use two spaces after periods as a habit because some professors require it as style, and it's just easier to do it across the board. Everywhere else, though, I just use one space because I'm lazy. CAN'T BE HAVING WITH EXTRANEOUS KEYSTROKES |
Weird. So it's somehow the internet standard to have single spaces, or just *a* standard that they happen to hold to? I don't think about double spaces, they just happen by sheer habit and motion-memory. Or something.
CHz: Ah, didn't consider the HTML rendering aspect. Duh. :p |
I've always used the single space between sentences method. To me, I think that makes the whole flow of a paragraph better and less disjointed by the extra space.
|
Well, if you really want double spaces then you can make a clear gif the width of two spaces and put it at the end of each sentence.
|
I've used two spaces after my periods for as long as I can remember. Like others here, I "double space", if you will" after every sentence in my posts, possibly just out of habit. I used to have two spaces after colons, too, but that was due to a misconception.
|
Mine are usually more than two.
I feel like these are like Megalith posts (excluding some lame-ass lines and the sort). |
The single space between sentences kind of bothered me when I first started browsing forums, but I've grown used to it. I wasn't aware that some people did that on purpose offline. It seems like a pretty clear rule to me, and it's really annoying to see when critiquing classmates' papers.
|
I was taught that when using a typewriter, or a mono-spaced typeface, you should put two spaces after each period. When working in a modern word processor with proportional fonts and real kerning, use a single space.
|
Quote:
|
My early schooling was in New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. I suppose it could be an eastern thing, but I'd be interested in seeing the spread on it, too.
|
I actually asked someone about this who said that while in the past, two spaces after a period was standard...things are now changing that both one or two spaces are acceptable.
At any rate, two spaces for me. It breaks up sentences better. |
I'm with Plarom. I've never heard of using two spaces after a period. Rarely wrote the essays I was assigned in school, but I read a lot of books and they all look like one space after a period, so that's what I do. The few essays I did type up and turn in, I was never called on only using a single space between sentences. Guess it does just depend on where you're taught, and I've lived in New York all my life.
|
From Wikipedia:
Quote:
|
I was taught in college (UNC) to use 2 spaces after a period. I've spent the past 4 years proofreading audit reports for the federal government, and that's what most everyone in the office does.
|
Crazy... I've always used just a single space after any sentence, but I'm starting to wonder if it's a higher form of "grammar etiquette" to use two. I've never heard of that before, though it makes sense with things like typewriters I suppose.
|
I've heard of the double space thing, but I never took it to heart or anything when I type. I've always used a single space after a period. Anything more than that, and Microsoft Word would tell me I'm wrong. Either way, it just looks too weird for me.
|
I personally learned how to type using the double space method first. But It never stuck with me and I just do single spaces now. I could do the 2 spaces, but I see no point to. The only thing I can't do is to put no spaces between sentences. ^.^
|
Single space for me. From what I remember from all my English classes its never been double space. It probably just depends on the teacher though... If that ever changed, it'd take so much effort for me to hit the space key twice after each sentence. I'd need to think about it, because of my one-space habits.
|
I always used to use two spaces but it's standard practice in professional letters and legal documents (The things I write the most) to put in only one these days so I find myself missing out the additional spaces most of the time now.
|
I think it's a complete and total waste of time to use two spaces, especially online. Guess what: the fancypants computar fonts are advanced enough and designed to be perfectly readable with one space, unlike hundred-year-old typewriters, or whatever the absurd two-space practice comes from.
|
I was taught on papers and essays, I should type in double spaced, but when it comes to typing online, I type in single space.
|
Two spaces after a period is just plain incorrect. The only reason that you would hit the space bar twice after a period when using an old-fashioned manual typewriter is because that uses fixed-width characters. When you're using a computer, or a modern electronic typewriter, the size of the space will be sufficient if you just hit it once.
http://www.webword.com/reports/period.html That link should help to clear up any remaining confusion. It's entirely standard to use one space after a period, and there is a very good reason. It just took a long while for this to become widely accepted and known. So basically when you've been tought two use two spaces, that's just because the person who tought you still has the old habit from using a typewriter. |
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:42 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.