Grammar Issue: Spacing After a Period

[Gryffindorian]

I remember taking quite a few typing classes in high school (back in the '90s), and I was taught to use two spaces after a sentence. It would surprise some people that to this day, my employer still has quite a number of IBM electric typewriters in the office.

 

[Starbreaker]

I like typing. I just put 80 spaces between these sentences.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I remember taking quite a few typing classes in high school (back in the '90s), and I was taught to use two spaces after a sentence. It would surprise some people that to this day, my employer still has quite a number of IBM electric typewriters in the office.

We had some typewriters as well (the non-digital kind) at my last job, which we often used for typing up our catalog cards...that's right, we still used a card catalog. Government agencies are so progressive.

 

[trampledamage]

Slightly associated question - anyone know why Americans call it a "period" and Brits call it a "full stop"?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ In days of yore, the term "stop" was used when dictating a telegram, even here.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Americans call it a period because the British who preceded colonization of America called it a period. Those called it a period because the Greeks, who invented it, called it "periodos".

The British did not switch from calling it a period to calling it a "full stop" until after the Americas were already colonized and independent.

For once the Americans actually call something by the right name and the British do not.

 

[trampledamage]

Huh! Thank you CD - I've often wondered.

I think the British love thinking of new names for things and do it at any excuse

 

[Chaos Descending]

You're welcome!

 

[Newton]

My understanding is that two spaces were only required for monospaced fonts, such as used by typewriters. Modern fonts do not require the double space.

 

[scotpens]

. . . But I do think two spaces is better even with proportional fonts-- there should be more space between sentences than between words.

Then why do books, magazines and newspapers have the same amount of space between sentences as they have between words?

Cost savings - every extra page adds cost and all thoses extra spaces would see an increase in the number of pages.

That’s nonsense, of course. Going all the way back to the time of Gutenberg, printed material has never had extra spaces between sentences — because there’s no need for them.

In the late 19th century, along came the typewriter with its monospaced fonts. Typists were taught to double-space after a period to make sentence breaks clearer.

We DON’T USE TYPEWRITERS anymore.

EDIT: Or, what Newton said. ^^

 

[RoJoHen]

It's true, we don't use typewriters anymore, but it's hard to unlearn something you've been doing your whole life. I was taught to type on an old Apple IIe computer. I don't know what the font was (other than green), but I was taught typewriter skills. I have no intention of changing they way I do things because it's really not a huge deal. I prefer the way paragraphs look with the double space.

 

[IndyJones]

This thread has blown my mind.

Yeah, I'm personally an Oxford comma Two-Spacer.

And this may be the first time we fully agree with each other.

 

[RoJoHen]

 

[scotpens]

In days of yore, the term “stop” was used when dictating a telegram, even here.

Which could be a source of humor, as in this bit from the 1935 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical Top Hat:

Alberto Beddini (reading a telegram): “Come ahead. Stop. Stop being a sap. Stop. You can even bring Alberto. Stop. My husband is stopping at your hotel. Stop. When do you start. Stop.” I cannot understand who wrote this.

Dale Tremont: Sounds like Gertrude Stein.

. . . I was taught to type on an old Apple IIe computer. I don't know what the font was (other than green), but I was taught typewriter skills. I have no intention of changing they way I do things because it's really not a huge deal.

I was taught to type on a manual Royal (or maybe it was an Underwood), like the ones you see in newspaper city rooms in old movies. If an old dog like me can learn new tricks . . .

But, chacun à son goût, as I’m fond of saying.

 

[RoJoHen]

But I don't NEED to learn new tricks. My double spacing has never caused problems, and my job is not one that it ever would cause problems. I'd be surprised if anyone at my job even knew the difference.

 

[RJDiogenes]

. . . But I do think two spaces is better even with proportional fonts-- there should be more space between sentences than between words.

Then why do books, magazines and newspapers have the same amount of space between sentences as they have between words?

Because I'm not in charge, obviously.

 

[iguana_tonante]

"I am right."
"No, you are wrong."
"Ok, I'm wrong. But I will continue doing it wrong."
"But why?"
"Because my wrong is better than your right!"

 

[RJDiogenes]

I don't think there's really any right or wrong in this case, since it doesn't interfere with communication or understanding. Different people or areas just have different customs that they prefer to follow.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Yeah, obviously. As with every convention, as long as it doesn't interfere with comprehension, it's mostly a matter of taste and preference. That doesn't stop me from taking the piss, tho.

 

[JoeZhang]

Since it was raised earlier - the most recent copy of the CMS I have access to (15th Edition) says a single space.