Grammar Issue: Spacing After a Period

[Lindley]

I've always used one space. I knew the two-space style was out there but never really gave it much thought. Apparently this annoys my girlfriend, who was taught to use two spaces.

One area where I seem to find myself in the minority is my use of the Oxford comma. I was taught to use it, and it makes the most logical sense to me.

It sounds right to me. When reading the list you would pause momentarily at that point, so why not use a comma?

 

[iguana_tonante]

I've always used one space my entire life.

That's because, as far as I know, the two-space convention is strictly an American thing. Beside, two-spacing is going the way of the dodo: most word processors nowadays convert two spaces into a single (slightly larger) one.

Sure it is lame for companies to obsess over small grammatical details, but having worked for a few government agencies, I know that nothing is too menial or insignificant to be announced in a department-wide email.

Well, having some kind of uniformity in documentation is not a bad idea generally speaking.

 

[Shaytan]

is going the way of the dodo

I like this expression, not the 1st time I read it but I like it (and I know, no one care).

On topic : one space for me, it's what is done where I live. You can also notice that I add a space after every "simple puncutations" (. or ,) and also a space before every "double puntuation" (? : !) because we are weird like that.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I like to use it in real life as well (in Italian, "fare la fine del dodo").

And don't get me started on the weird-ass French punctuation: I had to edit a few papers written by my French co-workers and they made me hate it.

 

[Kestra]

Beside, two-spacing is going the way of the dodo

ur a dodo

 

[Misfit Toy]

Two spaces is what separates us from the ape.

Ook. Ook.

 

[RoJoHen]

Two spaces is what separates us from the ape.

Ook. Ook.

It's funnier because your signature says "Woof."

 

[Timby]

I've always used one space. I knew the two-space style was out there but never really gave it much thought. Apparently this annoys my girlfriend, who was taught to use two spaces.

One area where I seem to find myself in the minority is my use of the Oxford comma. I was taught to use it, and it makes the most logical sense to me.

I was taught to use the Oxford comma (thanks to being taught by Benedictines from grades K - 12), but once I went into J-school and learned AP Style, and especially once I began actually working in PR and other written communication, which entailed writing articles, editorials and press releases (the last of which are supposed to be written so that the newspaper or publishing outlet can print them with as few changes as possible), I dropped the serial comma like yesterday's newspaper.

 

[beamMe]

That's because, as far as I know, the two-space convention is strictly an American thing.

That explains it then.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I've always used one space. I knew the two-space style was out there but never really gave it much thought. Apparently this annoys my girlfriend, who was taught to use two spaces.

One area where I seem to find myself in the minority is my use of the Oxford comma. I was taught to use it, and it makes the most logical sense to me.

I was taught to use the Oxford comma (thanks to being taught by Benedictines from grades K - 12), but once I went into J-school and learned AP Style, and especially once I began actually working in PR and other written communication, which entailed writing articles, editorials, and press releases (the last of which are supposed to be written so that the newspaper or publishing outlet can print them with as few changes as possible), I dropped the serial comma like yesterday's newspaper.

There, that's better.

 

[Timby]

I can ban you, smartass.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

 

[Chaos Descending]

That's because, as far as I know, the two-space convention is strictly an American thing.

That explains it then.

That would explain it if it were true.

Placing two spaces between sentences is also known as "English Spacing". Not "American Spacing", but "English Spacing".

 

[iguana_tonante]

Beside, two-spacing is going the way of the dodo

ur a dodo

A dashing, charming, sexy dodo.

That's because, as far as I know, the two-space convention is strictly an American thing.

That explains it then.

That would explain it if it were true.

Placing two spaces between sentences is also known as "English Spacing". Not "American Spacing", but "English Spacing".

As far as I know, you guys still speak English, not "American" . More seriously, I don't know where the UK stands on this. Maybe the two-space is an English-speaking thing and includes Britain, Canada, Australia, etc; or maybe it's just the US. I'll wait for Brits to chime in.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Well, the opposite (single space) is called "French Spacing".

No one is more opposite to the French than the British (or possibly the Germans).

I (basically) rest my case.

 

[Shaytan]

And don't get me started on the weird-ass French punctuation: I had to edit a few papers written by my French co-workers and they made me hate it.

While I only find your lack of space inelegant

 

[Mary Ann]

I was taught to leave two spaces, but this was in Canada in 1982 on manual typewriters. I still leave two spaces out of habit, but I've noticed that several programs and boards change it to single spacing automatically. I've not had any tutors or profs yell at me for leaving two spaces yet, so I won't be breaking that habit any time soon.

 

[propita]

I was taught two spaces after periods, colons, etc. I notice this website automatically converts it to one.

If you've ever had to proofread someone's long-ass paragraphs, two spaces after a period is much easier. I also tell them to break up the page-long paragraphs, a pet peeve of mine.

 

[cultcross]

More seriously, I don't know where the UK stands on this. Maybe the two-space is an English-speaking thing and include Britain, Canada, Australia, etc; or maybe it's just the US. I'll wait for Brits to chime in.

It was taught in my primary (elementary) school when we had one old BBC computer for the class. I never heard it mentioned again once I moved to secondary education though, and I did computer science A level without hearing it again. In short I think the practice died here once it became unnecessary (if in fact it was ever that enthusiastically adopted in the first place).

 

[backstept]

Double-spacing is a bit redundant and repetitive, and computers tend to ignore the extra spaces. I prefer to single space since it allows a more consistent flow from sentence to sentence while typing, and if I'm typing fast I don't want to have to worry about accidentally hitting space more than twice and going back and counting to make sure . . . also, it's an extra bit per sentence saved instead of wasted. :P