One or Two spaces after a period?

[TechJumper]

I have been battling with my teacher since the beginning of school whether or not to put 1 or 2 spaces after a period in word processing, WHICH ONE IS IT???
The reason I ask is that it is hurting my grade because I only put one space, who is right?

Mike

*edited Topic header to match the rest of the forum style of headers* -Mntsnow


BTW- I did some research on this and found conflicting information, but most say one space is the right way.


[This message has been edited by TechJumper (edited 11-10-2000).]

[This message has been edited by TechJumper (edited 11-10-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Mntsnow (edited 11-10-2000).]

[gyoung]

In my typing class from High School we were taught two spaces. I've always done it that way.

[thxmanu]

I think it depends on what they want. I have heard of papers that should be double spaced. I use a single but I don't have grades depending on it either. Why fight it...

[Jeff7]

I was taught that it has been changed to 1 space to help increase worker productivity or something like that. I've always used 1 space. Personally, the 2 space idea just sounds stupid. It adds up, and simply wastes paper.

[KAknight]

I was taught to use 2. I wouldn't argue with a teacher about it. Just do it that way they want you to until you are done with their class.

Shouldn't this topic be in the community forum?

[This message has been edited by KAknight (edited 11-10-2000).]

[Roy]

I've always understood two to be correct.

Some word processing software recognizes the difference and deals with it differently.

[mudoggy]

I concur with two spaces after a period.

If I remember correctly, I think it is also two spaces after a colon ':'.

http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[pwb0921]

I read that two spaces was for for clarification on typewriters. Now that typewriters are pretty much obsolete, and everyone uses word processors on PCs, one space is the correct way.

[Rat]

This thread raised my curiosity about something..... Does MS Word or Word Perfect have a setting in them that automatically sets the space between the period and the nexr sentence? Seems that would be a convenient feature.

Rat...

[Eli]

I've always used one space and never had a teacher complain about it. Two spaces seem like too wide of a gap in my opinion.

[OuTpaTienT]

pwb0921, where did you read that please?

Two is correct. Also two spaces after a colon but not a semi-colon.

You guys act like anything you want to do is fine. And for informal communication and such, it's generally up to the author what guidelines to follow. But, believe it or not, this is a structured written language we are using. And it does have rules. Even if you don't want to use them (because who wants to be courteous and make clear the message you are trying to convey) then you still might find a need to at least know them.

[Graham]

And you wouldn't believe there is a spell 'chequer' http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif available.

G

[Gomer]

2 spaces. If you are serious about writing I suggest purchasing a style guide. A favorite of mine is call "A Writer's Reference" by Diane Hacker. It can be found online for around $33. It is also know as the Hacker text. It is very useful for all sorts of writing. Clear and concise.

[jman01pa]

Hey

You win! Show this to the teach!

NOTE: YOU MAY NOW USE ONLY ONE SPACE AFTER A PERIOD AT THE END OF A SENTENCE BECAUSE OF SOFTWARE CHANGES. YOU MAY ALSO DELETE THE SPACES BETWEEN ELLIPSES.

I copies this from the below website.
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/perEllip.html

J http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by jman01pa (edited 11-10-2000).]

[Warthog]

I always thought two spaces was old school style (pwb0921's post).

Warthog

[TechJumper]

Well, thank you everyone for submitting your thoughts. I know I shouldn't be arguing with the teacher over something so small but this small thing was hurting my grade. All my school life I have been taught that one space is right, when I got into high school I was told two. I did some research, finding that one space was the correct way for computers, two spaces is old school for typwriters. I believe I now have a substancial case against my teacher, but don't worry, I'm not really arguing, but getting a 70 because I did something that I've been taught all my life just doesn't sit well with me or my parents.


Rat- that was my teachers question this morning, I researched, and there is a way to remove the autospacing features from Microsoft, which make the periods and the first letter one space apart, by default.


For those saying it should be in community, you are right. I posted this in general becuase I didn't want to distract from the political threads running in community. When and if the election is over, I will ask Mntsnow or socalgal to move it there.

Thank you all for the help,

TJ

BTW- I have received this software in the mail from Conversa voice recognition, a voice architech. I am doing a product review over it, and am looking for someone that has used this software before. If you have any experience with this product or company please email me. (profile)

[LiLRiceBoi]

its supposed to be two spaces...but who really cares? you cant tell unless your looking for it

[socalgal]

Rat - Answer seems to be yes and no.

You can denote 1 or 2 spaces after a sentence period, and if the spacing as set is not performed while composing the doc, the green-grammar-underline-prompter will come up to notify.

In Word2000, you can change the spacing in:

Tools/Options/Spelling & Grammar/Writing Style:[Standard]/Settings: 'Require - Spaces required between sentences: and use the drop-down menu.

You might be able to AutoCorrect or AutoFormat this somehow, but I haven't played around with it.

[Gomer]

If it is hurting your grade, what is so rough about changing your style? Especially when current software makes it very easy. Throughout your education you are going to be shown many different ways of doing things. Get used to being flexible. So you've used one space after a period your whole life. Woopty doo. Don't sweat the small stuff man. If the teacher wants you to use two spaces so be it. It is not a horrible request.

[jl123]

I've always have known 2 spaces to be correct also. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

~Joel

[This message has been edited by jl123 (edited 11-11-2000).]

[Mntsnow]

After conferring with my wife, who is an English school teacher, she states that two spaces after a period is standard.

[OuTpaTienT]

And as we all know, the wife is ALWAYS correct.

[Eli]

Well lookie here. Our very own posts at Sysopt are all converted to, guess what, single spaced sentences! Even the ones originally double spaced by the author (Hit edit on any post to see, namely Mr. Outpatient's posts). Has anyone who is pro-double spacing complained, or even noticed? Hmm?

[OuTpaTienT]

Sorry E, you are wrong. Two spaces remain after the periods. Naturally, there is only one space after a comma. I don't make the rules.

[Eli]

Unless it's only on my system (yeah, that must be it), only one space appears between every sentence posted on Sysopt. A simple copy n' paste to Notepad or Word proves that quite easily.

[brandon184]

I never do 2 spaces, unless accidentally.

[shadow]

Two. Yup, two. One after a comma. See, it looks good.

[Gutter Ball]

When I took keyboarding on a computer, it was 2 spaces! I think most teaching programs teach two spaces still...I think I'll go see what the program at our school says.

[Richard_Cranium72]

Techjumper, since I like you and think you're real cool for a young person, I'll tell you the answer..

Anywhere you are, there are questions such as this,, it is up to you to decide what the teacher/judge/Boss-a-hole whoever,,, WANTS to hear..

There is NO RIGHT answer,, only the one which THEY want to hear.

lotsa luck
DrVette

[Long Haired Hippie Phreek]

I have only used pagemaker, but in pagemaker 2 is a must. The sentences merge together with only one. But pagemaker has different rules in general.

[Warthog]

There is NO RIGHT answer,, only the one which THEY want to hear.

So very true, Doc. Just like what my math teacher says: "Geometry is not what it looks like, it's what I tell you".
http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

BTW, Eli is correct. Out's posts have two spaces in the Edit Post part, but print only one space when seen in the thread.

Warthog

[This message has been edited by Warthog (edited 11-12-2000).]

[TechJumper]

Hmmm.....

Very interesting suggestions from both corners, but I must go with DrVette, the rules are what the teacher makes them, but since I'm stubborn, I brought it up. I guess I'll find out tomorrow if I was right or wrong, but in any case, I'll go with what she says. Thanks for the comments.


TJ

[Eli]

Thank you Mr. Warthog. I knew "O" wasn't going to acknowledge that little piece of trivia.

[OuTpaTienT]

Well lookie here. Our very own posts at Sysopt are all converted to, guess what, single spaced sentences! Even the ones originally double spaced by the author (Hit edit on any post to see, namely Mr. Outpatient's posts). Has anyone who is pro-double spacing complained, or even noticed? Hmm?

Hit edit on my posts and you'll see the two spaces are still there...so, just as I stated, you were wrong.

Copy and paste from the thread into notepad and your getting the text after it's converted into HTML, which might be different with various browsers or even various releases of the same browser.

[Richard_Cranium72]

Oops, sorry Tech,, Outpatient is correct on this one..

Since the Evil Empire from the "Leaning Tower of Power" has put me on a year and a half random testing... and I cannot do my ADD medication, I'm not reading and comprehending properly..

I totally missed the question that this was a "Programming Quiz" of which I have ABSOLUTELY NO KNOWLEDGE..

So in regards to the content I delivered,, I was wrong, still the gist of the comment still holds true.

Do what the Prison Guards want you to do.

Or you might find a "Mexican Bath" awaiting you in the future..

DrVette

[Eli]

If you would actually read my post, O, I clearly stated:

Even the ones originally double spaced by the author...


I was referring to the fact that after it is posted, a post is then single spaced even though it was originally written double spaced. Now, what exactly are you arguing about?

[TechJumper]

Well, looks like we have aNOTHER discrepency. I hope I win with the teach, but until then she is my COMMANDER! mIKE

[OuTpaTienT]

Ok then. My apologies. You weren't wrong, I simply couldn't comprehend that kind of preciseness from the statement. I thought you were saying the original message was converted to single space between sentences and hitting edit would reveal that. Now I see you intended the opposite really, that hitting edit will show the original message is still double spaced. Fair enough.

In regards to the subject at hand, I was taught this rule initially from my typing teacher and had it reinforced by all my english teachers. Plus Msnow's wife (english teacher) concurs. And just personally, I'm gonna take the word of an english teacher over most anyone else on this type of issue.