Actually, the two spaces after a period is a typographical convention. It's not grammar. The way I've heard, if you use a proportionately spaced font, you don't need two spaces after a period at the end of the sentence. If you're using a fixed space font (or a semi-fixed spaced font) two spaces might still be the convention. I don't know, because I don't care. I learned two spaces after a period, so that's what I tend to do. But at least now I know that I don't need to, with most fonts.
Fifty years ago, my father did not want me to take the typing class in high school, because he didn't want me to have a fallback career as a secretary. He wanted me to take more science, so I could be a scientist like him. Yet almost everything I did afterward involved typing- college, ad copy, blogging. I was even a secretary for one year. I can hunt-and-peck at about 35 typos a minute.
Until I became an editor 15 years ago and had to deal with other people's typing, I never encountered the idea of using two spaces after a sentence. It looks so wrong to me. But I guess a lot of people were taught to do that. It's rare to see it online.
When I took typing, around 60 years ago, we were taught to use 2 spaces after a sentence. When proportional spaced fonts made an appearance I guess that was no longer taught. Maybe when the last of us old farts are gone the practice will disappear.
Years ago, I was taught to type two spaces after a sentence. Many people have advised me that I must stop doing this, often in a condescending tone. However, the two spaces sets sentences apart from each other, making text easier to proof read. Also, many fonts have tiny commas which my tired old eyes can hardly tell from periods. And I have seniority if anyone does. So I will type as many spaces as I want to, and you can't do a thing about it.
*guilty - (Sorry Miss C- I'm guilty too!)
ReplyDeleteYep, I'm a victim of Muphry's law. I often check spelling if I'm not sure, but I never learned to type.
DeleteI'm guilty of #1, 3, 6, 8 and 10... guess that makes me half a grammar nerd, LOL!
ReplyDelete3, 6, & 11:
ReplyDeleteThere are two spaces after a period at the end of a sentence.
Actually, the two spaces after a period is a typographical convention. It's not grammar. The way I've heard, if you use a proportionately spaced font, you don't need two spaces after a period at the end of the sentence. If you're using a fixed space font (or a semi-fixed spaced font) two spaces might still be the convention. I don't know, because I don't care. I learned two spaces after a period, so that's what I tend to do. But at least now I know that I don't need to, with most fonts.
DeleteI use three spaces, just to be different from everyone else.
Delete-"BB"-
Ok yeah except I don't care about the oxford comma. That's just my opinion though.
ReplyDeleteApart from the advertisement, that's just basic literacy.
ReplyDeleteAll caps should be against the law.
ReplyDeleteFifty years ago, my father did not want me to take the typing class in high school, because he didn't want me to have a fallback career as a secretary. He wanted me to take more science, so I could be a scientist like him. Yet almost everything I did afterward involved typing- college, ad copy, blogging. I was even a secretary for one year. I can hunt-and-peck at about 35 typos a minute.
ReplyDeleteUntil I became an editor 15 years ago and had to deal with other people's typing, I never encountered the idea of using two spaces after a sentence. It looks so wrong to me. But I guess a lot of people were taught to do that. It's rare to see it online.
When I took typing, around 60 years ago, we were taught to use 2 spaces after a sentence. When proportional spaced fonts made an appearance I guess that was no longer taught. Maybe when the last of us old farts are gone the practice will disappear.
ReplyDeleteTwo spaces or death!
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I was taught to type two spaces after a sentence. Many people have advised me that I must stop doing this, often in a condescending tone. However, the two spaces sets sentences apart from each other, making text easier to proof read. Also, many fonts have tiny commas which my tired old eyes can hardly tell from periods. And I have seniority if anyone does. So I will type as many spaces as I want to, and you can't do a thing about it.
ReplyDelete