How many spaces do you put after a period?

[Socrates 0]

Brought to you on behalf of National Punctuation Day.

Next up, perhaps a poll on how many dots belong in an ellipsis...

[stayhigh 2]

MLA says one space.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[Phillbo 11]

. .

[oldwomanc6 38]

Two spaces between a period (end of sentence) and a new sentence.

We are also supposed to indent our paragraphs two spaces.

Nowadays, none of us do either; partly because most software won't differentiate between one or two spaces after a period, and we have (myself included) have gotten lazy on the indentation issue.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[akarunway 1]

I come home from the hotel after the period.

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[oldwomanc6 38]

And on the lighter, more serious side: one thanks.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[chedlin 0]

I have read that one is correct, but I learned two and am making no effort to change. It's just reflex now. At least when I have a real keyboard and I'm not on my phone.

[JohnnyMarko 1]

One, of course. Unless I was a few lines shirt of a page requirement for a school paper. Then it was 1.5.

[oldwomanc6 38]

JohnnyMarko

One, of course. Unless I was a few lines shirt of a page requirement for a school paper. Then it was 1.5.

Spelling, dear Johhny, spelling.

lisa
WSCR 594
FB 1023
CBDB 9

[JerryBaumchen 1,233]

Hi Socrates,

Quote

How many spaces do you put after a period?

About 60 yrs ago, in Mr. Loprenzi's typing class, we were taught to use two spaces. Been doing it ever since; why change now?

Jerry Baumchen

PS) Do you think it really makes any difference?

[stayhigh 2]

JerryBaumchen

Hi Socrates,

Quote

How many spaces do you put after a period?

About 60 yrs ago, in Mr. Loprenzi's typing class, we were taught to use two spaces. Been doing it ever since; why change now?

Jerry Baumchen

PS) Do you think it really makes any difference?

It doesn't make any difference, but every college English class across the U.S. asks for single spacing after a period. Follow the MLA format or you'll get your points deducted.

Double spacing were required for the type writer. No one uses them anymore.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[flyhi 24]

Where I work we actually have a style guide. One space after a period.

Best hack of which I have ever heard: if you have a required word count in a paper, type what you want, copy and paste what you need at the end of the paper to reach the limit, change the font color to white.

And, yes, I know what an ellipsis is . . . and I am not afraid to use it.

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[gowlerk 2,061]

Apparently this is a thing now. How did it start? The attachment is today's Bloom County 2015 strip.

I don't really see why even one space should be needed.The period itself tell you the sentence is over.Anyone have a problem with reading this paragraph?

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[muff528 3]

gowlerk

... How did it start?

Just a wild guess. Looks like the "MLA" was originally published in 1985 ...about the time that word processors and computers were beginning to be widely used in business. So, I'm guessing that it was changed to save memory and storage space. Hey, 8 bits/sentence doesn't sound like a lot today, but back in the day ....

Time to go back to 2 spaces now.

[JohnnyMarko 1]

oldwomanc6

***One, of course. Unless I was a few lines shirt of a page requirement for a school paper. Then it was 1.5.

Spelling, dear Johhny, spelling.

Facken autocorrect. I hate phones.

[BillyVance 34]

akarunway

I come home from the hotel after the period.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[wmw999 2,286]

Wikipedia, of course, has the answer.
But I also learned two spaces in typing class, so that's what I use.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[quade 4]

Hemingway, Faulkner, and I all put two spaces after a period.

You might be able to argue and reason with the first two, but I'm happy sticking with how I was taught to type.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[muff528 3]

wmw999

Wikipedia, of course, has the answer.
But I also learned two spaces in typing class, so that's what I use.

Wendy P.

Silly me. I should have known there was a much more convoluted explanation. And, looking at that list of references, it seems that way too many people have way too much time on their hands.

I'll stick with 2 spaces, too. But I might use just 1 space occasionally just for variety.

[JerryBaumchen 1,233]

Hi Paul,

Quote

Hemingway, Faulkner, and I

And just why was I left off of that list?



Jerry Baumchen

[BillyVance 34]

I type with two spaces after a period at the end of sentences. One space after a comma as well.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[TriGirl 288]

I also was taught two spaces after a period. Only in newsprint (i.e. style guide) was I taught to change that. This (as I was taught) was because of limited column inches in newsprint.

Of course, most paragraphs in news articles are single-sentence paragraphs themselves, so I don't see how that makes a difference!

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[BIGUN 1,229]

I had to write my Master's Thesis according to APA Guidelines. Both APA and MLA require two spaces after a period. Honestly, I use Verdana 10 in normal communications which looks like two spaces after a period. I use Verdana 10 because there have been studies on which font people like the best and most everyone in the study found Verdana 10 as the most readable.

And for fuck's sake, would people quit using the cartoon font in their emails - you ain't in middle school anymore.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[jakee 1,314]

Professionally? However many the person you're writing for wants you to put.

Otherwise? 1. Why should it be any different?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[jakee 1,314]

quade

Hemingway, Faulkner, and I all put two spaces after a period.

You might be able to argue and reason with the first two, but I'm happy sticking with how I was taught to type.

And Scott Fitzgerald wrote 'should of'. Being famous doesn't make you right

Do you want to have an ideagasm?