Is this wrong? (Grammar)

cheechm · 14 Jan 2013 at 00:49

Reading the guidelines for my lab reports it says:

You should place one space after a comma, like this. Following a full stop there are two spaces. Like that.

What?! Wrong surely?

Bennie-Mac · 14 Jan 2013 at 00:53

That always used to be the way back when I did word processing. It seems to have fallen out of use now though.

Hades · 14 Jan 2013 at 00:55

I think it's to do with the mono spacing on old typewriters. I don't think I've seen it done recently.

ShaolinDreams · 14 Jan 2013 at 00:56

I thought one space was good enough. Do you lose marks if it isn't exactly two spaces after a full stop?

d_brennen · 14 Jan 2013 at 00:57

I don't know, back in the day it was the case. It just looks wrong on today's screens and high quality printers. I distinctly remember being taught this at school

Edit: Bah, the forum looks like it edits out unused spaces. What the hell do Tony Williams' posts look like verbatim!?

cheechm · 14 Jan 2013 at 01:00

So the forums do. How annoying.

aln · 14 Jan 2013 at 01:25

It's how I was taught. It's how I still do it too, but I believe it's not uncommon for websites to filter out what the technology considers superfluous spaces, meaning any more than one. This post will probably turn out to be an example of that.

Edit: Indeed it is.

ubersonic · 14 Jan 2013 at 01:28

Two spaces after a full stop has always been the way when using a computer, however for some reason it seems to have become unpopular in recent years (presumably due to the fact most people using computers these days were never taught to use one so don't know your supposed to do it).

Eddie · 14 Jan 2013 at 01:29

Yeah its a limitation of html, 2 spaces, probably got a lot to do with people thinking it should be 1 space. I was taught to use two spaces after a full stop.

Azza · 14 Jan 2013 at 01:30

I've always put two spaces after a full stop, think we were told it in school but I'm not quite sure. Unless I've picked it up from some where else.

cheechm · 14 Jan 2013 at 01:52

When I was 10 (in 2002) I was taught one space (IIRC). Two spaces seems weird. I don't differ my spacing between comma and full stop when hand-writing something!

spoffle · 14 Jan 2013 at 01:58

It seems most people don't understand either, there are so many people now putting spaces in front of punctuation.

Oh also, it's punctuation rarter than grammar.

Flibster · 14 Jan 2013 at 02:03

Was always told 2 spaces after a full stop, and it's become force of habit now. I do think it looks better on a printed document that way.

NuclearWinter · 14 Jan 2013 at 02:21

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.html

ubersonic · 14 Jan 2013 at 02:26

NuclearWinter said:
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2011/01/space_invaders.html

That's just some blogger ranting and the fact his rant would look much better with the correct two spaces after the full stops speaks volumes in itself.

Smigly · 14 Jan 2013 at 02:28

I've always been taught only one.

Plus I have an iPhone so when I'm using it to be on here or texting etc, if you double tap space it adds a full stop and one space only.

Judgeneo · 14 Jan 2013 at 02:29

I was always taught two, but that article has made me question it somewhat.

NuclearWinter · 14 Jan 2013 at 02:32

ubersonic said:
That's just some blogger ranting and the fact his rant would look much better with the correct two spaces after the full stops speaks volumes in itself.

For what it's worth, I do agree that the author comes across as overly ranty and fanatical in places. But he gives some of the background and history behind the phenomenon and it would be more interesting if someone were to refute the sources and reasoning provided, rather than the tone of the article.

Here's a much more balanced article on the topic instead, if anyone is still interested: http://www.creativepro.com/article/double-space-or-not-double-space

Squark · 14 Jan 2013 at 06:42

I was always taught to double space.

Edrof · 14 Jan 2013 at 07:24

It's rather obsolete now but some people cling to it rather fervently. If that is the house style then it must be adhered to, though. Personally, I don't use.