typing - did dc learn double or single spaces after periods

[Love Home]

I was taught to use two spaces after a period and I had no idea that single spaces were now being taught until today.  Of course I was taught on a TYPEWRITER in the 80’s!  I was just browsing the web regarding this topic and I couldn't believe there was such controversy.  I was considering which one I will have my dd learn. Which one will your dc learn/did learn (regardless of whether you use double or single spaces)?

[JenniferA]

I've read some of those articles too! And I learned two spaces on a keyboard, so I think it's relatively new. I think I'll teach my kids to use two spaces for formal/educational typing. But informal, I don't think it matters. Some of the comments on one of the articles I read were from lawyers, engineers, and others that said in their fields two spaces were still being required. So that's why I chose two spaces for formal.

[Joker]

I learned on a typewriter as well in high school and I've had to teach myself to only use one. When I went back to school, it was expected to only use one.

 

My dds have both learned to only use one as that's what their teachers want.

[kiwik]

I haven't come across anyone who objects to 2 spaces. Most people reading what I write will be of an age where they would expect 2 spaces though. We don't use caps for the city now though as it upsets the postal system's new sorter and for the last couple of years people have started using post codes.

[MerryAtHope]

Many times, auto-correct will change double spaces to single spaces anyway! 

 

Sometimes I type double ones out of habit, but single is the convention now. (Double spaces were needed with type, but not with computer generated type). I think my kids learned single...I should check!

[Melissa B]

Dds 16 and 14 - double space

Dd 10 and ds 9 - single space

 

Eldest dd is dual enrolled and her English professors only accepted single spaced papers, hence the switch to single spaces for the younger two. :)

[kiwik]

Dh says for academic writing it's 2. I don't know what they are teaching in school, but I took keyboarding on a computer and I always used 2 until I had a job at a newspaper a few years back. They told me they used 1. So perhaps it depends on where your writing is going. If I send an email or text I use one. If I had my own blog I would probably use one. On this message board I use one.

 

Guess when that time comes I will research it more. Maybe we should find a keyboarding teacher to ask :laugh:

 

 

 

Are you talking about spaces after the period or line spacing?

 

It seems to be fussing if you only accept papers that have one space after the full stop. Only accepting single spaced papers seems less pedantic.

[Tanaqui]

Double spacing made a lot of sense with the old style fonts, where each character took up the same amount of size regardless of how big the letter actually is.

 

Modern style fonts are different. An i takes up less space than a w, say, and so double spacing is no longer necessary to really tell one sentence from another. Accordingly, most programs (and anything done in HTML) will automatically strip extra spaces unless you make a non-breaking space. So it doesn't really matter.

[librarymama]

Definitely only one space after the period. For both academic journal submissions and my non-fiction book the editors would not have accepted two spaces after punctuation.

[boscopup]

If you type with two spaces and need to turn in one space, it's an easy global search and replace to fix it. Going the other direction isn't easy (as you might have abbreviations in the middle of a sentence that you don't want two spaces after).

 

I haven't really taught my son anything about it though, so I guess he's doing one space. I was taught two spaces, but I often use one space unless the font is such that two makes more sense. Basically, I go by looks.

[CrunchyGirl]

I work with copywriters and it's one space. No controversy. No one will ever object to one space at this point but it stinks to have to retrain yourself from two spaces when professional settings (work, academics, etc.) will insist on one. 

 

ETA: Probably the better way to look at this is whether any professional grade style manual allows for 2 spaces because style manuals are generally how employers or academic settings determine the standard to which they hold everyone. For example, my staff need to work off the Chicago Manual of Style. There are always going to be quirks between styles but at least some of them can be avoided up front.

[Melissa B]

Dh says for academic writing it's 2. I don't know what they are teaching in school, but I took keyboarding on a computer and I always used 2 until I had a job at a newspaper a few years back. They told me they used 1. So perhaps it depends on where your writing is going. If I send an email or text I use one. If I had my own blog I would probably use one. On this message board I use one.

 

Guess when that time comes I will research it more. Maybe we should find a keyboarding teacher to ask :laugh:

 

 

 

Are you talking about spaces after the period or line spacing?

 

 

Spacing after a period

[Love Home]

Thanks for the replies!  I'm thinking I may go with the single space for my dd.  It appears that many or most college professors will be requiring it by the time she's in college.

[librarymama]

If you google around for style sheets from academic journals or publishers, you'll see general requirements for formatting that are typical for professional publishing. I had to re-learn to stop double spacing after a period in college... I figure it will be best to teach good formatting style now rather than put my children in the position of having to re-learn later (though that won't stop a college prof from coming up with his/her own style requirements). 

[Guest NanaPam]

I learned two put two spaces after a period - but that was on a manual typewriter in the 1960s! (Yes, I'm older than dirt!)

 

I don't think two spaces is appropriate for formal writing - it's incorrect. Here's an article detailing the history of two spaces and the current status:

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

 

 

[PachiSusan]

I learned on a manual typewriter, and it was OMG YOU BETTER USE TWO SPACES!!!!!! However, with the advent of the computer and proportional fonts, it's unnecessary. Yes, there is debate about it, but really, just when will our children have to type a paper on a physical typewriter?  The computer sees a period and leaves slightly more space between the period and the next capital so that it reads well, which was what the intent of the double space was anyway. 

 

Single space.

There's no need for teaching double spaces because if one uses a computer all the time, the computer will correct it anyway.  

 

Even Facebook converts the two spaces to one. GASP!! 

 

Also, at least on my Word, when you have correction and grammar on, it will put a squiggelly line under two spaces. 

I realize the argument is far from over from some, but for me, there's no argument. There is no need for double spaces, and no need to teach it. 

[PachiSusan]

Dh says for academic writing it's 2. I don't know what they are teaching in school, but I took keyboarding on a computer and I always used 2 until I had a job at a newspaper a few years back. They told me they used 1. So perhaps it depends on where your writing is going. If I send an email or text I use one. If I had my own blog I would probably use one. On this message board I use one.

 

Guess when that time comes I will research it more. Maybe we should find a keyboarding teacher to ask :laugh:

 

 

 

Are you talking about spaces after the period or line spacing?

 

 

I'd be interested to know how the academics get double spacing. If they are using a computer, the computer uses proportional fonts and simply eliminates the double space anyway. Do they use special programs, or do they have to use a physical typewriter? 

[kbernt]

I learned two spaces on a typewriter in the 80's here too. I started teaching my oldest daughter(s) two also, but then found out when the oldest took an expository writing class for dual credit at the community college in 2008, that one was the new norm.