I posed the question to my Facebook pals and the answers were split. So which is it... one or two?Realizing this will date me, I learned to type (wait for it) on a typewriter. In fact, it was Mrs. Wessman's typing class my freshman year in High School where I learned definitively that two spaces are required after a period. I have been happily spacing like this ever since. By the time I hit college in 1988, we had moved on to computers, WordPerfect, and 5 inch floppy disks, but no mention that the spacing after periods had changed.
Apparently, people knew. American books have not included that second space since the 1930's. A friend of mine from High School, recalls the reason for the double space was the typewriter itself, because the strikes were so close the extra space made it easier to tell where sentences end and begin. I don't recall hearing that, but maybe I was busy typing.
Here's what a little Googling revealed:
The Chicago Manual of Style declares there is "no reason for the second space" and that adding it causes numerous problems: "(1) it is inefficient, requiring an extra keystroke for every sentence; (2) even if a program is set to automatically put an extra space after a period, such automation is never foolproof; (3) there is no proof that an extra space actually improves readability—as your comment suggests, it’s probably just a matter of familiarity (4) two spaces are harder to control for than one in electronic documents and (5) two spaces can cause problems with line breaks in certain programs."
The Modern Language Association says, "Publications in the United States today usually have the same spacing after a punctuation mark as between words on the same line. Since word processors make available the same fonts used by typesetters for printed works, many writers, influenced by the look of typeset publications, now leave only one space after a concluding punctuation mark. In addition, most publishers' guidelines for preparing electronic manuscripts ask authors to type only the spaces that are to appear in print." Although they add that there is nothing wrong with using two spaces.
So, I guess you only need one space after a period, but if you can't break the habit of typing two, it's all good. Period.
That is hilarious---I've had similar discussions with people and also had Mrs. Wessman's typing class for two years, so, naturally I use two spaces. I will try to stop doing that as I don't need to be dated anymore than I am but it's going to be a tough habit to break. :D
ReplyDeleteSuper tough habit to break. I've been trying though and double-spacing about half of the time. Thanks for your comment. =o)
ReplyDeleteCarcking up!!! I have to say, I am two-space girl myself. Always have been, always will be. Go ahead, just TRY to stop me. So far to date, I've never had any of the people that read my blog or receive my e-newsletters complain about my spacing. So I think I'll keep it up! hehe :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, and I have to say that I cracked up at the Chicago Manual of Style saying it is "inefficient" as it adds an extra keystroke! Seriously, how LAZY or time-managment OCD does one have to be to worry about the extra millisecond it takes to add that extra space after a period. Meanwhile, how much did they pay the employee that researched and came up with that explanation? Ha!
OK, I'm done...loved this post, Susan!