How Distinctly Do You Separate Your Sentences?
People often ask me whether to use one space or two spaces after end
punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation point) between
sentences.
Many current writing resources advocate (dare I say "dictate"?)
using one space. While this may be new to many of you, I suspect you
have noticed the two-space practice slowly taking its place in
typing history.
Why the change? People who learned to type on typewriters were
taught to use two spaces after end punctuation. That is because
typewriters had monospaced fonts; all the letters were the same
size. Readers needed an extra space for their eyes to note the
beginning of a new sentence.
On the other hand, computers have proportional fonts that use the
appropriate amount of space for each character. As a result, one
space after end punctuation provides enough distinction between
sentences. One exception, however, is Courier font, which is
monospaced. If you use Courier, you may want to type that extra
space after end punctuation.
I have to admit that after years of typing two spaces, learning to
use just one was challenging, but it is doable. What might help you
is to set your computer as follows, although the steps may vary
slightly with your version of Word:
- Under the Spelling and Grammar tab, select Grammar and Style
under Writing Style
in the Grammar section. (Refer to the December 2008 newsletter, "Tools
for Refining Your Writing," for additional instructions.)
- Click on Settings
- Under Require, on the third line, "Spaces required between
sentences," select 1. Now every time you type two spaces, you will see a
green squiggly line under the extra space, which will serve as a reminder to
type just one space. After a while, this will come naturally to you. Just think
of the keystrokes you will save over time!
Of course, you may like the "look" of two spaces and prefer to stick
with that. Right now, no "hard and fast" rule about one space
exists; however, some resources take a firm stance on the matter.
The important thing is to be consistent throughout your document.
A Few Additional Spacing Considerations:
| Colon |
One space after. |
| Slash |
No space on either side when the slash is used between words
to indicate an alternative:
- Every student should leave his/her
backpack in a locker.
- Jennifer took a pass/fail art appreciation course.
|
| Dash/Hyphen |
No space on either side; however, some people still prefer to
have them. (Refer to the October 2007 newsletter, "The Dash and Hyphen
Distinction.")
|
It is a New Year, so consider making a resolution to take on the
spacing challenge and become a one-space practitioner!
Ilana
