I swear I've asked this question a dozen times and each time I get a different answer. Recently (maybe six months ago) I was convinced that two spaces were required to separate sentences. THen I found something that made me think I had been wrong and my new manuscripts are going out with 1 space. Now, again, I am questioning that.
Two questions...
1. One or two spaces between sentences? 2. How much does this one matter, really?
Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :
I'm not sure about novels or magazines, but for newspapers one space is preferable, especially in electronic copies. The reason: Quark Xpress, a layout program which is the industry standard (commonly used in Magazines as well), uses a special command to control space between a period and the start of the next sentence. An extra space throws everything off. My understanding of things is that the double space after the period is a convention left over from typewriters.
Posted by cvgurau (Member # 1345) on :
I use two spaces, but then, maybe that's why I've never been published. :P
Or maybe it's the bad writing. :P
CVG
Posted by Warbric (Member # 2178) on :
>-First post lurker alert-<
My understanding is that a single space is preferred when you are using a proportional font, such as Times New Roman; two spaces is for monospaced fonts like Courier.
Since everything I ever read on manuscript preparation has always specified use of a monospaced font, then I choose two spaces.
Of course, given that neither my hair nor my clothes have been in style for almost 40 years, I might not be up to speed on the latest in manuscripts either.
[This message has been edited by Warbric (edited September 20, 2004).]
Posted by Gen (Member # 1868) on :
Two spaces is a holdover from typewriters, when people used them with the monospaced fonts available thereon. One space is taught when you learn to type on a word processor, as I did, since fonts are usually proportional.
Officialy, it doesn't matter. And because it's a controversial opinion, I'm backing it up with Uncle Jim, also known as Jim Macdonald, who does a mean air-handshake. (Also, he's published mountains of stuff.)
Posted by teddyrux (Member # 1595) on :
I was always taught 2 spaces. MS Word grammar check will report it as an error. My 2cents worth.
Rux
Posted by rickfisher (Member # 1214) on :
Two spaces was definitely taught with typewriters, and some electronic programs definitely get messed up with two spaces. The thing I don't get is that, in proportional fonts, the spaces are smaller. So, for my money, proportional fonts need two spaces even more than monospaced fonts.
Anyway, I'm going to go on using two spaces for printouts, although I might change it for electronic submissions.
Posted by djvdakota (Member # 2002) on :
My take on the double space is that it absolutely eliminates any question as to a sentence break. For instance, sometimes you have abbreviations that end with a period. So to eliminate confusion between a new sentence and a continuing sentence with an abbreviated word in the middle of it, you double space. No questions. No troubles. No confusion.
Maybe I'm just an old holdover from the typewriter age. But I still definitely double space between sentences. Maybe I'll regret it someday when a publisher insists I single space my thousand page master work.
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
You can change between them pretty easy using the "find" and "replace" features. I imagine that might wreak havok with a couple things, such as abbreviations and ellipses, but it would take care of the major stuff.
Posted by Jules (Member # 1658) on :
Two spaces seems to be conventional in business documents, which is probably why MS Word is picky about it -- that's its primary market.
I tend to do two spaces out of habit from all those long proposals, etc. Search & replace can fix it easily enough, if you care.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I use only one space, and nobody's ever complained. My father is working in business, and that's also what he uses for lectures and reports, and so far no one has screamed murder. Just my two cents.
Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :
You can set Microsoft Word's grammar checker to look for either one or two spaces as the correct number, whichever fits the style you are aiming at.
My understanding is that unless the guidelines specifically call for only one space (something I've never seen, but I guess it's possible), then two spaces cannot be wrong. No editor is going to be bothered by your using the traditional spacing.
So use two spaces.
Also, if a market requires it, it is extremely simple to convert your document from using two space to using just one -- you just search & replace two spaces with one. However, reversing the process is much more difficult, because you cannot simply search and replace one space with two. Trust me on this, I've converted a document from one to two, and it's rather involved.
[This message has been edited by EricJamesStone (edited September 21, 2004).]
Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :
To convert from one to two, you can use a period plus a space in the find field and period plus two spaces in the replace field. If you have acronyms or initials that also have periods, you may have to do a couple of passes to get everything back the way you want it. It is still more involved than 2 to 1, but a little faster than going through every sentence.
It would be nice if MS Word would allow you to specify period spacing in Styles.
[This message has been edited by Robyn_Hood (edited September 21, 2004).]
Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :
Well, shucks. (BTW, I know how to convert from two to one and back again and have done it a number of times as I've gotten conflicting reports.) It seems no one knows and honestly, it doesn't seem to matter. I'm going to stick with one like I've been doing for a while and just hope the stories are good enough that no one cares.
Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :
Robyn_Hood,
You also have to deal with question marks; exclamation points; and quotation marks that follow periods, question marks or exclamation points. And if you're using spaces between periods for ellipses, you have to go back and take the extra spaces out of those.
I'm not saying it's impossible, because I've done it. It's just a lot more involved than converting from two spaces down to one.
Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :
Good point. But at least you don't have to go through every sentence hitting space at the end of each one. I've never had to go through and expand period spaces (thank goodness!). I've only ever had to take them out, and while it is easy enough to do, it can still be a pain.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
I'm with Eric on this one. If you're using a computer, changing an entire document from two spaces to one is so easy it isn't even worth thinking about unlearning your old style typing skills.
If you're not using a computer, then two spaces is pretty much always correct anyway.
As for how much this question matters, it absolutely doesn't matter at if you are in the habit of using two spaces, since it is so easy to change from two to one. If you are used to using only one space, it still doesn't matter much, it is only a little bit more difficult to change from one space to two.
What matters more is that you be sufficiently consistent that you can let a computer do the work of putting in/taking out that extra space and not end up with three spaces between every word when you're done. Pick whichever one you're most comfortable using, and do it every time.
Except at the paragraph break
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
Chicago Manual of Style votes for one space. I like the two spaces because it seems easier to read. When I formatted my manuscript for publication I used two spaces. That was before I purchased the CMS
:P