To not put a double space before a sentence?

[beeefcake]

Having a debate with a colleague who insists the correct way to type is with a double space before the start of each sentence within a paragraph.

To me this looks strange and is unnecessary with modern word formatting which naturally creates a slightly bigger space after a full stop.

AIBU???????

*ingrained

minniemummy0

Do you have an agent? A publishing contract? If not you may need to hire an editor before you submit your book, and they will sort these things out.

I write a lot of scientific papers these days and the single space after a comma, two spaces after a full stop rule is usually somewhere in the style guide.

Which style guide? I've been editing journal papers for 18 years and have never seen this.

@minniemummy0 - tbh, whether you do two spaces after a full stop is immaterial. Editors will be looking for completely different things. Single spacing is the norm in all publishing.

But commissioning eds will look for strong characters, original plot, author voice...

Actually, I've just looked up the APA guide and it does say do that for draft ms. How strange. They will be removed afterwards though.

I was taught many years ago by a slightly older colleague to prepare documents in the style of the British Embassy, Paris with three - yes, three - spaces.

I cannot fathom any modern publisher asking or two spaces when it can all be done via software. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever unless they're stuck in the dark ages and haven't a clue about incorporating their 'styles' via their software package.

PrimalLass ha! I wish. It’s a pipe dream that I get published so I guess it’s a silly thing to even care about!

hellosummer12 thank you. I know those things are much more important, but at the moment I know little about how publishers work!

Only a tiny %age of manuscripts are signed. But there are loads of self publishing options. Do your research!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentence_spacing

If anyone can find a novel, or a textbook, or a newspaper, or a magazine, or a website that uses double spaces after a full stop please point me towards it.

In 2018 there is no professional published material that features this archaic trait. So just stop it!!!

I can't stop doing the double space when typing. It's habit.

No such issues when texting though or posting on here.

I am very old fashioned. Two spaces it is.

Actually, I've just looked up the APA guide and it does say do that for draft ms
Interesting - The APA neuroscience journals are ones I periodically contribute too. Also BMJ, Nature (if I can get anything in there!) etc. The Lancet is an exception - they always ask for a single space.

I wonder if the ones with those rules are the ones that want the manuscripts in Word (inevitably also Times New Roman, size 12 font grrrr) and that's just one of the Word rules.
Seems like a waste of time if they'll be removed. I do peer reviewing as well and do sometimes comment on the abysmal grammar and syntax that some authors use... I wonder if that annoys the proper editors too

It is a very old fashioned convention these days.

It's the traditionally correct way to put a double space. But nobody does any more.

The APA thing is for draft ms it seems - for submitting to reviewers not for publication. And seems quite controversial. It was a recent-ish change.

It's fine to comment on bad English - often papers get rejected for that. Then I get paid to sort them out before resubmission :-)

I have weaned myself off of double spacing after a full stop. Took me a few months to get the hang of it, though.

I opted for typing lessons in sixth form in the early eighties on huge mechanical typewriters because I had an inkling computers were going to take off.

Didn't really type again for a few years. Workplaces still used typing pools or secretaries (and dictaphones!) but they'd died a death before the nineties. Hence all the appalling spelling and grammar mistakes in newspapers and online articles. Every Tom, Dick or Harry typing their own stuff without any training or proofreading.

I work for a local authority and we double space our reports. I think it’s something related to readability.

LOL that would look weird.

.

Big spaces between paragraphs...

I also believe in the Oxford comma very much, and think sentences look daft without them.

I like Oxford commas too.

Also double space after full stop and use Oxford commas. Didn't think about that on my CV. I should strip them out.

Wow. You learn something new/unlearn something old every day.

I'm a two spacer. And I ain't ever going to change.