Calling All Grammar Police

[wturner]

Have people stopped using double space behind a hard stop when typing(i.e. period, question mark...)?

In reports I have been involved in lately, I have noticed that they are not used (at least consistently).

I remember being taught to use them, don't really remember a reason being given?

Are kids these days still learning to type that way?

 

[ptschram]

You're making me fell old again BJ!

I think you should just be glad that engineers can spell and string words together in a coherent sentence.

 

[benlittle]

I still use it. Not sure if it's still taught though...

 

[jymmiejamz]

I've never even heard of that. I may have been taught that, but I clearly don't remember. but i dident go 2 no colegge.

 

[landrovered]

It was standard practice for manual typewritters; back in the days before Microsoft Word spell and grammar check became the ad hoc arbiter of the written word.

 

[Robbie]

believe it actually depends. if you are writing an article that justifies between left and write margins, you definitely only add one space after period. other times, think it depends on font size, font type, etc. I try to only do one space these days as it seems to be the current fad, but still end up using two due to habit.

you should also no longer be including a comma before 'and' when typing a list. it should read "one, two and three."

 

[wturner]

you should also no longer be including a comma before 'and' when typing a list. it should read "one, two and three."

That is actually another one I was wondering about. I can't actually remember what I was taught though...

 

[landrovered]

For a proper discussion of grammar and punctuation read the book "Eats shoots and leaves" .

 

[galen216]

I was taught the double space after a period in high school typing class. When I went to journalism school we were taught no double-space for space reasons. I believe it is also AP style to not put in a double space.

I know this, put a double space in a MS word document and it will consider that an error.

 

[Mike_Rupp]

For a proper discussion of grammar and punctuation read the book "Eats shoots and leaves" .

I just ordered it from Amazon.

 

[p m]

I was taught the double space after a period in high school typing class. When I went to journalism school we were taught no double-space for space reasons. I believe it is also AP style to not put in a double space.

I know this, put a double space in a MS word document and it will consider that an error.

MS Word takes it upon itself to check the proper kerning, including blank spaces. I like LaTeX style a bit better, but Word's okay.

 

[Blue]

I always use double space after end of sentence. I still use commas before "and" in a list too.

One, two, and three.

 

[Roverlady]

I like the commas. It's a personal preference, and one I come across almost every single day in writing/editing for work.

 

[Blue]

I like the red, blue, yellow, orange and green, and purple flowers.

I like the red, blue, yellow, orange and green and purple flowers.

 

[Some Dude]

you should also no longer be including a comma before 'and' when typing a list. it should read "one, two and three."

The serial comma is useful to remove ambiguity. Making a hard rule out of not using it often leads to misunderstood sentences. And that's why I hate AP style.

 

[mbrummal]

I like the red, blue, yellow, orange and green, and purple flowers.

I like the red, blue, yellow, orange and green and purple flowers.

I don't think the extra "and" is grammatically correct.

 

[nosivad_bor]

I am currently going back to school and one of my classes this semester is critical thinking and writing and we have reviewed many of the rules of grammar and punctuation. In today's modern world of computers DOUBLE SPACING IS NOT REQUIRED after the period, unless done on a typewriter.

The comma after "and" is not commensurate, but never wrong.

 

[galen216]

I don't think the extra "and" is grammatically correct.

The sentences have two different meanings.

 

[az_max]

We used the extra spaces to increase the length of our essays to meet the minimum page requirement.

 

[Blue]

I like the red, blue, yellow, orange and green, and purple flowers.

I like the red, blue, yellow, orange and green and purple flowers.

I don't think the extra "and" is grammatically correct.

The point is that these sentences are identical except for one missing comma. That missing comma changes the meaning of the sentence. In the first one I like a variety of flowers including a type that are orange and green. In the second sentence the meaning is hard to determine. Do I like a variety of flowers including a type that have three colors in them (orange, green, and purple)? Or did I substitute the word and for a comma? The first sentence is straight-up solid. Why insert ambiguity into it?