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Why do people put two spaces at the end of a sentence?
To help readers more easily spot the ends of sentences, the two-space rule was put into effect—and for many, the habit stuck, even as typewriters gave way to computers that offered more proportionally spaced fonts, writes Ellen Gutoskey for Mental Floss. (Courier fonts are a notorious exception.)
Are you supposed to put two spaces after a sentence?
Unless you are typing on an actual typewriter, you no longer have to put two spaces after a period. Or a question mark. Or an exclamation point. The rule applies to all end punctuation.
What does 2 spaces mean?
In text formatting, a double space means sentences contain a full blank line (the equivalent of the full height of a line of text) between the rows of words. By default, most programs have single spacing enabled, which is a slight space between each line of text, similar to how this paragraph looks.
Why do some people type double spaced?
Typography scholars know the reason double spaces became standard is that typewriters use only fixed-width (or monospaced) fonts, so having two spaces between sentences made it easier to distinguish the sentences in text where an “i” takes up the same amount of space as “w.”
Why double spaces are wrong?
Because we’ve all switched to modern fonts, adding two spaces after a period no longer enhances readability, typographers say. It diminishes it.
What is the point of double spacing?
When a paper is single-spaced, there is very little white space between the typed lines, which means there is no room for marks or comments. This is precisely why teachers ask you to double space. The white space between the lines leaves room for editing marks and comments.
When should you use double spacing?
APA (2020) recommends the use of double spacing for “the entire paper, including the title page, abstract, text, headings, block quotations, reference list, table and figure notes, and appendices” (p. 45).
What does double spaced mean in writing?
transitive verb. If you double-space something you are writing or typing, you include a full line of space between each line of writing.
Why you should never use two spaces after a period?
Does APA require 2 spaces after a period?
Use one space after a period (or other punctuation mark at the end of a sentence) when writing in APA Style. However, if your instructor or non-APA publisher has other requirements (e.g., to use two spaces), follow their specifications.
How many spaces after a full stop UK?
Two spaces
Sign up to our free breaking news emails. In the beginning, the rules of space bar were simple. Two spaces after each full stop.
How many spaces follow the end of a sentence?
one space
Use one space after a period (or other punctuation mark at the end of a sentence) when writing in APA Style.
Do you use two spaces between sentences?
I’m Rachel Martin. There are really two kinds of people in the world, those who type two spaces between sentences and those who just use one. Microsoft Word is now tipping the scales in the debate. Now the use of two spaces will be flagged as a grammatical error.
What spaces should be left after periods in a sentence?
A single character space, not two spaces, should be left after periods at the ends of sentences (both in manuscript and in final, published form) In typeset matter, one space, not two (in other words, a regular word space), follows any mark of punctuation that ends a sentence, whether a period, a colon,…
How do you end a sentence with a single space?
It is followed by a single space A single character space, not two spaces, should be left after periods at the ends of sentences (both in manuscript and in final, published form)
Is it followed by a single or two spaces?
It is followed by a single space A single character space, not two spaces, should be left after periods at the ends of sentences (both in manuscript and in final, published form) In typeset matter, one space, not two (in other words, a regular word space), follows any mark of punctuation…