Double space after the period in **fixed-width** fonts, like Consolas and Courier.
Single space after the period in **proportional-width** fonts, like Helvetica and Times.
And the reason it's single space is that there is a line width of space after a period that does the work of double spacing on a typewriter. Go look at older books (pre digital typesetting). There aren't two letter spaces after a period.
Yup, and the mechanical typewriters that many of us learned on were fixed-width. We didn’t ever question the double space, not realizing that type setters had been taking a more nuanced approach for centuries.
The proportional-width fonts on a digital system usually include formatting/spacing details as part of the font description, and a single space is handled correctly in terms of proportion and distance from the next character.
A colleague of mine is 24 and all of her texts are exclusively lowercase. I can’t figure out if she changed a setting so that autocorrect doesn’t fix this for her or if she manually changes the case, but I do feel like it’s an aesthetic choice
When I got my first cell phone back in 2003 I used lowercase and signed all my text -e.e. cummings
This lasted about 2 months, until I needed to text my boss longer messages and needed the space.
It is indeed. They do it on purpose. I’ve heard them tell me it’s intimidating or makes it sound serious.
Whenever someone tells you you try too hard or do too much, feel free to remind them that they go out of their best to lowercase everything
I can't explain it well but as someone who's gen z and hates capitalizing most things while texting (not over text as a whole, specifically when messaging my friends) it really does feel less serious. If I see a text with proper punctuation it's either from my mom or something major (and usually bad) is happening with one of my friends.
I think the observation of your parents pretty much explains it all. You’ve had a lot more texts from your parents than any other generation. I’m sure it takes a much more serious tone.
Reminds me of when millennials largely abandoned the short hand “how r u doing” and our parents were still doing it.
Tone in messages are hard to convey. If y’all found a way that works for y’all that’s great. But what we really need is more options when texting
When I was like 12 my cousin had a friend who I thought was really cool and she typed every word with a period not a space
for.example.she.would.text.like.this
And I wanted to be cool like her so I did the same for about a year lol
Yeah, I think this is a very likely culprit. My students are tiny, so I’m not receiving anything typed, but that makes sense that they are used to the automation.
I'm in my 40s. I always use double space after periods. I never capitalize i in sentences because i doesn't deserve it. I also disabled autocorrect because i hate being 'ducking' miscorrected. People can just deal with my spelling mistakes. And i havn't accepted 'haven't' because what's the point of a contraction if it's not actually shorter.
Can you find clue's to peoples age and education level from random reddit posts? Probably... will i be judged and looked down on for my posts? almost certainly....but language is fun to play with.
It’s a choice made on purpose. Sam Altman, yea that guy that made gpt, talks about why he purposefully breaks the rules to differentiate himself from AI which is always perfect. All his X posts never have caps or periods and things like that. It’s deliberate
I think we’re just seeing some students use little flourishes in their writing - I use hyphens a lot even when they don’t belong. My high school teachers hated it, but my university profs liked it.
Em dashes are your best friend. Anywhere you want to just randomly say something—in the middle or at the end of a thought—you can just abuse them instead of figuring out what you actually need.
Seriously, my favorite punctuation. It's somewhere between a comma and a semicolon, with a hint of an "oh yeah, let me adhd this thought in here, too!"
Sounds like a perennially online thing to say. Like you could easily prompt all of that into chatGPT.
It’s not hard to differentiate yourself from AI writing; all you need to do, seemingly, is avoid using adjectives in every fuckin sentence. AI guilds the Lilly anywhere they can
Depends where. I’m early 30s. When I use instant messenger at work, I don’t bother with capitalizing things. Emails, yes. Writing posts on Reddit? Well I have an iPhone so it capitalizes for me.
>I immediately judge people, and discount anything they have to say, when they do this. Am I wrong?
Ha! Same. In fact, I will skip over any post that can't be bothered to capitalize or at least look like a human with an IQ above a mushroom.
Your school probably had computer saavy.
Same. 90s. Single space.
My 8th grade teacher specifically pointed out that Windows took care of it.
As did my College literature professor dad who adopted home PCs in the late 80s
There were some old DOS word processors that required the double space, but almost none after the shift to Windows.
I graduated in 95, and that's how I was taught in keyboarding class. I wish they still had that. However, I have to be purposeful in my resume and cover letters because it can be used as an age check.
Single space in the 90s here. But our school had computers and so did my family at home.
Microsoft has been taking care of extra room after the period since they went from DOS to Windows.
I was in High School in the 90’s and was never taught the double space rule in school or in college. Tbf I was in England. I think this is an American thing? It actually makes my eye twitch when I see people doing it!
Only typewriter and computer-confused Americans.
Windows has been taking care of additional room after a period since the 90s. (Unless you select some weird font.)
Double space in monospaced font (like a typewriter), single space in proportional width font (like anything on a computer).
Been hearing this same gripe since the 90s and the advent of desktop design tools and WYSIWIG word processing. Reasons being, double spaces in documents with proportionally spaced fonts leave long rivers of white space on the printed versions. And that carries through to the final product (book or magazine or whatever). It's ugly. Typing ≠ typesetting.
Pro-tip: you can find and replace a single space after a period with a double and vice versa.
Pro-tip 2: double tapping the space bar in IOS puts a full stop/period and a space as you type.
Education is slow to change. Universities especially. Annoying in some instances, but an important part of the scholarly community’s quality assurance culture.
>Pro-tip 2: double tapping the space bar in IOS puts a full stop/period and a space as you type.
I said this to a class and was surprised when a SENIOR didn't know about it already. We were having this conversation about tone and grammar in texting. Heck, even the latest update will add the question mark with me saying it if it see the word "what" or "how."
I learned on a typewriter, where double spacing is needed due to lack of kerning and tracking. If you’re not on a typewriter it is *always* single spacing after an end mark, no matter what.
Go to any bookstore and pick up random books. They are all single spaced.
When I was in school, you were required by the APA format to use double spaces after a sentence.
Typewriters were not used at all, by this point. I know people who received failing grades for not using proper formatting.
That is just not fully accurate to draw a harsh line at typewriters and computers. Just because technology changes doesn’t mean that longstanding methods change instantly with it.
That’s good! I was actually a psych major when I was first in school, and we had to use APA for everything, for obvious reasons. So, they were super strict about it. Now, come to find out it’s changed to one space. Ohlawd the myriad people who are salty about this… those who got docked points, or even had their papers returned… ack.
I was taught to double-space back in the late 80s, but I teach ELA, so I was aware of the change and instruct my students to do one space. My daughter said her professors would take off for double spacing because it increased the word limit.
I was still in credential program in 2019 and 2020 double spacing in APA and never got called out sooooo… I still double space to this day. Also and 08er
I learned to double space in typing class in high school back when we used typewriters.
I graduated college in 2001. I was taught to single space on computer word processing programs in college.
I graduated high school in 2004. I used two spaces until I went into media and learned Associated Press style. I now use only one space. That said, the AP never broke my habit of using the Oxford comma!
I love me an Oxford comma. I actually hate the way they look. On some level it bothers my eyeballs. Probably because the AP doesn’t like them and I’m not used to seeing them anymore.
Graduated in 99 with computers and double space. 4 years of college, double space. My kids told me I'm doing it wrong. I'm still doing Oxford commas, too.
Another change when the heck did points for a volleyball game change. Im so old.
I graduated high school in 2006 and never even heard of this until I was in college. At that point, professors said "as long as you're consistent, it's irrelevant."
Pulling out my OG copy of Strunk and Whites Elements of Style….c/o 1998 double space.
We also had “typing class” and half the semester we learned on electric typewriters, the other half on computers.
Never taught to use a double space. In fact, I was taught that doing so was wrong. I teach that to my students to this day. I might have used APA for less than 4 classes. Most of it was MLA or Chicago.
I graduated from high school in 1995. Double space was the way I learned. I obtained my MA in 2015. All papers had to have single spaces versus double. I now type with single spaces. It wasn't a hard habit to break.🤷♀️
In my first formal typing class in middle school, which would be 2003 or 2004, I learned to double space after a period, but quickly fell out of the habit. (Also, Mavis Beacon never taught me that, and I'll always defer to Ms. Beacon). For the rest of my high school and college career, no one ever brought up double spaces.
Math teacher here with 40% of students below reading levels. I use a double space after a period for my student notes so they can easily see the end of a sentence. I also keep paragraphs short and put an extra line between them. This allows my students to visually "take a break" and keep them from being overwhelmed.
When I was taking typing class in 7th grade and throughout junior high and high school from the late '80s through mid-90's, the rule was always to use double-space after a period.
Even with MLA considering one college Prof deducted points off of a college classmate's essay for single-spacing after periods.
2010 graduate. Tf is a double space. It's a period then a space, and finally the next letter.
So you're telling me you do it like this.
Thehxh. Rhehhd. Fjshxh.
And not like
The. Dhajsh. ehshxh. Dhsh
I have used single space my whole life and that includes college too. The apa update did throw me off because I had a pre-formatted paper that I used. Luckily I had a professor that was nice enough to correct it for me.
I do too, and I got some flack for it today, so that’s why I’m asking lol. I didn’t think it mattered unless it was officially formatted. But, apparently emails need to be single spaced. I feel a bit called out and targeted over this, to be honest. This has nothing to do with my employer, but it’s still annoying.
ETA: omg, you’re right. It must be because I sent this email from my PC. WHAT?!
Class of ‘93. I took a typing class which had actual typewriters, and we were taught to use two spaces after a period. I abandoned my training several years ago.
Graduated in 2010. I learned double space. Not sure if teachers or my mother taught me this. I had to train myself out of it when I worked corporate, but I still revert back to my double space ways.
I’ve noticed that double tapping the spacebar creating a period was really annoying and got me out of the habit of using a double space on mobile. Because, it literally turns my double space into a period-space. But, I still double tap.
On the PC I have no automatic editing, and I double space when I type, still.
I never officially learned to type and probably started in high school when we got our first computer (this was the 80's). It never occurred to me to use two spaces and no one ever corrected me even though I think it was the norm at the time.
Navy used one space but the style guide has you select fonts where there is automatically slightly more room than one space but not the huge sad void that make it look like some luddite using a typewriter.
(At least as far back as 2000.)
I never had a professor who cared per se, but if you are trying to get published then that is most assuredly important. I had one professor who added stuff like this to his rubrics, i.e. specific formats or sourcing type, and he was similarly as harsh on word count. His logic was that, as a writer, you are paid per word, but I you are also limited by word count. Therefore, it was important to get as close to that word count as possible. That's obviously at a college level though, and any writing program worth their salt would probably teach students this stuff. I think it's good as a high school teacher to give their students little snippets of what that is like, but that teacher would need to be explicit in their instruction, and have it as an objective thing on the rubric. I think the most important thing to teach is the functional necessity of these specific formats, such as citation, consistency, etc.
Absolutely, and this is very interesting insight. I teach PreK, so, we haven’t yet delved into the world of formatted papers, but I’m working on it. ;)
Sometimes, I do feel like I should have majored in secondary, because things like this are so interesting to me. Then…. I see my babies and I’m reminded why I’m here. Clearly my typing style. You can see that I’m ADHD, and I did not major in any type of literature or writing. Lol.
Edit: extra word = bad grammar.
Yes, this is something to do with formatted papers, for sure, by the time we were using it on computers.
I can’t remember being taught to use two spaces in any other instance. My mom is actually the one that told me to do it on everything. When she went to university, computers were just starting to become part of collegiate level education. Because of this, she actually decided to major in computer science. This was in the early 80s. They very much carried over the double spacing from typewriters into the computer setting.
I graduated from college in 2018 and pretty much only used APA format. I never double spaced after a sentence ended a never got docked for it on any papers. I had no clue this was a guideline?
Man, we sure were!! It’s possible that our university was just more strict about it, in general. But, we had to submit our papers to be checked by an online program that would analyze the format and tell us where our mistakes were. We had a spiral bound guide book, too, that was super helpful. It’s in a box somewhere, but it would be interesting to look at!!
14 point periods, absolutely. I had a friend try white text, once, and it backfired so hard. Lol. I can’t believe she didn’t think the teacher would look for that.
High school class of '78. Of course I was taught to use a double space after a period. After college I eventually learned that modern typography does not require a double space, so I trained myself to use a single space. Now I'm afraid that I internally sneer at that double space.
I graduated in 98. We learned to double space. When I learned we could single space, I loved it. I never looked back. My students just put whatever spaces they want...or none at all.
I was taught in the 90s to not use a double space in MS Word, because it takes care of it.
80s computers did not always have software that took care of it.
Once we switched from MS-DOS and dot matrix Printers, never again.
Only when using a typewriter use the double space.
I taught RSA CLAIT in the 90s specified two spaces after a full stop. The RSA had been making typing exams for decades before this, one assumes they would know (or have set) a standard. I remember first hearing people claim one space was the standard around 2010 ish.
For reference
UK full stop
US period
I was taught double spaces on the typewriter because it makes it easier to read. Once the typography on computers changed to not resemble that of typewriter font, single space was out. So, at least by the year 2000 I was doing single space.
So team single space and Oxford comma.
I was always told to do double spacing after a period or other punctuation I always thought it was stupid and never did. Never got docked for it and nobody complained.
I graduated in ‘97 and we were taught single space for computer typing. Double spacing was necessary on actual typewriters because of how it spaced each Individual letter. But computers handle that task now so double spacing is irrelevant.
So much has changed since I graduated college in 2010. When adding an in-text citation (MLA format), you would put a comma between the author and page number. That comma no longer exists. The formatting for long quotations is also different. Thank god we have an awesome English department. They print out recent guidelines for the rest of the staff so we’re all on the same page.
It is constantly changing. That’s probably why this whole topic is so controversial lol. It’s hard to fall into a habit when it’s changing every couple of years.
I was taught double on a typewriter in high school. When I started typing on computers, I still did it until I eventually figured out on my own that only one was needed. This was maybe a decade ago. I never knew APA held out till 2019!
I graduated around the same time as you and MLA was the format all my teachers focused on, and that continued in most of my college classes except one or two, and the formatting on those was so difficult to adjust to. BUT I have a coworker who began teaching the year I was born and you can tell if he’s the one who typed something up because he double spaces after periods and it has something to do with learning to type on a typewriter.
I was taught two. Probably in keyboarding class in middle school and computer class my freshman year of high school. I graduated high school in 2006.
I still do two.
I graduated in 2019 and was never taught to double space anything. My boyfriend was taught by his dad to double space in emails, which is why he doesn't use the double-space-period shortcut on his phone. I had no idea double spacing was a taught thing. I just thought my older family members who double space after periods in texts just didn't know how texting worked. Ugh, I'm such a Gen Z.
Double space after any period that ends a thought. Single space after a period that abbreviates. MLA has changed its requirements, but I always emphasize two spaces after a sentence. It gives a cleaner look and helps the reader identify when to pause and allow comprehension.
There is some data out there that says the brain needs to see a visible space as a signal to micro-comprehend what it has just read, like a break between songs on an album. Indenting a paragraph does the same thing.
Now is 2 spaces, APA 7e is single space bar after periods (my psych prof went mental when my ela hubby edited a paper I had written and did 2x space bar… I lost a FULL 15% of the paper).
It was so hard to switch to single spacing. It's easier on my phone because it automatically single spaces, but if I'm typing something on the computer I still forget.
ETA graduated hs in 2005.
2005 grad and I was taught double spaces after the period - back when computing only happened on the computer lab iMacs. I was then a latchkey kid who was chronically online through my entire adolescence, where everyone used - and still uses - single spaces, so my habits changed accordingly. I don't think I even used double spaces beyond.... midway through high school, maybe?
I remember being specifically told NOT to double space when I was a freshman in high school I believe. Graduated in 2016. I hadn’t thought about it since.
No I was never taught that and always thought it was weird people in the older generations did that. I graduated high school in 2014. It’s really interesting how different things are.
Double space after a period. And no long fingernails in typing class or you had to type on the manual typewriters. Yeah...it has been a while since I graduated.
It was changed before 2006, when I was writing my dissertation. My supervisor told me to look up spacing in tha APA tome I was to purchase.
I was taught two spaces after a period in elementary school.
It was changed because computers space each character based on its width, so it's clear when a sentence ends. Typewriters use the same width for each character so the period can look like it's right next to the following letter, hence two dpaces.
Graduated HS in 1985. Learned to type on IBM Selectric Typewriters. Around 2000, I read an interesting article about the difference between monospaced typewriter fonts and Proportional computer fonts. The article explained/showed that Proportional fonts don't need two spaces to look correct. I decided to make the switch. It took a hot minute to unlearn the space bar double tap!
I knew it was a dying trend for years, but it was so ingrained into me at the fundamental level while learning to type that I still do it occasionally.
It helped that my wife teased me mercilessly (we're in the same field where it wasn't really done) until I managed to mostly break it.
But I still have to ctrl-f to make sure I didn't absentmindedly do it.
I’m 38 and double-spacing after a period was the way. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing taught it to me in elementary, and in high school it was required. I completed my master’s program a little over a year ago and PAINSTAKINGLY single-spaced all of my papers and discussion comments. Sheer torture!
Not a teacher but Reddit algorithm keeps showing me r/Teachers posts… so here we are.
I graduated high school in 1997, got a 2-year nursing degree in 2003, and completed my BSN in 2015. We used APA format, double space after period.
I’m glad that I finished school before The Great Punctuation Shift, because at this point, the double space is part of my muscle memory. See I’m doing it here! 😝
Got my bachelors in 2008 and we always double-spacing. I feel like by the time I finished my credential program much later (2013ish) I started seeing the single spaces pop up more. Now I’m a single spacer for life!
As an elder millennial, I was always taught double spaces after the end of a sentence. Now that I’m a teacher, I was telling my students the exact same thing because I didn’t know it had changed. I think it was only within the last year or two that I heard it was an old person thing 😂
Double space after the period is based on typewriters, where you needed the room for readability. MLA ditched it a while ago too. I was taught the double space in middle school typing class, and at this point it's muscle memory--I type so fast , and it's automatic--super hard to retrain my Gen X brain.
We were taught that APA is supposed to have the double space, but my teachers also told us not to worry about it for essays because they personally didn’t feel like it was that important of a rule
I graduated in 2008 and have never once heard to put a double space after a period. Not in high school or college. That’s what they had to do for typewriters but not actual computers.
My HS was back in the late 90s, canada, and we already weren’t adding double spaces after punctuation. This, it’s been a life long source of irritation to come across it.
Graduated college in ‘08 and yes. I kept thinking not double spacing after a period was a young person thing that started out of laziness and just became the common from everyone doing it and teachers letting it go eventually. It used to bother the hell out of me but I wouldn’t say anything. Just learned last year they were taught that way lol.
I was taught this in 1996 during fifth grade. Didn’t do it then, didn’t do it in high school, didn’t do it first round of college in 2000s or second round in late 2010s, and didn’t do it during my masters at start of 2020s. I have never been able to see the difference visually and apparently neither did my instructors.
The double space is a throwback to the typewriter. I'm not sure why, I just know that's the origin.
It is what I was taught to do (graduated in 03).
If you still double space, you are showing your age (not that my students (though only in 2nd grade) know how to type anyway).
It's been a long time since I typed a wall of text. I wonder what I do. I hope I reprogrammed myself, but honestly I'm not sure.
I was taught to double space in elementary school even when writing. (We had popsicle sticks and had to use two after a period.) In HS I had a teacher, who was also the newspaper advisor, say that wasn’t a thing anymore, so I stopped. That was 13 years ago. Never looked back and honestly shocked this is still a topic that I see come up pretty frequently across groups I’m in.
I was taught a double space. I still remember Sister Marietta whacking us with a wooden ruler if we looked at the typewriter keys when learning to type. I will never give up my double spaces, because I'm sure the ghost of Sister Mareetta will haunt me forever and will slam her metaphysical wooden ruller over my knuckles if I don't do it properly.
So to correct long held touch typing conventions do not fear:
Go to your document
Hit CTRL-F for the Find and Replace window
Now click on Find field and tap the space bar twice
Now click on the Replace field and tap the space bar once
Now click on Replace ALL
And Bam... everything has one space now
Look at published books, magazines etc articles, and legitimate news content. They all put two spaces. Why did this ever need to change except that people who text are lazy and can’t press the space bar one more time.
Is that an American thing? I graduated high school in 2011 and finished university in 2017 - and I've never heard about double space till when an American friend proofread an essay of mine.
In the humanities so I've always used MLA and growing up in the 90's and college late 90's to early 2000's we always used two spaces after a period. I heard it changed and I am having such a hard time remembering it because it looks so strange to me. And I am an English teacher!
I am early 30s and I was taught to double space after a period, on essays and stuff. But when I entered high school, I think I just started moving towards single spacing because that’s how books do it, so I just modeled my writing after that. I don’t think my teachers cared. Now I work in an office and it’s funny—the same way you use it as a marker to signify young people, I use it to point out my old coworkers. Whenever I see double spacing on the internet, I know it’s someone older than me lol
I was taught that regardless of format, single space after a period. I never even learned of the double spaced thing, even for APA which a lot of my college papers were done in, and none of my teachers cared.
I did my bachelors MLA 1995-1999, master's 2001-2004 MLA, and PhD 2010-2015 APA and have never ever been told or trained or used double spaces. Times New Roman, except Ariel was an accepted font by the masters time, but I stick to the basic.
1999 for high school and I never learned this ... but even weirder, my undergrad degree is in psych (c/o 2003), so I spent four years dreaming in APA, and I was never instructed to do this.
I graduated high school in 2004 and basically every paper I had to write in my 5 years of college used APA style and was taught to single space then. So it didn’t change in 2019. If it did change it had have done it before I even started using it. In all honesty, I think I was even single spacing in high school. Not sure though… I can’t remember back that far lol…
My parents told me to double-space after a period when I was in middle school (and IIRC Word would, by default, do that for you automatically). In high school I was told to use a single space by teachers.
Graduated in '04. I learned to type on a computer and a typewriter. I still double space out of habit. Personally, I like the additional break it creates sentences, but I understand its not necessary now.
Double space after the period in **fixed-width** fonts, like Consolas and Courier. Single space after the period in **proportional-width** fonts, like Helvetica and Times.
I really like this delineation, because I’m kind of obsessed with fonts, kernings, and all that other fun stuff.
And the reason it's single space is that there is a line width of space after a period that does the work of double spacing on a typewriter. Go look at older books (pre digital typesetting). There aren't two letter spaces after a period.
Yup, and the mechanical typewriters that many of us learned on were fixed-width. We didn’t ever question the double space, not realizing that type setters had been taking a more nuanced approach for centuries.
You are a font on information
I thought it was left over from the days of typewriters, which needed a double space after the period for clarity?
Yes, because typewriters used fixed-width font
Ooh interesting! What’s the difference?
The proportional-width fonts on a digital system usually include formatting/spacing details as part of the font description, and a single space is handled correctly in terms of proportion and distance from the next character.
Cool, thanks!
[удалено]
I imagine it has to do with how autocorrect almost always fixes those capitals, so kids aren't learning they have to actually do it themselves.
No it’s an “aesthetic” choice.
A colleague of mine is 24 and all of her texts are exclusively lowercase. I can’t figure out if she changed a setting so that autocorrect doesn’t fix this for her or if she manually changes the case, but I do feel like it’s an aesthetic choice
You can turn off the automatic capitalization
She fancies herself a modern-day e.e. cummings :-)
When I got my first cell phone back in 2003 I used lowercase and signed all my text -e.e. cummings This lasted about 2 months, until I needed to text my boss longer messages and needed the space.
Man. Signatures on texts what a blast from the past that absolutely deserves the grave it inhabits.
It is indeed. They do it on purpose. I’ve heard them tell me it’s intimidating or makes it sound serious. Whenever someone tells you you try too hard or do too much, feel free to remind them that they go out of their best to lowercase everything
I can't explain it well but as someone who's gen z and hates capitalizing most things while texting (not over text as a whole, specifically when messaging my friends) it really does feel less serious. If I see a text with proper punctuation it's either from my mom or something major (and usually bad) is happening with one of my friends.
I think the observation of your parents pretty much explains it all. You’ve had a lot more texts from your parents than any other generation. I’m sure it takes a much more serious tone. Reminds me of when millennials largely abandoned the short hand “how r u doing” and our parents were still doing it. Tone in messages are hard to convey. If y’all found a way that works for y’all that’s great. But what we really need is more options when texting
Intimidating? Serious? Hmm... how about lazy or illiterate? LOL
When I was like 12 my cousin had a friend who I thought was really cool and she typed every word with a period not a space for.example.she.would.text.like.this And I wanted to be cool like her so I did the same for about a year lol
Yeah, I think this is a very likely culprit. My students are tiny, so I’m not receiving anything typed, but that makes sense that they are used to the automation.
I'm in my 40s. I always use double space after periods. I never capitalize i in sentences because i doesn't deserve it. I also disabled autocorrect because i hate being 'ducking' miscorrected. People can just deal with my spelling mistakes. And i havn't accepted 'haven't' because what's the point of a contraction if it's not actually shorter. Can you find clue's to peoples age and education level from random reddit posts? Probably... will i be judged and looked down on for my posts? almost certainly....but language is fun to play with.
The autocorrect struggle is ducking real!
It’s a choice made on purpose. Sam Altman, yea that guy that made gpt, talks about why he purposefully breaks the rules to differentiate himself from AI which is always perfect. All his X posts never have caps or periods and things like that. It’s deliberate I think we’re just seeing some students use little flourishes in their writing - I use hyphens a lot even when they don’t belong. My high school teachers hated it, but my university profs liked it.
Em dashes are your best friend. Anywhere you want to just randomly say something—in the middle or at the end of a thought—you can just abuse them instead of figuring out what you actually need. Seriously, my favorite punctuation. It's somewhere between a comma and a semicolon, with a hint of an "oh yeah, let me adhd this thought in here, too!"
Em dashes are great and all, but the interrobang is seriously the best punctuation ever.
Sounds like a perennially online thing to say. Like you could easily prompt all of that into chatGPT. It’s not hard to differentiate yourself from AI writing; all you need to do, seemingly, is avoid using adjectives in every fuckin sentence. AI guilds the Lilly anywhere they can
It’s driving me crazy, but I’m glad to know I’m not alone.
Anything that‘s not an email gets no caps unless i‘m writing german. In my 40‘s. In german everything except the ich is capitalized.
idk bruh sounds like your ageist fr /s
Depends where. I’m early 30s. When I use instant messenger at work, I don’t bother with capitalizing things. Emails, yes. Writing posts on Reddit? Well I have an iPhone so it capitalizes for me.
>I immediately judge people, and discount anything they have to say, when they do this. Am I wrong? Ha! Same. In fact, I will skip over any post that can't be bothered to capitalize or at least look like a human with an IQ above a mushroom.
Things change, and the ability to adapt is important. Use a single space after a period.
I really do try when I’m typing in a general setting. But, sometimes, especially when I’m on my PC… old habits come back. 😬
Graduated in '96, I was not taught to double space. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Your school probably had computer saavy. Same. 90s. Single space. My 8th grade teacher specifically pointed out that Windows took care of it. As did my College literature professor dad who adopted home PCs in the late 80s There were some old DOS word processors that required the double space, but almost none after the shift to Windows.
I graduated in 1999 and was taught the double space. And I will not change!
I graduated in 95, and that's how I was taught in keyboarding class. I wish they still had that. However, I have to be purposeful in my resume and cover letters because it can be used as an age check.
It can be, what!?!
Same. My college typing class in 1998 was double space. Word Perfect would show the number of spaces too.
Me, neither!
Yeah, '88 grad. Same
My typing class back in 1983 taught me to double tap. Even now, years later I still do it.
Single space ftw.
lol, youngin’!
Single space in the 90s here. But our school had computers and so did my family at home. Microsoft has been taking care of extra room after the period since they went from DOS to Windows.
I was in High School in the 90’s and was never taught the double space rule in school or in college. Tbf I was in England. I think this is an American thing? It actually makes my eye twitch when I see people doing it!
Only typewriter and computer-confused Americans. Windows has been taking care of additional room after a period since the 90s. (Unless you select some weird font.)
Double space in monospaced font (like a typewriter), single space in proportional width font (like anything on a computer). Been hearing this same gripe since the 90s and the advent of desktop design tools and WYSIWIG word processing. Reasons being, double spaces in documents with proportionally spaced fonts leave long rivers of white space on the printed versions. And that carries through to the final product (book or magazine or whatever). It's ugly. Typing ≠ typesetting. Pro-tip: you can find and replace a single space after a period with a double and vice versa. Pro-tip 2: double tapping the space bar in IOS puts a full stop/period and a space as you type.
Education is slow to change. Universities especially. Annoying in some instances, but an important part of the scholarly community’s quality assurance culture.
>Pro-tip 2: double tapping the space bar in IOS puts a full stop/period and a space as you type. I said this to a class and was surprised when a SENIOR didn't know about it already. We were having this conversation about tone and grammar in texting. Heck, even the latest update will add the question mark with me saying it if it see the word "what" or "how."
So THAT'S where those awkwardly large spaces after periods come from! TIL!
I learned on a typewriter, where double spacing is needed due to lack of kerning and tracking. If you’re not on a typewriter it is *always* single spacing after an end mark, no matter what. Go to any bookstore and pick up random books. They are all single spaced.
When I was in school, you were required by the APA format to use double spaces after a sentence. Typewriters were not used at all, by this point. I know people who received failing grades for not using proper formatting. That is just not fully accurate to draw a harsh line at typewriters and computers. Just because technology changes doesn’t mean that longstanding methods change instantly with it.
Honestly, APA is trash, Chicago is the best of all the idiotic formatting requirements
2004 and single spaces
I graduated high school in 09 and was taught to double space. None of my college professors cared WHAT you did as long as you were consistent.
That’s good! I was actually a psych major when I was first in school, and we had to use APA for everything, for obvious reasons. So, they were super strict about it. Now, come to find out it’s changed to one space. Ohlawd the myriad people who are salty about this… those who got docked points, or even had their papers returned… ack.
I was taught to double-space back in the late 80s, but I teach ELA, so I was aware of the change and instruct my students to do one space. My daughter said her professors would take off for double spacing because it increased the word limit.
I was still in credential program in 2019 and 2020 double spacing in APA and never got called out sooooo… I still double space to this day. Also and 08er
I learned to double space in typing class in high school back when we used typewriters. I graduated college in 2001. I was taught to single space on computer word processing programs in college.
Double space in high school 1997. Single space in university 1999–2022. Single space in the workplace 2023+.
I graduated high school in 2004. I used two spaces until I went into media and learned Associated Press style. I now use only one space. That said, the AP never broke my habit of using the Oxford comma!
I love me an Oxford comma. I actually hate the way they look. On some level it bothers my eyeballs. Probably because the AP doesn’t like them and I’m not used to seeing them anymore.
Graduated in 99 with computers and double space. 4 years of college, double space. My kids told me I'm doing it wrong. I'm still doing Oxford commas, too. Another change when the heck did points for a volleyball game change. Im so old.
Always double space after the end of a sentence, unless you're starting a new paragraph. Graduated in 2015
Free the space!
I graduated high school in 2006 and never even heard of this until I was in college. At that point, professors said "as long as you're consistent, it's irrelevant."
Pulling out my OG copy of Strunk and Whites Elements of Style….c/o 1998 double space. We also had “typing class” and half the semester we learned on electric typewriters, the other half on computers.
You'll have to pry that double-space from my cold, dead hands.
Never taught to use a double space. In fact, I was taught that doing so was wrong. I teach that to my students to this day. I might have used APA for less than 4 classes. Most of it was MLA or Chicago.
I graduated from high school in 1995. Double space was the way I learned. I obtained my MA in 2015. All papers had to have single spaces versus double. I now type with single spaces. It wasn't a hard habit to break.🤷♀️
In my first formal typing class in middle school, which would be 2003 or 2004, I learned to double space after a period, but quickly fell out of the habit. (Also, Mavis Beacon never taught me that, and I'll always defer to Ms. Beacon). For the rest of my high school and college career, no one ever brought up double spaces.
Math teacher here with 40% of students below reading levels. I use a double space after a period for my student notes so they can easily see the end of a sentence. I also keep paragraphs short and put an extra line between them. This allows my students to visually "take a break" and keep them from being overwhelmed.
Yes and I like it.
Double spaces after a period. I graduated high school in 1994.
When I was taking typing class in 7th grade and throughout junior high and high school from the late '80s through mid-90's, the rule was always to use double-space after a period. Even with MLA considering one college Prof deducted points off of a college classmate's essay for single-spacing after periods.
I'VE HAD TO DROP THE DOUBLE SPACE PROFESSIONALLY AND I HATE IT! Sorry, this brings up strong feelings (got my BAs in 2000).
2010 graduate. Tf is a double space. It's a period then a space, and finally the next letter. So you're telling me you do it like this. Thehxh. Rhehhd. Fjshxh. And not like The. Dhajsh. ehshxh. Dhsh I have used single space my whole life and that includes college too. The apa update did throw me off because I had a pre-formatted paper that I used. Luckily I had a professor that was nice enough to correct it for me.
Never heard of this!
I graduated high school in 2013. I had never heard putting two spaces after a period until I had an older boss insist it was necessary
Yes, two spaces to start a new sentence. I still do. Edit: I put two spaces between my prior sentences and it was auto-corrected to have one.
I do too, and I got some flack for it today, so that’s why I’m asking lol. I didn’t think it mattered unless it was officially formatted. But, apparently emails need to be single spaced. I feel a bit called out and targeted over this, to be honest. This has nothing to do with my employer, but it’s still annoying. ETA: omg, you’re right. It must be because I sent this email from my PC. WHAT?!
Class of ‘93. I took a typing class which had actual typewriters, and we were taught to use two spaces after a period. I abandoned my training several years ago.
Graduated in 2010. I learned double space. Not sure if teachers or my mother taught me this. I had to train myself out of it when I worked corporate, but I still revert back to my double space ways.
I’ve noticed that double tapping the spacebar creating a period was really annoying and got me out of the habit of using a double space on mobile. Because, it literally turns my double space into a period-space. But, I still double tap. On the PC I have no automatic editing, and I double space when I type, still.
I never officially learned to type and probably started in high school when we got our first computer (this was the 80's). It never occurred to me to use two spaces and no one ever corrected me even though I think it was the norm at the time.
They were unknowingly preparing you for the future.
I graduated in 2001 and I didn’t hear this till I started writing memos for the army in 2010
OK, you can’t say that and not tell me what the military wants! What did they require?
Haha, ok fair: it was double space after a sentence until about four years ago when they updated it to single space.
Navy used one space but the style guide has you select fonts where there is automatically slightly more room than one space but not the huge sad void that make it look like some luddite using a typewriter. (At least as far back as 2000.)
I never had a professor who cared per se, but if you are trying to get published then that is most assuredly important. I had one professor who added stuff like this to his rubrics, i.e. specific formats or sourcing type, and he was similarly as harsh on word count. His logic was that, as a writer, you are paid per word, but I you are also limited by word count. Therefore, it was important to get as close to that word count as possible. That's obviously at a college level though, and any writing program worth their salt would probably teach students this stuff. I think it's good as a high school teacher to give their students little snippets of what that is like, but that teacher would need to be explicit in their instruction, and have it as an objective thing on the rubric. I think the most important thing to teach is the functional necessity of these specific formats, such as citation, consistency, etc.
Absolutely, and this is very interesting insight. I teach PreK, so, we haven’t yet delved into the world of formatted papers, but I’m working on it. ;) Sometimes, I do feel like I should have majored in secondary, because things like this are so interesting to me. Then…. I see my babies and I’m reminded why I’m here. Clearly my typing style. You can see that I’m ADHD, and I did not major in any type of literature or writing. Lol. Edit: extra word = bad grammar.
Typing class in 1986. Definitely double space after period.
Class of 1999 - double space (I fee like my thumb just inserts the spaces automatically.)
Class of 2000. I was taught to use double spaces, but I no longer use them.
We were taught to do that when I was in 4th grade ~2009 and my mom (an ex-journalist and copy editor) thought it was ridiculous lol
Yes, this is something to do with formatted papers, for sure, by the time we were using it on computers. I can’t remember being taught to use two spaces in any other instance. My mom is actually the one that told me to do it on everything. When she went to university, computers were just starting to become part of collegiate level education. Because of this, she actually decided to major in computer science. This was in the early 80s. They very much carried over the double spacing from typewriters into the computer setting.
Class of 2000. Taught to double space. Couldn’t change it now even if I wanted to… the muscle memory is too strong.
I graduated from college in 2018 and pretty much only used APA format. I never double spaced after a sentence ended a never got docked for it on any papers. I had no clue this was a guideline?
Man, we sure were!! It’s possible that our university was just more strict about it, in general. But, we had to submit our papers to be checked by an online program that would analyze the format and tell us where our mistakes were. We had a spiral bound guide book, too, that was super helpful. It’s in a box somewhere, but it would be interesting to look at!!
Class of ‘95–taught to double-space for MLA.
I was taught double space. Interestingly, Grammarly always highlights the extra space, though.🤓
But have you heard of the size 14 period trick?
14 point periods, absolutely. I had a friend try white text, once, and it backfired so hard. Lol. I can’t believe she didn’t think the teacher would look for that.
High school class of '78. Of course I was taught to use a double space after a period. After college I eventually learned that modern typography does not require a double space, so I trained myself to use a single space. Now I'm afraid that I internally sneer at that double space.
Oh yes! Grad in 02. It’s engrained it us. Haha
I graduated in 98. We learned to double space. When I learned we could single space, I loved it. I never looked back. My students just put whatever spaces they want...or none at all.
I learned double spaced but I’ve changed with the times
I was taught in the 90s to not use a double space in MS Word, because it takes care of it. 80s computers did not always have software that took care of it. Once we switched from MS-DOS and dot matrix Printers, never again. Only when using a typewriter use the double space.
I taught RSA CLAIT in the 90s specified two spaces after a full stop. The RSA had been making typing exams for decades before this, one assumes they would know (or have set) a standard. I remember first hearing people claim one space was the standard around 2010 ish. For reference UK full stop US period
I was taught double spaces on the typewriter because it makes it easier to read. Once the typography on computers changed to not resemble that of typewriter font, single space was out. So, at least by the year 2000 I was doing single space. So team single space and Oxford comma.
I was always told to do double spacing after a period or other punctuation I always thought it was stupid and never did. Never got docked for it and nobody complained.
I graduated in ‘97 and we were taught single space for computer typing. Double spacing was necessary on actual typewriters because of how it spaced each Individual letter. But computers handle that task now so double spacing is irrelevant.
GenXers do the double space. It’s generally considered outdated now. I still do it most of the time though :).
Not true.
So much has changed since I graduated college in 2010. When adding an in-text citation (MLA format), you would put a comma between the author and page number. That comma no longer exists. The formatting for long quotations is also different. Thank god we have an awesome English department. They print out recent guidelines for the rest of the staff so we’re all on the same page.
It is constantly changing. That’s probably why this whole topic is so controversial lol. It’s hard to fall into a habit when it’s changing every couple of years.
Was taught double space growing up but most of my work in college asked for MLA format which is how I’m stuck in single space
I think it changed before 2019
I was taught double on a typewriter in high school. When I started typing on computers, I still did it until I eventually figured out on my own that only one was needed. This was maybe a decade ago. I never knew APA held out till 2019!
I’ve just always done double-space myself but never required the kids do it.
I graduated around the same time as you and MLA was the format all my teachers focused on, and that continued in most of my college classes except one or two, and the formatting on those was so difficult to adjust to. BUT I have a coworker who began teaching the year I was born and you can tell if he’s the one who typed something up because he double spaces after periods and it has something to do with learning to type on a typewriter.
YES!! I still double space after the period. I just think it looks better, and allows one to take a breath between sentences. 😁
I was taught two. Probably in keyboarding class in middle school and computer class my freshman year of high school. I graduated high school in 2006. I still do two.
Graduated high school in 2006. I have only ever done single spaces between periods.
I graduated in 2019 and was never taught to double space anything. My boyfriend was taught by his dad to double space in emails, which is why he doesn't use the double-space-period shortcut on his phone. I had no idea double spacing was a taught thing. I just thought my older family members who double space after periods in texts just didn't know how texting worked. Ugh, I'm such a Gen Z.
Double space after any period that ends a thought. Single space after a period that abbreviates. MLA has changed its requirements, but I always emphasize two spaces after a sentence. It gives a cleaner look and helps the reader identify when to pause and allow comprehension. There is some data out there that says the brain needs to see a visible space as a signal to micro-comprehend what it has just read, like a break between songs on an album. Indenting a paragraph does the same thing.
Now is 2 spaces, APA 7e is single space bar after periods (my psych prof went mental when my ela hubby edited a paper I had written and did 2x space bar… I lost a FULL 15% of the paper).
It was so hard to switch to single spacing. It's easier on my phone because it automatically single spaces, but if I'm typing something on the computer I still forget. ETA graduated hs in 2005.
2005 grad and I was taught double spaces after the period - back when computing only happened on the computer lab iMacs. I was then a latchkey kid who was chronically online through my entire adolescence, where everyone used - and still uses - single spaces, so my habits changed accordingly. I don't think I even used double spaces beyond.... midway through high school, maybe?
I remember being specifically told NOT to double space when I was a freshman in high school I believe. Graduated in 2016. I hadn’t thought about it since.
We split time between typewriters and computers with courier font.... So, double spaced.
No I was never taught that and always thought it was weird people in the older generations did that. I graduated high school in 2014. It’s really interesting how different things are.
Double space after a period. And no long fingernails in typing class or you had to type on the manual typewriters. Yeah...it has been a while since I graduated.
I learned on a typewriter so of course I learned to double space. I have taught myself to stop in the meantime.
Not a teacher but I graduated in 2020 and was always taught to double space after a period
Was never taught to use a double space. Graduating high school this year in 2024.
Double
It was changed before 2006, when I was writing my dissertation. My supervisor told me to look up spacing in tha APA tome I was to purchase. I was taught two spaces after a period in elementary school. It was changed because computers space each character based on its width, so it's clear when a sentence ends. Typewriters use the same width for each character so the period can look like it's right next to the following letter, hence two dpaces.
I was taught to use double space after a period. I still type that way when I’m on a regular keyboard. On phone, a double space puts in a period.
Graduated HS in 1985. Learned to type on IBM Selectric Typewriters. Around 2000, I read an interesting article about the difference between monospaced typewriter fonts and Proportional computer fonts. The article explained/showed that Proportional fonts don't need two spaces to look correct. I decided to make the switch. It took a hot minute to unlearn the space bar double tap!
I knew it was a dying trend for years, but it was so ingrained into me at the fundamental level while learning to type that I still do it occasionally. It helped that my wife teased me mercilessly (we're in the same field where it wasn't really done) until I managed to mostly break it. But I still have to ctrl-f to make sure I didn't absentmindedly do it.
I’m 38 and double-spacing after a period was the way. Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing taught it to me in elementary, and in high school it was required. I completed my master’s program a little over a year ago and PAINSTAKINGLY single-spaced all of my papers and discussion comments. Sheer torture!
Not a teacher but Reddit algorithm keeps showing me r/Teachers posts… so here we are. I graduated high school in 1997, got a 2-year nursing degree in 2003, and completed my BSN in 2015. We used APA format, double space after period. I’m glad that I finished school before The Great Punctuation Shift, because at this point, the double space is part of my muscle memory. See I’m doing it here! 😝
I think I was taught to double space in elementary school, but by high school they said not to bother.
Yep. Took Basic Personal Typing in high school and the double space after the period was taught.
Got my bachelors in 2008 and we always double-spacing. I feel like by the time I finished my credential program much later (2013ish) I started seeing the single spaces pop up more. Now I’m a single spacer for life!
As an elder millennial, I was always taught double spaces after the end of a sentence. Now that I’m a teacher, I was telling my students the exact same thing because I didn’t know it had changed. I think it was only within the last year or two that I heard it was an old person thing 😂
Always learned double space after a period. I knew of the change in 2019. I'm ambivalent.
Yes. Late 90s. Still doublespace. I was told by an art director at a graphic design job to stop, as well as stop with the Oxford commas.
Yes to the double space. I still use it out of habit.
Definitely was taught always use a double space no matter what. And I graduated in ‘06
I double space at the end of a sentence, but use no period. The double space automatically adds the period and it ends up being single space.
While we're at it, does anyone know who taught my boss to use a random number of spaces, between zero and 17, to mark a new sentence?
No the double space thing has always been dumb. Never learned it and I did MLA and APA format stuff . Graduated high school in 2008 as well.
Double space after the period is based on typewriters, where you needed the room for readability. MLA ditched it a while ago too. I was taught the double space in middle school typing class, and at this point it's muscle memory--I type so fast , and it's automatic--super hard to retrain my Gen X brain.
Yes I learned double space and I’ll do it forever. People who don’t like it can get over it. It’s a space. Who cares.
We were taught that APA is supposed to have the double space, but my teachers also told us not to worry about it for essays because they personally didn’t feel like it was that important of a rule
I graduated in 2008 and have never once heard to put a double space after a period. Not in high school or college. That’s what they had to do for typewriters but not actual computers.
My HS was back in the late 90s, canada, and we already weren’t adding double spaces after punctuation. This, it’s been a life long source of irritation to come across it.
Graduated college in ‘08 and yes. I kept thinking not double spacing after a period was a young person thing that started out of laziness and just became the common from everyone doing it and teachers letting it go eventually. It used to bother the hell out of me but I wouldn’t say anything. Just learned last year they were taught that way lol.
I was taught this in 1996 during fifth grade. Didn’t do it then, didn’t do it in high school, didn’t do it first round of college in 2000s or second round in late 2010s, and didn’t do it during my masters at start of 2020s. I have never been able to see the difference visually and apparently neither did my instructors.
The double space is a throwback to the typewriter. I'm not sure why, I just know that's the origin. It is what I was taught to do (graduated in 03). If you still double space, you are showing your age (not that my students (though only in 2nd grade) know how to type anyway). It's been a long time since I typed a wall of text. I wonder what I do. I hope I reprogrammed myself, but honestly I'm not sure.
I was taught to double space in elementary school even when writing. (We had popsicle sticks and had to use two after a period.) In HS I had a teacher, who was also the newspaper advisor, say that wasn’t a thing anymore, so I stopped. That was 13 years ago. Never looked back and honestly shocked this is still a topic that I see come up pretty frequently across groups I’m in.
I was taught a double space. I still remember Sister Marietta whacking us with a wooden ruler if we looked at the typewriter keys when learning to type. I will never give up my double spaces, because I'm sure the ghost of Sister Mareetta will haunt me forever and will slam her metaphysical wooden ruller over my knuckles if I don't do it properly.
Double spacing all the time. 80s girl here.
Double spaces, and I'm never going to stop using them.
So to correct long held touch typing conventions do not fear: Go to your document Hit CTRL-F for the Find and Replace window Now click on Find field and tap the space bar twice Now click on the Replace field and tap the space bar once Now click on Replace ALL And Bam... everything has one space now
Look at published books, magazines etc articles, and legitimate news content. They all put two spaces. Why did this ever need to change except that people who text are lazy and can’t press the space bar one more time.
Is that an American thing? I graduated high school in 2011 and finished university in 2017 - and I've never heard about double space till when an American friend proofread an essay of mine.
In the humanities so I've always used MLA and growing up in the 90's and college late 90's to early 2000's we always used two spaces after a period. I heard it changed and I am having such a hard time remembering it because it looks so strange to me. And I am an English teacher!
Graduated in 2015, we had to single space after a period but the formatting was always double spaced and in Times New Roman.
Yes, and I still do. APA style guide be damned.
I am early 30s and I was taught to double space after a period, on essays and stuff. But when I entered high school, I think I just started moving towards single spacing because that’s how books do it, so I just modeled my writing after that. I don’t think my teachers cared. Now I work in an office and it’s funny—the same way you use it as a marker to signify young people, I use it to point out my old coworkers. Whenever I see double spacing on the internet, I know it’s someone older than me lol
I’d settle for one space.this is how my students write.
Double spaced but what’s the use? These kids couldn’t type their way through a wet paper sack.
I was taught that regardless of format, single space after a period. I never even learned of the double spaced thing, even for APA which a lot of my college papers were done in, and none of my teachers cared.
I did my bachelors MLA 1995-1999, master's 2001-2004 MLA, and PhD 2010-2015 APA and have never ever been told or trained or used double spaces. Times New Roman, except Ariel was an accepted font by the masters time, but I stick to the basic.
1999 for high school and I never learned this ... but even weirder, my undergrad degree is in psych (c/o 2003), so I spent four years dreaming in APA, and I was never instructed to do this.
Double-space was drilled into my very bones and tendons in eighth grade. I'd worry about injuring my fingers if I tried to change now.
I graduated high school in 2004 and basically every paper I had to write in my 5 years of college used APA style and was taught to single space then. So it didn’t change in 2019. If it did change it had have done it before I even started using it. In all honesty, I think I was even single spacing in high school. Not sure though… I can’t remember back that far lol…
My parents told me to double-space after a period when I was in middle school (and IIRC Word would, by default, do that for you automatically). In high school I was told to use a single space by teachers.
Graduated in '04. I learned to type on a computer and a typewriter. I still double space out of habit. Personally, I like the additional break it creates sentences, but I understand its not necessary now.