Typing ???? when you type do you have to leave two spaces after each sentence ??

Question

I never do this in any of my school papers, and it is never mentioned by my teachers as a major typo but my mother protests its true. there's supposed to be one space after a comma and two after a period . is this information outdated ?

Answer 1

Proper punctuation is to leave two spaces between sentences.  I'm sure the rules are much more lax now, even though I still do it that way...

Answer 2

According to some formats (like MLA), I think it's true that you're supposed to place two spaces at the end of the sentence. Of course, it's just to make it easier to read, and nobody's going to notice the difference between one space and two, so you don't really need to sweat it.

Answer 3

When you start out in small elementary classes such as tech ed, they instruct you to do so. However, it hasn't really been mandatory or required. Therefore, this information may be a tad outdated (no offense to your mother, of course).

Answer 4

I have never heard this rule. I always leave 1 space after a period.  

Answer 5

It is standard teaching practice in typing to always leave two spaces after a period.  One after a comma, two after a colon and semi colon.  It has always been that way as long as I can remember.

Answer 6

It's generally hard to tell exactly how many spaces are used between words and symbols on a typed paper, but I think the rule is moreso in place to make the paper easier to read and less crowded looking, rather than to be a structural error.

Answer 7

That's what I learned.  Two spaces between sentences.

Answer 8

I just recently completed several computer courses in college. All of my instructors wanted one space after a period. Their reasoning was it saved the amount of keystrokes, thus cutting down on typing time. Considering I learned to put two spaces after a period, it was very difficult for me to master!