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Grammar Style Issues

Episode 11: September 7, 2006
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by Mignon Fogarty

Today's topic is style guides.

It's true that when it comes to grammar there are a lot of hard and fast rules; but it's also true that there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of issues that are dictated by style. I know it would be so much easier if the rules were just black and white, and I could always just tell you what to do -- I like to tell people what to do -- but in a lot of cases you're just going to have to decide on your own.

Here's an example: there is an e-mail list for writers that I subscribe to where the people are practically in a flame war right now about whether there should be one or two spaces after the period at the end of the sentence. These people are surprisingly militant about spaces. Honestly, it kind of scares me; but regardless of what you think about the issue, the bottom line is that it's enough of an unresolved point that it's a matter of style. You should just find out what the style is of the people you are writing for and do it that way.

So, back to the topic: what's a style guide? A style guide is a document that is typically put together by editors, managers, or producers to define how they want their writers to handle all the unresolved writing and grammar problems that arise (and, believe me, they do arise on an almost hourly basis.) It can include almost anything the creator wants it to, but a style guide typically covers things like

grammar issues
spelling issues
formatting issues
general writing recommendations

A grammar issue might be whether to capitalize the first letter of a full sentence after a colon. (I don't.) A spelling issue might be whether to use the American or British spelling of a word. (I use American spelling.) A formatting issue might be what font to use for a specific section of the document or web page. (If I'm referring to a specific word in the blog, I make it bold.) (And finally) A general writing recommendation might be whether jargon is allowed. (I try not to use jargon, or at least to define it when I do use it.)

A style guide is a very, very good thing for editors. It will keep them from wasting time reworking documents to fit their preferences. (And) A style guide is a very, very good thing for companies and publications. It keeps all their works consistent, which makes their overall offering feel more professional. People might not consciously notice it, but they'll feel like something is wrong if things aren't consistent from page to page. A style guide is also a pretty good thing for writers, because it saves them from spending time waffling about which way to do things (and from fighting about it on e-mail lists). It can also save writers from offending unreasonable editors who have strong preferences that they otherwise fail to communicate. [Note: I would never write very, very* in a document, but it's the way I talk, so it's in the transcript.]

So, the bottom line is when you start a project with a new company or publication always try to get the style guide, and if you hire writers make sure you have a style guide to give them.

That's all. As always, this is Grammar Girl, striving to be your friendly guide in the writing world. You'll find a transcript of this podcast at QuickAndDirtyTips.com. I've also added a new box in the sidebar at the website, called Grammar Girl Essentials, that lists my favorite grammar and writing books. Thank you to everyone who has left reviews at iTunes, I really appreciate it; and if you're sitting at your computer right now and haven't already left a review, why don't you do it right now? It doesn't hurt nearly as much as seeing two spaces after a period. (And) Finally, if you'd like to call in a question, the number is 206-338-GIRL.

* I changed my mind later, and now whenever I refer to a word I make it italic.

Sample Style Guides

The Economist This is the closest thing I can find online to the kind of house style guide I'm talking about in this episode.
American Psychological Society
Samford University Style Manual

Diversions

This is cool: A Language Map

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notyourmomsminivan
8/19/2009 11:01:50 AM

Thanks Grammar Girl for all your great tips! You always seem to have an answer for my question of the day!

Erica in Texas
2/8/2009 11:40:02 PM

I am from the two-spaces school of thought.__I am enforcing it via underscores because the software for this site will remove one of them against my wishes.__It is simply easier to read and find one's place within a paragraph after having glanced away.__Certainly there is something negative to be said for the cramped appearance of single space, it can be as distracting as poorly spaced words of forced justification.

John from Lorain
11/3/2008 8:49:08 AM

In my first sentence, please delete the comma after the word, "better." Aha! I see that the blogging software deleted one of my two spaces after each period. Naughty, naughty!

John from Lorain
11/3/2008 8:46:13 AM

When I was young (in the 1950s and 1960s), I used one space, defying people who insisted that using two spaces was better, to help readers (whose eyes look ahead) to anticipate the coming end of a sentence. When I got a little older, I realized that I had been wrong to use just one space, and I switched to two, because I think that it makes the text look much cleaner and less cramped. It also helps older people to perceive "end-of-sentence," even if their eyes may have trouble seeing a period.

I recommend that everyone use two spaces, regardless of whether they are using a kerned or monospaced typeface.

PS: If this message of mine has appeared with just one space between sentences, it was the fault of the blogging software, which must have deleted one of my two spaces!

Jessica
1/20/2008 7:22:48 PM

Thanks so much for providing such useful information on your site! I wanted to let you know about an update you might consider making to your Sample Style Guides section: You list the American Psychological Society and link to the American Psychological Association, also APS has been (somewhat recently) renamed to the Association for Psychological Science. Thanks again!

mseik
9/23/2007 7:57:43 PM

Well, this is actually pretty simple. There are regulations that a clearly stated for each of the major professional arenas:

AP Style (journalism): "SPACING: Use a single space after a period at the end of a sentence."

Chicago Manual 6.11 (writers, publishers, proofreaders, editors, formatters/graphic designers): "[i]Space between sentences.[/i]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, a question mark, an exclamation point, or closing quotation marks."

MLA has already been quoted here, and APA (American Psychological Association) style manual, used in behavioral health and human services organizations, also stipulates one space after punctuation.

If you're sending an email to a friend, put as many spaces as you can dream of. If your writing is going to be formatted, reviewed, or published in any format, the across-the-board rule is one space.

Simple, utilitarian, concise, easy to remember, what's not to like? ...and I'm also confident people can find much more scintillating topics to get fired up about!

Grammar Girl
9/18/2007 10:35:19 PM

I just discovered an entry on the Modern Language Association website about the number of spaces that should go after a period. (They favor one space.)

http://www.mla.org/style/style_faq/style_faq3

aardvark
7/14/2007 4:40:26 PM

Priya,
What type of formal mail communication are you asking about?
aardvark is confused about the Tom part. If the communication is formal, wouldn't you be calling Tom by his last name?

Dear Mr. Thumb,
Dear Mr. Brokaw,

Give aardvark an example, and he will endeavor to answer your question.

Sincerely,
Judge aardvark

Priya
7/12/2007 8:31:43 PM

What do you think about using "Hi" to address people in a formal mail communication? something like "Hi Tom, ..."

scott
5/2/2007 8:47:41 AM

Does anyone have experiance dealing with style guides in translation work?

Gayle
1/18/2007 6:50:27 PM

For all you people still using two spaces after a period and are not pounding your prose on an Old Royal (I have an antique typewriter somewhere in the basement on which I'd have to use two spaces because of the fixed type)--just look at those rivers of white space flowing through your word-processed/typeset document. What a distraction! Those rivers always take me away from the words--the opposite of what you want. From a designer's perspective, it's like having your readers slip away subliminally through your text.

Grammar Girl
9/24/2006 7:03:17 PM

Hi Bill,

Great explaination! Thanks. The semicolon is definitely on my list of topics for future episodes, so you addiction will be fed.

GG

Bill Dawson
9/24/2006 6:32:10 PM

In my comment. I mistakenly wrote "...one period or two...." Oops. If you post my comment, can you please edit me and change it to "space"? Thank you.

Bill Dawson
9/24/2006 6:23:19 PM

Dear GG,

One space or two after a period? It's not a matter of style or preference; it's a matter of typography. I know others have commented in on this and it remains a hot button topic. I am a graphic designer and I have designed typefaces. I'd like to phrase a similar explanation in my own words.

If you are using a monospaced typeface, it is correct to use two spaces after punctuation that ends a sentence.

In a monospaced typeface, ever letter occupies the same amount of space. Monospaced fonts are still in common use. One example is scriptwriting, where the specific format of a script allows filmmakers and producers to deduce the running time based on page count. One page equals approximately one minute of screen time. With monospaced typefaces, two spaces are necessary to adequately signify a break between sentences.

If you are using any other "kerned" typeface, it is correct to use one space.

Kerning is the space between letters and other characters. A kerned typeface (e.g., Times Roman, Helvetica) has "kerning pairs" built into it. This determines how best to fit letters together. Kerning pairs, if created properly, will allow two letters (e.g., "Y" and "o") to be properly nested. Yo. A period in a properly kerned typeface has the precise amount of space built in and only one space should follow a period. Adding two spaces after a period adds too much space and noticeable gaps will appear in the block of text.

Here's and illustration using your own words:

Here's an example: there is an email list for writers that I subscribe to where the people are practically in a flame war right now about whether there should be one or two spaces after the period at the end of the sentence. These people are surprisingly militant about spaces. Honestly, it kind of scares me; but regardless of what you think about the issue, the bottom line is that it's enough of an unresolved point that it's a matter of style. You should just find out what the style is of the people you are writing for and do it that way.

Using two spaces here is incorrect.

...

Hey could you cover correct usage of the semicolon? I'm a semicolon addict; I need help.

I love the podcast. Keep up the great work.

Grammar Girl
9/15/2006 3:03:26 AM

I actually agree with you completely, but there are enough people (including
editors) who don't agree that I still think it's a matter or style, and that
working writers have to do whatever their client wants on the matter.

I
was more adamant about using one space before I was subjected to the contentious
debate about the subject on a writing listserv. I estimate that at least 1/3 of
the posters were in the two-space camp. People even pulled books off shelves and
produced examples of multiple published books with two spaces. That was what
really sealed the deal for me: if there are still published works with two
spaces, then it's still a matter of style. They said the works were current and
easy to find, although I find it hard to believe and am just take their word on
it. The other example that was kind of compelling was that two spaces make it
easier for the reader when there is a sentence that ends with an abbreviation
requiring a period. Nevertheless, two-spacers are in the minority and I would
bet that in another 10 years it won't be an issue anymore. Everyone will use one
space. (If the podcast had been about spaces after periods rather than style
guides, I would have gone into all these pros and cons, but we only have about
three minutes per show and I wanted to keep it focused on style guides.)

Perry
9/15/2006 3:02:12 AM

Great podcast. It's great to hear an educational podcast. It's the only podcast I've found interesting enough to subscribe to. However, i would like to address your comment about spaces after a period. I don't agree that it's a style, there was a reason we started to put two spaces after a period, and a reason we stopped.

I have this pre-canned for clients: When many of us learned to type, it was on a typewriter, not a computer. On a typewriter, the space of the character “i” was the same as the space of the character “W”. To make a page of copy (text) easier to read, it was beneficial to have the extra space in between sentences to alert your eye to a break in text. With the advent of computers, the spaces between letters have unique values now, so putting two spaces after a period is not only incorrect, but actually works in the reverse fashion, making it harder to read a sentence.

This is why every professionally published book book or magazine that I've ever seen has one space after the period.

As you can see by this email, my grammar is far from perfect, but I am pretty sure I'm right about the number of spaces after a period.

Grammar Girl
9/13/2006 3:08:18 AM

Fabulous! Thank you.

Scott M.
9/13/2006 2:35:21 AM

Hey GG...

Don't know if you've ever come across the delightful "Words of Woe and Wonder" segment of the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) website, but it's right up your alley. This article speaks directly to some style issues:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/words/internet_i.html

Enjoy!

Grammar Girl
9/12/2006 10:45:34 PM

Thank You Siong. I'm very glad to help. Consider me a dose of grammar coffee to combat the boredom. (You noted elsewhere that the comment spellchecker isn't working. It works in a pop-up box, so if you have a pop-up blocker that could be the problem.) - GG

Grammar Girl
9/12/2006 10:42:48 PM

Hi Cade,

Thanks so much for adding a designer's perspective. I had heard that designers prefer one space, but was hesitant to make it as a statement of fact since I'm not a designer and had not verified the "rumor" myself. I always use one space after a period, and my impression is that you are correct that whether people prefer one or two spaces has to do with how long ago they learned to type.

I'm definitely with you in the one-space camp, but it's still a contentious enough issue that writers should check with the style guide to see what their editors prefer.

Thanks again!

GG

siong
9/12/2006 9:34:32 PM

Been search for free grammar helps and studies for while, this is the best for chronic grammar defficient fellas like me which similar sites usually bore me as fast as super strength sleeping pill.

Thank You.

Cade
9/12/2006 5:35:40 PM

Hey there, I am a new listener and I just finished listening to a second show, your number 11. As a communication designer, let me tell you the basis for the one or two period after a sentence issue. It is concerning typography. Now that desktop computers can easily adjust the space between characters, letters, et cetera, placing a double space after a sentence is unnecessary for visual appeal. People who first learned work processing over a decade ago, were all taught to put two spaces after a sentence, because fonts were all mono-spaced, meaning that each letter fit tightly into the same rectangular space. Now that we have vector fonts, defined by lines, rather than pixels, the space between sentences appears to break up a large visual block of space. There appears to have large white chunks of uncomfortable visual space throughout.

As for propriety, only a designer or typographer truly cares about the difference between one space or two. For the layman, two is perfectly acceptable, though a savvy one will put only one.

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