Another grammar, punctuation question!

[Jan]

When I was learning typing way back in1960, we were taught to put two spaces after the full stop. I still do it because I got into the habit. I also think that it makes the work easier to read.

[ryanlaur]

Originally Posted by Jan

When I was learning typing way back in1960, we were taught to put two spaces after the full stop. I still do it because I got into the habit. I also think that it makes the work easier to read.

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I also was taught to use 2 spaces after a full stop and agree that it makes it easier to read too.

[cheekydeeky]

I was also taught to put two spaces after a full stop so that's what I do. I correct any work that's sent to me with one space .

[Bianca]

I was taught two spaces after a full stop, as well. I agree the spacing makes paragraphs easier to read.

I don't think The Dibb software allows us to leave two spaces in posts. I type it out of habit and often end up starting a whole new line!

[Fuellady]

Originally Posted by abiknox

On a separate note, hubby called me crazy the other day for telling him to put two spaces after a full stop. Is this not the norm anymore? When I Googled it, people seemed to think it was a bit old school and not necessary anymore with computers doing all the spacing work for us.

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Yes! Absolutely there should be 2 spaces after a full stop. The young ones in my office do my head in not typing letters properly, no correct spacing at the top between the date and address etc. And don't get me started on their filing, when did we start filing under the letter of people's first names?

In regards to the original post, I agree with most on here that normally punctuation would be outside the brackets.

[bearandbuzz]

Originally Posted by scoobydooby

But the ? contains the full stop as well as the question part. So the extra full stop is, well, extra! I was taught that ? marks go outside of the brackets unless the question is in brackets in the middle of a longer sentence. That was 35 years ago though...

I suggest we meet at 10am (if that is manageable?) outside the park gates.

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I completely agree with you, yours is a much better example than mine. That was the point I was trying to make (poorly). I was struggling to think of an example with the question in the middle

[Gill H]

Another two spacer here. Anyone who learned on a manual typewriter like me probably has it ingrained by now. Since the advent of computers it is apparently regarded as wrong. But it's too late for me!

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by scoobydooby

I suggest we meet at 10am (if that is manageable?) outside the park gates.

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To me, it wouldn't matter where the bit in parentheses was in the sentence. I'd treat it the same.

So...

I suggest we meet at 10am (if that is manageable?) outside the park gates.

I suggest we meet at 10am outside the park gates (if that is manageable?).

Both would be correct.

The question mark can't go outside the parentheses because the sentence outside is not a question. It's only the sentence inside the parentheses that's a question and hence it needs a question mark.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by abiknox

On a separate note, hubby called me crazy the other day for telling him to put two spaces after a full stop. Is this not the norm anymore?

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I was never taught to put two spaces after a full stop and, until recently, never knew it was a "thing". Mind you, I never learned how to type so that probably explains it.

Why do you need extra spaces after the full stop? I mean, the full stop tells you it's the end of the sentence so why the need to further highlight this with extra space? Do you also put an extra space after other punctuation, like commas or colons or ellipses?

When handwriting a letter do you put a bigger space after a full stop than between words?

Interestingly, forums like this actually remove double spaces. Perhaps they are trying to tell you something?

[Guest]

I was packed off to typing evening classes when I was about 15 in the mid 80s, my mother thought it would mean I could always do at least one job!

Anyway yes, two spaces after a full stop and just the one after a comma. I still do it now and just did then.