Spaces after punctuation

[Fran26]

Ny version of Word, (2007 French) inserts spaces after punctuation marks. When I upload these texts, The program on the site interprets those spaces as errors and I get rejected,
I have resorted to removing them by hand, but this is fastidious.
Does anyone know of a better way?
Merci
Fran26

 

[driphoney]

Do an Edit | Find. Then put two spaces (not words!) in the "find" slot and put one space (not words!) in the "replace" slot.

I no longer have Word, so cannot double check that I'm telling you right, but I'm sure someone will come along and correct me if I have it wrong.

Must still be a French standard, because US English is now a single space after the period and colon.

 

[michchick98]

Do an Edit | Find. Then put two spaces (not words!) in the "find" slot and put one space (not words!) in the "replace" slot.

I no longer have Word, so cannot double check that I'm telling you right, but I'm sure someone will come along and correct me if I have it wrong.

Must still be a French standard, because US English is now a single space after the period and colon.

Actually, I think in business letter format, the double spaces after a period is still the norm.

And yes, you did give the right method of "Find and Replace" and after the spaces are added in the appropriate areas of the box (two spaces in "Find" and one in "Replace") then hit "Replace All" and Word will do what you've asked and tell you how many have been replaced.

I edit for a fellow author who still has a bad habit of adding double spaces and the first thing I do every time I edit for her is the "Find and Replace All" for her double spaces.

ETA: Although, I don't know if the "Find and Replace All" method will work the same with the French version of Word 2007. I don't see why not, but still...

 

[sr71plt]

Actually, I think in business letter format, the double spaces after a period is still the norm.

Nope. The double space came in with the typewriter and there's no reason why it didn't leave with the typewriter. Since the beginning of printing, printers have put a space plus a bit extra leading after all terminal punctuation. The typewriter couldn't do this, so two spaces were dictated. The computer does do this with nonproportional fonts, so there's no need to continue doing something that was done just because the typewriter required it.

Check out Robin Williams, The PC Is Not a Typewriter (also in a Mac edition).

There are other procedures (e.g., underlining for italics and proportional font) that we only did because of the typewriter's limitations.

 

[buxxxom]

Do an Edit | Find. Then put two spaces (not words!) in the "find" slot and put one space (not words!) in the "replace" slot.

I no longer have Word, so cannot double check that I'm telling you right, but I'm sure someone will come along and correct me if I have it wrong.

Must still be a French standard, because US English is now a single space after the period and colon.

Really? No more double space following end punctuation? I don't think I'll ever unlearn and relearn something different. Trying to, even with this sentence, was difficult!

 

[sr71plt]

Really? No more double space following end punctuation?

Not for about twenty years, no. Lots of people just didn't get the memo on this.

Again, the typewriter forced us to do some things we didn't want to do--couldn't replicate for printing formats. Ever since the computers came in, we can do most of these things again. So why hang on to obsolete technology that we didn't want in the first place?

 

[mynameisben]

Not for about twenty years, no. Lots of people just didn't get the memo on this.

Again, the typewriter forced us to do some things we didn't want to do--couldn't replicate for printing formats. Ever since the computers came in, we can do most of these things again. So why hang on to obsolete technology that we didn't want in the first place?

Yeah, I dunno, young man. I'm still hooked on telegraph sex.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Not for about twenty years, no. Lots of people just didn't get the memo on this.

Again, the typewriter forced us to do some things we didn't want to do--couldn't replicate for printing formats. Ever since the computers came in, we can do most of these things again. So why hang on to obsolete technology that we didn't want in the first place?

Ever since I started printing with block letters many years ago, I have had a space between words and a slightly larger space after the end of a sentence. I am now trying to change this and insert one space after terminal punctuation, and this is a hassle. Maybe I can use that find and change maneuver.

 

[sr71plt]

Ever since I started printing with block letters many years ago, I have had a space between words and a slightly larger space after the end of a sentence. I am now trying to change this and insert one space after terminal punctuation, and this is a hassle. Maybe I can use that find and change maneuver.

The point is that, using the computer, you aren't really inserting just one space. The computer is doing what the printer does--adding a bit more than one space after terminal punctuation. If you continue the typewriter procedure of putting in two spaces, you actually are putting in far more space than a printer would. (*sigh*)

It's not hard to relearn. I'm a technological dolt and I managed without any trouble at all.

 

[_Lynn_]

You can set the proofing option in Word to one space. If there's more you get the green lines pointing out the error.

 

[squarejohn]

I haven't used Word since Christ was a corporal, but I seem to remember that in one of the drop-down menus you could format how the text would shape up. You could add or subtract spaces not only between words and sentences, but also between lines.

 

[mynameisben]

I haven't used Word since Christ was a corporal, but I seem to remember that in one of the drop-down menus you could format how the text would shape up. You could add or subtract spaces not only between words and sentences, but also between lines.

Christ was a corporal?

Oh, duh! In the Salvation Army. I guess he got promoted. It helps having a dad in high places.

 

[sr71plt]

I haven't used Word since Christ was a corporal, but I seem to remember that in one of the drop-down menus you could format how the text would shape up. You could add or subtract spaces not only between words and sentences, but also between lines.

Between lines, yes. I've never seen such for between words (but, of course, never had a reason to go looking for it, either). But Word's loaded with processes I don't know about and Word doesn't bother to tell anyone about.

 

[mynameisben]

But Words loaded with processes I don't know about and Word doesn't bother to tell anyone about.

Don't feel bad. All Microsoft products are loaded with processes that even they don't know about.

 

[driphoney]

I edit for a fellow author who still has a bad habit of adding double spaces and the first thing I do every time I edit for her is the "Find and Replace All" for her double spaces.

I had an editor go though and change all my singles to doubles and I had to go back and edit the edit. Oddly, the person posts (or maybe that's "posted") on Lit, so you'd think they would know if it's an issue.

Really? No more double space following end punctuation? I don't think I'll ever unlearn and relearn something different. Trying to, even with this sentence, was difficult!

Aww. Sure you can! Pretty soon your thumb will be tap, tap, tapping a single hit dance.

Don't feel bad. All Microsoft products are loaded with processes that even they don't know about.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Actually, I think in business letter format, the double spaces after a period is still the norm.

And yes, you did give the right method of "Find and Replace" and after the spaces are added in the appropriate areas of the box (two spaces in "Find" and one in "Replace") then hit "Replace All" and Word will do what you've asked and tell you how many have been replaced.

I edit for a fellow author who still has a bad habit of adding double spaces and the first thing I do every time I edit for her is the "Find and Replace All" for her double spaces.

ETA: Although, I don't know if the "Find and Replace All" method will work the same with the French version of Word 2007. I don't see why not, but still...

Is it necessary to do that? Lately, I have started separating sentences with a single space, but I have about 300 stories posted with double spacing.

 

[sr71plt]

Is it necessary to do that? Lately, I have started separating sentences with a single space, but I have about 300 stories posted with double spacing.

Why bother doing anything with stories already posted? It's not that big of a deal.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Why bother doing anything with stories already posted? It's not that big of a deal.

That's what I would think, but MC tells us she changes the spacing when she edits somebody's stories.

 

[Fran26]

Many thanks for the replies.
The search double space and replace with a single one seems to work, it is a lot faster that doing it by hand one at the time.
Thanks all
Merci a tous
Francine (Fran26)

 

[_Lynn_]

That's what I would think, but MC tells us she changes the spacing when she edits somebody's stories.

I have as well, but not for stories already posted.

 

[Darkniciad]

My motor memory just inserts the two spaces automatically because that's the way I was trained on the typewriter. I suppose I could unlearn it, but I honestly don't care that much *laugh*

Never had any trouble with them going through when posted to Lit. It's probably an issue with the way your version of Word works. I have the same problem with em dashes and a couple of other little things because I write in Wordperfect. They never got rejected, but things displayed wrong in the final posting. ( looked fine in preview )

I end up find/replacing them with the html special character code just to make sure they display correctly.

 

[Carnevil9]

If you have trouble breaking your double-space habit, but don't want double spaces to appear in your writing, you can use the "Auto Correct" feature of Word. It's under "tools." You basically tell it: "when I type X, replace it with Y." Works like a charm.......Carney

 

[Boxlicker101]

If you have trouble breaking your double-space habit, but don't want double spaces to appear in your writing, you can use the "Auto Correct" feature of Word. It's under "tools." You basically tell it: "when I type X, replace it with Y." Works like a charm.......Carney

I think it would be better to use "find and replace" when I'm writing stories. It's easy enough to do as part of editing, and sometimes I might want that extra space.

 

[sr71plt]

sometimes I might want that extra space.

For what? I can't think of any use for it in publishing.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boxlicker101
sometimes I might want that extra space.

For what? I can't think of any use for it in publishing.

I do more with Word than just write dirty stories.