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Usenet Posted 18 years ago
Usage
Space before ? or !
I always used to think that there should be a space between a word and a following exclamation mark or question mark. I'm not sure where I picked up the idea - several decades have passed since I started learning English in missionary school. In any case, I've noticed in recent years that most writers place either of the two punctuation marks right after the preceding word without any space in between. Is putting a space before ? or ! also an acceptable convention or have I simply been wrong all these years ?
Top answer
[nq:1]I always used to think that there should be a space between a word and a following exclamation mark or question mark. , « word »). But I have never been aware of such rules for English.
- [nq:1]I always used to think that there should be a space between a word and a following exclamation mark or question mark.
- , « word »).
- But I have never been aware of such rules for English.
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31 Answers
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[nq:1]I always used to think that there should be a space between a word and a following exclamation mark or question mark. I'm not sure where I picked up the idea - several decades have passed since I started learning English in missionary school.[/nq]
In French, there must be a space between a word and the following exclamation mark, question mark, semicolon, colon, as well as in the case of
In French, there must be a space between a word and the following exclamation mark, question mark, semicolon, colon, as well as in the case of
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[nq:1]I always used to think that there should be a space between a word and a following exclamation mark or ... a space before ? or ! also an acceptable convention or have I simply been wrong all these years ?[/nq]
I've seen it done, but it's always looked quite wrong to me it reads like a typographical affectation and any guides I've seen for non-native writers say "don't leave a space".
I've seen it done, but it's always looked quite wrong to me it reads like a typographical affectation and any guides I've seen for non-native writers say "don't leave a space".
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[nq:2]I always used to think that there should be a ... have passed since I started learning English in missionary school.[/nq]
[nq:1]In French, there must be a space between a word and the following exclamation mark, question mark, semicolon, colon, as well as in the case of quotation marks (e.g., « word »). But I have never been aware of such rules for English.[/nq]
[nq:2]In any case, I'
[nq:1]In French, there must be a space between a word and the following exclamation mark, question mark, semicolon, colon, as well as in the case of quotation marks (e.g., « word »). But I have never been aware of such rules for English.[/nq]
[nq:2]In any case, I'
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[nq:1]On 08 Jul 2008, pimpom wrote[/nq]
[nq:2]I always used to think that there should be a ... or have I simply been wrong all these years ?[/nq]
[nq:1]I've seen it done, but it's always looked quite wrong to me it reads like a typographical affectation ... such guide: http://www.learnenglish.d
[nq:2]I always used to think that there should be a ... or have I simply been wrong all these years ?[/nq]
[nq:1]I've seen it done, but it's always looked quite wrong to me it reads like a typographical affectation ... such guide: http://www.learnenglish.d
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[nq:1]One mistake on that page immediately caught my eye. In the topmost greyed area where it demonstrates proper usage of exclamation marks, it says "It was schocking!" A variant of Skitt's Law in action? Shocking!
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[nq:1]I certainly can't see any reason why one would use a space before a question mark, but none before a full stop.[/nq]
By chance, two books I've been dipping back into in the last few days both have the space before question marks, exclamation marks, colons, and semi-colons. They are the 1909 impression of the Everyman /Natural History of Selborne/ and the 1946 Penguin George Bernard Shaw
By chance, two books I've been dipping back into in the last few days both have the space before question marks, exclamation marks, colons, and semi-colons. They are the 1909 impression of the Everyman /Natural History of Selborne/ and the 1946 Penguin George Bernard Shaw
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[nq:2]I certainly can't see any reason why one would use a space before a question mark, but none before a full stop.[/nq]
[nq:1]By chance, two books I've been dipping back into in the last few days both have the space before question ... 1938 book on Australian bush life called /Flying Fox and Drifting Sand/ doesn't. More recent books don't use the space.[/nq]
I though I'd seen that somew
[nq:1]By chance, two books I've been dipping back into in the last few days both have the space before question ... 1938 book on Australian bush life called /Flying Fox and Drifting Sand/ doesn't. More recent books don't use the space.[/nq]
I though I'd seen that somew
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[nq:2]I always used to think that there should be a ... have passed since I started learning English in missionary school.[/nq]
[nq:1]In French, there must be a space between a word and the following exclamation mark, question mark, semicolon, colon, as well as in the case of quotation marks (e.g., « word »).[/nq]
That still applies in formal French typography: the rule applies to any punc
[nq:1]In French, there must be a space between a word and the following exclamation mark, question mark, semicolon, colon, as well as in the case of quotation marks (e.g., « word »).[/nq]
That still applies in formal French typography: the rule applies to any punc
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[nq:1]I always used to think that there should be a space between a word and a following exclamation mark or ... a space before ? or ! also an acceptable convention or have I simply been wrong all these years ?[/nq]
How can I resist? You have been wrong all these years!
GFH
How can I resist? You have been wrong all these years!
GFH
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[nq:2]In French, there must be a space between a word ... in the case of quotation marks (e.g., « word »).[/nq]
[nq:1]That still applies in formal French typography: the rule applies to any punctuation mark consisting of two or more parts ... before a semicolon (though you'll often see it in web pages constructed by people who don't know about non-breaking spaces).[/nq]
And sometimes in th
[nq:1]That still applies in formal French typography: the rule applies to any punctuation mark consisting of two or more parts ... before a semicolon (though you'll often see it in web pages constructed by people who don't know about non-breaking spaces).[/nq]
And sometimes in th
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