Editing Tip(s) of the Day

I'll be sharing one or more tips I’ve learned over the years:

ONE SPACE between sentences. Typewriters use characters that are mono-spaced, meaning each letter or character is the same size as the other (see example). Whereas computers and most fonts use proportional spacing, meaning each letter or character takes up as much space as it needs horizontally (e.g. ‘m’ takes up more space than an ‘i’). Here's just one reference: desktoppub.about.com/cs/typespacing/a/onetwospaces.htm

Periods and commas go inside quote marks (single and double). As far as I know this rule is for the U.S.A. only as in England they put periods and commas outside the quote marks. Question marks and other punctuation depend upon the context. If you have a quote with a question mark in it then it goes inside. If you’re asking a question, the question mark will more likely than not go outside the quote marks. Here's just one reference: www.kentlaw.edu/academics/lrw/grinker/LwtaQuotation_Marks.htm