Prescott (1796-1859) was a brilliant historian.
It is said (and I can believe that it is true) that many still believe in witches.
It was at that moment [10 A.M.], the colonel goes on to say, that his superior officer [General Smith] met him.
=103. The Dash.=--The dash is used to indicate a sudden change in thought or construction. Two dashes have the general effect of parentheses.
Yes--no--I scarcely know what to say. You were saying that-- I suppose--but why should I tell you? His father, his mother, his brothers, his sisters,--all are dead. At last he succeeded in opening the box and found in it--nothing. He had two constant motives--love of man and love of God. The two motives--love of man and love of God--were constant.
=104. The Apostrophe.=--The apostrophe is used (1) to indicate the omission of a letter or letters, (2) in forming the possessive case, and (3) in forming the plurals of letters and figures.
Don't, shan't, o'er, John's, horses', his abc's.
=105. Quotation Marks.=--Double inverted commas indicate that the inclosed matter is a quotation. Single inverted commas indicate a quotation within a quotation. Double quotation marks are also sometimes used to indicate the title of a book, magazine, or newspaper, or the name of a ship. See also § 106.
A direct quotation is one in which the exact words of a speaker or writer are repeated. When a direct quotation is broken by words of the author, each part of the quotation should be inclosed in quotation marks.
A short informal quotation, if it constitutes a sentence, is preceded by a comma or a comma and a dash. If a quotation is long, or if it is desired to give it with a little more formality, it may be preceded by a colon. If the quotation begins a paragraph, it is preceded by a colon and a dash. See § 100, 1.
"To be or not to be." The word "coward" has never been applied to me. "Sir," said I, "you insult me." I said to him, "Sir, you insult me." This was his reply: "I tell you that he said only last night, 'You will never see me again.'" This "History of English Literature" is worth reading. The wreck of the "Polar Star."
An indirect quotation repeats the thought of some speaker or writer without giving his exact words. Quotation marks are not used to indicate indirect quotations.