How do you punctuate this sentence:

[moonchild04]

The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” while comforting to children, many times is not true.

Is this correct? Do you need a comma after "adage"? Does the "s" in "sticks" need to be capitalized?

Grammar pros, please help!!!

[Canary42]

Conventionally, yes to both questions. The comma after me is NOT required.

[mike11111]

Yes
Yes
I would replace the last bit with: is often not true.

[Nibble]

The old adage "Sticks and stones...~" is how I'd do it. the first S is capitalised because it's the start of a quotation. The comma is wrong.

[mike11111]

I would say the comma after me is required to make the necessary pause.

[Nibble]

I agree with mike, that last clause reads awkwardly at the moment - I'd say "~may comfort children, but is often untrue."

[Nibble]

Yep, you don't need either comma, not after adage nor after me.

[Canary42]

On reflection I agree with Mike re comma after me, but it should be after the closing quotation marks I believe.

[Nibble]

The old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" may comfort children, but is often untrue.

That's how I'd write it.

[237SJ]

There shouldn`t be a comma after "bones"

[Nibble]

I think there should, the comma is separating the two clauses in the quotation.

[237SJ]

But is a "joining word" (like "and) so you don`t need a comma.

[Nibble]

True, but there are two schools of thought as to whether I should have put the comma after "true" in this sentence. It reads better to me.

[237SJ]

It reads better but there is school of thought that would say you don`t start a sentence with "true". You would start it with "That is true " and then the "but" would flow without the need for a comma.

[joggerjayne]

I'm in two minds about the comma and the "but".

Yes, "but" is a "joining word" ... a conjunction.

In this context, it's a "co-ordinating conjunction" (joining two parts of the sentence of equal importance), and cc's are often prededed by a comma.

eg. "We could discuss grammar now, BUT perhaps it can wait until morning."

(as distinct from sub-ordinating conjunctions which link a main clause and a sub-ordinate clause ...

eg. "I am tired BECAUSE I spend so much time on AB"

... where, I agree, the comma should be left out.

[boxtops]

I agree (and that was me posting ^^, I forgot to log nibble out) - just to say "true" is conversational, which is not always grammatically correct.

[moonchild04]

Thanks, I think I'll go with Nibble's advice. Much love!

[joggerjayne]

And, before anyone says it, I know that conjunctions can also be correlative and compound.

[boxtops]

I like the way jj puts it :-)

[joggerjayne]

I like the way Boxy puts it.

[Sir Alec]

When I was bullied on a daily basis at school, the words always hurt worse. I got over the physical stuff, I've never got over the cruel words.