Quick help sought

OK, last night at the ballfield a pitcher gave me a quote "I weren't throwing the ball well that inning."

1) Do I change it to "wasn't throwing" because "weren't throwing" isn't grammatically correct, even though he got it right with "well that inning" ??

2) "weren't" (insert verb here) is accepted New England vernacular.

3) As editors we're supposed to make people look better than they are, but I'm torn on this one. He's a 15-year-old kid for reference.

Suggestions?

 

Just change it to wasn't.

It won't be the end of the world and the kid is ust 15.

 

Xan,

Paraphrase:

John Doe says he weren't "throwing the ball well that inning."

That way you let him off the hook for the poor grammar and everything is cool.

 

If "weren't" is vernacular, then you could probably go with it. Or you could use (wasn't) in the quote.

 

if it's vernacular, it's fine. if not, then it makes him look bad.

that said, i've never heard an editor's job described as "supposed to make people look better than they are."

 

No, but I'd like to think we'd all have the decency to NOT assist in making someone sound like a semi-literate moron when it can easily be avoided.

 

Unless we're quoting the President.

 

Yeah. That would be a full-time job.