Gonna

If an interview says "gonna," then I write "gonna." I try to be as authentic as I can with quotes, like, you know, within reason. </sarcasm>

However, I try not to do write it if it's just my prose. I use "will" since "going to" is just a phrase which stretches out the same intention. Unless actual traveling is implied, and then I will write "going to" and have some kind of destination in the sentence.

"They are going to change the lineup for tonight's game." is the same as "They will change the lineup for tonight's game."

But "They are going to the state tournament." is different.

 

Most of the guys and gals I cover don't worry too much about using the King's English so I get a steady diet of gonnas.

I was quoting them as is until I was told to cease and desist.

 

Changing it to "going to" I understand, but at what point is it condescending to change someone's speech?

 

We are not going to take it.
No, we are not going to take it.
We are not going to take it.
Any more.
[/deesnider]

 

My wife, a freelance writer and a damn good editor, and I have a running debate about the use of "gotta." I use it; she usually changes it. My argument is, if you change it, then "got to" usually looks like someone's butchering the language. And, if you change it to "have to," then you're just changing the quote.

 

Always change it. I once heard a coach say: "I'm gonna kick your ass." I changed it to proper English: "I am going to kick your donkey." There is no place for slang in newspapers. Leave that to the television world. They throw all kinds of poor grammar out there, and we know the result. Nobody watches TV these days.

 

As with most of these arguments, context is key.

If coach says, "We're gonna need a good effort Saturday night," I'd change it to going to.

If coach says, "We gonna need our peckers hard to have a shot in hell against that bunch," I'm sticking with gonna.

If there is an edifying reason for vernacular in quotes, g'head.

If not, clean it up.

 

I'm gonna, err going to, agree with Zeke. If it's color, that's alright. If it doesn't lose any effect, then I don't mind seeing it changed.

 

Well-put, Zeke.

 

Thank you.

The coach I see quoted with gonna a lot says stuff like "We're gonna hafta play better defense if we expect to win."
I see it and cringe. Because I know, that although he's just speaking quickly and in his own style, what he is saying is "We're going to have to play better defense ..."

So, yes. I an see letting the colorful whimsical quotes retain the flavor. But the 'fixing' sentences which are just ordinary run of the mill statements don't necessarily smack me of changing the quote.

Thanks for the input, folks.

 

Any time, Ides.

You and me, we're of one mind.

Scary, eh?

 

Zeke is dead-on. An even better way to avoid some of this might be to paraphrase. If there's no color, you can probably summarize in less words what the coach said.