There, Their and They’re | English Lesson

General

Introduction:

You’re probably wondering what the difference between they’re, there, and their is. What’s the difference between “they’re going to the movies” and “their going to the movies”? Why would anyone use “there” instead of “their”? Well, let me explain it all to you!

Which one is correct: “They’re going to the movies” or “Their going to the movies”?

The correct answer is the first.

They’re is a contraction of they are. You can think of it as the word they and the word mashed together, with a dash between them. It means “they are,” so you can use it to refer to something that’s true about two or more people:

They’re going on vacation this weekend!

They’re getting married next year!

They’re perfect for each other!

As with all contractions, don’t overuse they’re in formal writing. Instead, use the full terms except in dialog and quotes.

Contractions are not appropriate for formal writing because they sound informal and make your writing difficult to understand—for example, “She’s my friend” instead of “She is my friend.” Contractions are acceptable to use in informal writing such as emails or texts but should be avoided in any other contexts; this includes business letters or speaking professionally with colleagues at work. Informal language may include some contractions (like I’m) but it also includes many non-contracted forms (such as I am). The most common type of contraction is the shortening of two words into one: He’ll become He will; We’re becoming, we are; They’ve become They have; etcetera (or et cetera).

There

There is used to describe a place that is not here, and not near the speaker.

It is used to describe a place that is not near you.

It is also used to describe a place that is not near the speaker.

Which one is correct: “Let’s go over there!” or “Let’s go over they’re!”?

The correct use of “there” is to indicate a place:

“Let’s go over there!”

The incorrect use is to indicate ownership:

“Let’s go over they’re!” is incorrect.

The correct word is “there.” Even though it looks like the word “their,” it’s not used to describe anything to do with ownership. It’s just used to say that something is located in a place. It could be that the movie theater is over there or your friend is standing over there.

When you’re writing, “there” It’s used when something is located in a place. For example, if someone says “my school is over there,” then they are talking about the location of the school.

If you want to say that something belongs to someone, use “their.” They could be talking about their friend’s house or their friend’s car or even their own house or car!

Their

Their is a pronoun that is used to indicate possession. A possessive pronoun indicates ownership or belonging. Examples: “Their car is dirty.” and “That’s their dog over there.”

The word their can also be used as a possessive adjective, but it has more than one definition within the English language and additional uses beyond the basic concept of possession.

Which one is correct: “Their car is dirty” or “There car is dirty”?

When you want to talk about something that belongs to someone or something, you use the word “their.” This can be a car, a book, or anything else that might belong to someone or something in particular.

Example: Their car is dirty. (The car belongs to someone.)

This word is also used when you want to describe something with more detail than just saying what it is like in general terms; for example: “Their house was blue.” The word “their” here indicates possession and shows that the house belonged specifically to those people—not any others who might have lived there at some point in time.

Example: There are many buildings on campus but only one library building where they keep all their books; but sometimes these books get lost and are never returned, which means we lose money because we bought those books new when purchased five years ago!

The correct word here would be “their.”

The word “there” in this sentence is used to indicate a place. The word “their” is used to indicate ownership, as in “those are their books.”

And finally, the word “they’re” is used for a contraction of they are, as in “They’re coming to town next week.”

Conclusion

So, the next time you’re writing a sentence and you have to choose between “they’re”, “their”, and “there,” remember the different uses for each one.

Exercise: How to Use They’re, There, and Their

Now it’s time to practice your understanding of they’re, there, and their. Complete the following exercise by choosing the correct word to fill in the blanks.

______ going to the park tomorrow. a) They’re b) Their c) There
Please put ______ coats on the hanger. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ going to have a party at our house. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ is a dog in the backyard. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ car broke down on the highway. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ going to the beach this weekend. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ are many trees in the park. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ new house is beautiful. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ are going to the concert tonight. a) They’re b) Their c) There
The children left ______ toys on the floor. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ is a spider in the bathroom. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ going to the movies this evening. a) They’re b) Their c) There
Please bring ______ books to class tomorrow. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ dog is very friendly. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ no need to worry, everything will be fine. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ going to the party with us. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ are some cookies in the jar. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ going to the store to buy groceries. a) They’re b) Their c) There
The students are excited about ______ upcoming trip. a) They’re b) Their c) There
______ is a lot of work to be done before the deadline. a) They’re b) Their c) There