Their/there/they’re
Here’s how to differentiate between “their,” “there,” and “they’re”:
- Their:
- Definition: A possessive pronoun indicating ownership or belonging to more than one person or thing.
- Example: “Their house is on the corner.”
- Use: When you’re talking about something that belongs to a group of people.
- There:
- Definition: An adverb indicating a place or location, or used to introduce a sentence or idea.
- Example: “The book is over there.” or “There are many reasons to visit.”
- Use: To refer to a specific place or to introduce a statement or concept.
- They’re:
- Definition: A contraction of “they are.”
- Example: “They’re going to the park.”
- Use: When you mean “they are” in a sentence.
Here are some mnemonics to help remember:
- Their – Think of it as “belonging to them.” The ‘i’ in “their” can remind you of the ‘i’ in “belonging.”
- There – Think of “here” and “there” as opposites, both indicating location.
- They’re – Remember the apostrophe in “they’re” stands for the missing letter in “they are.”
Here’s a sentence using all three to illustrate: “They’re going to their house, which is over there.”
Understanding these differences can significantly improve your writing clarity but let’s be honest. If you accidentally use the wrong spelling, you are doing what native speakers do daily. You will still be understood if you write the wrong word.
