It has become common to see the words they're, their, and there being used interchangeably, especially online. However, it is of paramount importance to know the difference between them and use them correctly!
They're
A contraction of two words (they+are), it is most commonly used in informal writing and speech as a quicker way to say "they are".
For instance, instead of saying that "they are reaching soon", you could simply say that "they're reaching soon".
Their
This word demonstrates that something belongs to multiple people. For instance, "Have you seen Johnny and June? They left their bags in class!" This indicates that the bags belong to Johnny and June.
There
This is an adverb that refers to a place or position. For instance, "I left your pen over there" shows that the pen was left at a specific location the speaker is signalling to.
Try this short close passage to test yourself! Fill in the blanks with they're, there, or their.
"Hey, Ben! Have you seen my phone? I thought I left it over (1) ________ but it seems to have been shifted!"
"Well I haven't, but I saw a few phones in the back row, could one of them be yours?"
"No, I've checked already but those are Jean's and Ellie's phones. (2) ________ out for lunch so they left (3) ________ phones (4) ________"
"Oh I see. (5) ________ phones look really similar to yours, did you buy your phone cases together?"
Suggested Answers 1. there, 2. They're, 3. their, 4. there. 5. Their |
