THERE / THEIR / THEY'RE

[( shannon )]

Let's talk about there, their, and they're.

This is a simple lesson. Each of the three are easily distinguished from each other. The reason why so many people get the three confused is simple: spell check does not correct them and grammar check does not catch them. We'll start with the easiest of the three.

THEY'RE : They're is a contraction. The only time "they're" is used is when you are trying to say "they are".

Tip: When writing, think of what you are saying before typing it out. Train yourself to say "they are" in your mind and then write "they're".
Warning: "They're" does not stand for "there are".
Examples: They're going to the movies on Saturday.

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THERE : There is used to describe a place. Over there, under there, here and there. Some people get confused when a sentence states "there is a dog". Think of it this way: the dog is somewhere. Where is the dog? There. This is only used to describe a place.

Tip: This is the most commonly used of the three. When in doubt, you should probably use "there".
Examples: Our friends are over there by the ticket booth.
Can you please put the bread there on the table.
There you are, Sally!

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THEIR : Their is a possessive word. "Their" is only to be used if multiple people own something. Their dog, their friends, their pizza. Each of the things belongs to "them". They have ownership.

Tip: When writing, ask yourself: do these people own it or have it? Simple as that.
Examples: They can retrieve their tickets at the box office.
I cannot believe they let their dog pee on my lawn.

Example using all three: They're my friends over there by the counter with their tickets.