There, Their, and Theyre How to Choose the Right Word

The English language features a variety of homophones—words that sound alike but have different meanings. Some of the most commonly confused are there, their, and theyre, three words with the same pronunciation and similar spellings. How to Use There There is a pronoun thats often used to start a sentence and also an adverb meaning at that place. As a pronoun, there is a syntactic expletive thats typically used to introduce a noun or a clause: There is a house on the hill.There is something I need to talk to you about. There is also used as an adverb  in reference to locations. It means the opposite of the word here: I need to find out whats going on over there.She loved France and often thought about taking another trip there. Both usages of the word may sometimes be found in the same sentence: There are two boys hiding over there. How to Use Their Their is the possessive pronoun form of they. It is used to indicate that something belongs to a plural subject: Their hands are in their pockets.The kids were eager to finish playing their game. How to Use Theyre Theyre is a contraction of they are. It is no different from other contractions such as youre (you are) or cant (cannot). Theyre is found in many informal contexts in which you could also write they are: Alligators are dangerous, but theyre also lazy.Theyre looking for a way to fix the problem. Examples Although theyre spelled similarly, there, their, and theyre have very different meanings. Once you grasp them, its easy to use each word correctly. There refers to place: If youre talking about where someone or something is located, use the word there. For example:  Jimmys keys are not here; he must have left them back there at the office. There can also be used to introduce a new subject. For example: There are many excellent recipes in the cookbook.Their refers to possession: If youre talking about something that belongs to someone or something else, use the word their. For example: The ducks are very loud today; their honking can be heard for miles around.Theyre is a contraction: As a shortened version of they are, theyre may be used in any context where you could substitute they are. For example: The children are unhappy because theyre not allowed to watch any TV tonight. How to Remember the Differences There are a few memory tricks to help you remember the differences between there, their, and theyre. The first is that only one of these words is a contraction: theyre. If youve used theyre in a sentence, ask yourself if you could replace it with the words they are. If you cant, youve made a mistake and you need to use there or their instead. There contains the word here, a reminder that there refers to place. Their, on the other hand, contains the word heir, a reminder that this word refers to possession. Sources Barrett, Grant.  Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking. Zephyros Press, 2016.Straus, Jane.  The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: The Mysteries of Grammar and Punctuation Revealed. Jane Straus, 2006.