There vs their vs they’re: top tips to help you get it right
Using the wrong there/their/they’re is a common mistake – here are some simple tips to make sure you get it right.
In a nutshell, if the word means ‘belonging to them’ use their. If you can replace the word with ‘they are’ use they’re. Otherwise, use there.
There
It’s ‘here’ with a T: think here and there.
Example:
Did I leave my phone here? No, it’s over there.
Their
Used to indicate that a noun (thing) belongs to them.
Example:
That’s their house.
They’re
The apostrophe reminds you that ‘they’re’ is a contraction of two words: they are. Think of they’re as they are and you’ll know if your sentence makes sense.
Examples:
Look at the statue over they are: no – should be there
The boys are taking they are cars: no – should be their
They are here already: yes – they’re here already
ADVANCED – if you’re already confused, you might want to skip this.
Remember, there’s means there IS. Don’t write there’s when you mean there ARE.
Example:
There’s lots to do here – *applause*
There’s lots of cars in the car park – quack quack oops
Get more tips in The Little Book of Confusables
No more confusing words!
The Little Book of Confusables is jam-packed with simple, memorable, fun spelling tips for 600 commonly confused words – from ACCEPT + EXCEPT to YOUNG + YOUTHFUL.