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Get THERE, THEIR, and THEY'RE Right... Every Time!
It's time to finally learn these three...
Hey there 👋
In this post we’re diving into a grammar concept that you’ll be familiar with… but yet many—even native English speakers—just can’t seem to get it right…
It'll take less than 5 minutes to go over (=review) this grammar concept, so let's dive in!
Keeping it simple:
There = location or existence
Their = ownership
They’re = they are
Do you already know this? |
1. There
There usually refers to a place or position, or it can introduce something. Think of it as pointing to a location, even if that’s just a figurative “place” in your sentence.
Examples:
Your keys are over there on the table.
There’s a new café in town we should try.
👉 Other Uses of There:
To introduce a fact or idea: "There is a lot to learn in English."
In expressions like there’s no point or there’s a chance: "There’s no point in arguing," or "There’s a chance it will rain later."
🧠 Remember it like this: Think of there as “here with a ‘T’” — if you could say here in the sentence, then there is probably the word you want!
2. Their
Their shows ownership. When something belongs to a group of people, use their. Imagine a group of friends showing off their favourite things!
Examples:
It’s their car, not mine.
The kids are playing with their toys.
🧠 Remember it like this: Their has the word heir in it, which makes you think of things that belong to someone. If it’s about something that people own, their is the word you need!
3. They’re
They’re is a contraction, meaning it’s short for they are. If you can replace it with they are and the sentence still makes sense, they’re is the one you need.
Examples:
They’re going to the cinema tonight. (They are going to the cinema tonight.)
They’re really enjoying their holiday. (They are really enjoying their holiday.)
🧠 Remember it like this: The apostrophe is your hint that it’s short for they are! The apostrophe replaces a letter - in this case, the “a” in “are”.
💡 Quick Quiz!
Fill in the missing words with there, their or they’re:
I heard that ________ planning to take a vacation next month, but I’m not sure when.
After hours of searching, we finally found ________ keys under the couch cushions.
________ preparing for a presentation on climate change, which they’ll deliver at the conference next week.
________ a new restaurant opening next week that looks amazing.
So next time you’re not sure, remember these tips—they’ll guide you to the right choice every time!
💡 QUICK QUIZ answers:
I heard that they’re planning to take a holiday next month, but I’m not sure when.
After hours of searching, we finally found their keys under the couch cushions.
They’re preparing for a presentation on climate change, which they’ll deliver at the conference next week.
There’s a new restaurant opening next week that looks amazing.
Got a question?
Seen a word, phrase or slang term that you didn’t quite understand? Need an explanation about something you heard in English?
Let us know in a comment below, and we’ll feature it in a future post!
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