They’re vs There vs Their
Compare it Versus > Grammar > Difference between they’re, there and their
First published on 17th of February 2016, updated on 3rd of January 2023
Edited by Mary S., secondary school English teacher
They’re or There or Their
A typical and very common mistake that most even native English speakers make is using “Your” instead of “You are”.
Many grammar focused people may feel like punching someone in the face for this, but well, they can’t. And this makes them even more annoyed.
Another similar blunder that so many speakers make is using “Their” where “They’re” is to be used and even more of using “There” in the place where the word “Their” is needed.
We are glad you asked us what the difference between the three is.
These three words may have a similar sound, making them homophones by definition.
But they most certainly are not the same. Why?
Let’s explore the three terms further.
There
First we will talk about the word THERE.
Let’s first look at the meaning
MEANING OF THERE:
1. The word ‘There’ is used in an indication of a place.
It is most commonly known as the opposite of the word ‘Here’ and this makes it an adverb.
FOR EXAMPLE:
– You can also sit there if you want.
– There, do you see it?
– Will you go there for half an hour?
All these sentences indicate the use of the word THERE as an opposite of “Here”.
2. Another use of the word THERE is done when an introduction for any clause or a noun is being given.
FOR EXAMPLE:
– There was a little girl, whose name was Alice.
– There is so many choices at the candy store.
This indicates that a “noun” or a “subject” high in regard is to be brought in.
Their
The word THEIR is almost identical to THERE, but they are both very much different when it comes to the meaning of each.
THEIR is used to specify a property of a third person, making it a third person possessive adjective. It is a possessive of “They” and almost always a “noun” is placed after it.
FOR EXAMPLE:
– This is their car.
– Their house is way over there.
– Do not even think about trespassing their property.
So far, understanding the differences has been easy, let’s move on to the last one.
They’re
A contraction of the words “They are” is written as THEY’RE e.g. They are here OR They’re here.
This word is almost half of the time confused with the word THEIR. The use of THEY’RE is often accommodated by the use of a present participle i.e. verb ending with “ing”, but that is not always the case.
FOR EXAMPLE:
– They’re coming over here.
– I can’t say when they’re arriving.
– I do not believe it, they’re lying to us.
OR in cases without the use of a present participle, like:
– They’re never late.
– Why are you here when they’re over there.
When you have a quick look at this guide, you will be able to distinguish one from the other, not by their sound, but by their use in any phrase and you can easily correct other’s grammar too.
Oh and one more thing,
“I am almost there; they’re also on their way”
Let us know if you think this phrase is correct or not in terms of grammar. We will leave you pondering over it for a while.
References
References used in the writing of this English grammar text
- Oxford English Dictionary, accessed in January 2023, link to Oxford page