Practice
There, their, and they're: understand the difference
Sign in to saveThe bags are over there. Their owners say they're ready to leave. The three words sound alike, but each one has a different job.
Choose there, their, or they're by deciding whether the sentence refers to a place, shows possession, or means they are.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
They're waiting there with their tickets. /ðeə ˈweɪtɪŋ ðeə wɪð ðeə ˈtɪkɪts/
The short answer
There refers to a place or introduces something. Their shows that something belongs to people. They're means they are.
They're waiting there with their tickets.
Why it works: They're means they are; there names the place; their comes before the noun tickets.
5 more examples
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Please put the parcel over there.
There points to the place where the parcel should go.
Not this:
Theirparcel is waiting by the door. What changes: Their comes before parcel and shows who owns it. -
There are two spare chairs in the kitchen.
There introduces the fact that two chairs exist in that place.
Not this:
They'rebringing two spare chairs from home. What changes: They're can be expanded to they are bringing. -
The players packed their boots after the match.
Their identifies the boots as belonging to the players.
Not this:The players are over
thereafter the match. What changes: Over there gives the players' location. -
They're proud of their garden.
They're means they are, while their introduces the thing they are proud of.
Not this:
Thereis a small pond in their garden. What changes: There is introduces the pond; their still shows whose garden it is. -
Is there enough time to catch the bus?
There is part of the question about whether enough time exists.
Not this:
They'rechecking their watches at the bus stop. What changes: They're expands to they are checking, and their belongs with watches.
Read the full guide
Pause before you choose the spelling. Ask one small question: am I naming a place, showing ownership, or writing they are? That question usually gives you the answer. Sound cannot help here because the words are pronounced alike.
Use there for a place
There often answers where. It can stand alone after a preposition, as in over there or from there. It may refer to a place already known in the conversation, so it does not need to name the place again.
Your coat is hanging there by the window.
There points to the location by the window. It does not show who owns the coat.
Which spelling fits a sentence about the location of the library?
Use there when the word means in or at that place.
Use there to introduce something
There also begins sentences with be when you say that something exists or happens. Common patterns are there is, there are, there was, and is there. In these patterns, there does not name a particular place.
There is a message for you on the table.
The sentence introduces a message. It is not saying that people own a message.
Are there any clean cups left?
Are there asks whether clean cups exist or remain.
Use their before a noun
Their is a possessive determiner. It tells you that a person, group, or people using they own, have, or are connected with the noun that follows. It is similar to my, your, our, his, and her.
Maya and Ben brought their lunch.
Their comes directly before lunch and identifies whose lunch it is.
What spelling comes before plans when the plans belong to a group?
Use their: the word shows that the group has the plans.
Use they're for they are
They're is a contraction of they are. The apostrophe marks the missing letter from are. Expand the word in your head: if they are works in the sentence, they're is the right spelling.
They're late because the road is busy.
They are late has the same meaning, so they're is correct.
I think they're already inside.
The expanded form is I think they are already inside.
Check the sentence in three steps
First, try they are. If it fits, write they're. If not, look for a noun after the blank; that often calls for their. Finally, choose there for a place or for an existence pattern. Read the completed sentence once more to check its meaning.
There is a café near their office, and they're there every morning.
The first there introduces a café, their comes before office, and they're expands to they are.
Can you replace the blank with they are without changing the grammar?
If yes, choose they're. If no, use the place and possession checks.
Before you go
Remember this
Use there for a place or an existence sentence, their for something that belongs to people, and they're for they are. Expand they're when you are unsure. Then check whether their is followed by a noun.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "There, their, and they're: understand the difference"
What is the difference between there, their, and they're?
There refers to a place or begins an existence sentence, such as there is. Their shows possession before a noun. They're is a contraction of they are. The three words sound alike, so choose by the job the word does in the sentence.
Please put the parcel over there.
How can I check whether they're is correct?
Replace they're with they are. If the expanded version makes a grammatical sentence with the same meaning, they're is correct. If it does not work, decide whether you need a place word or a possessive word instead.
Their parcel is waiting by the door.
Why does their not have an apostrophe?
Their is a possessive determiner, like our or your, rather than a contraction. It already shows possession without an apostrophe. An apostrophe belongs in they're because that spelling shortens they are.
There are two spare chairs in the kitchen.
Can there come at the beginning of a sentence?
Yes. There often begins a sentence that introduces something: there is, there are, there was, or there were. It can also begin a question that asks whether something exists. In other sentences, it can simply name a place.
They're bringing two spare chairs from home.
Can their refer to one person?
Yes. Their can refer to one person when that person uses they or when the person's gender is unknown or irrelevant. It can also refer to several people. In every case, their normally comes before the noun it describes.
The players packed their boots after the match.