Practice
Their, there, or they are: choosing the form
The students left their coats over there because they're staying for the whole meeting. The three forms sound alike, but each one has a different job.
Choose their for possession, there for a place or an existence statement, and they're when the words mean 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
their, there, they're /ðer/
The short answer
Use their for belonging, there for a place or an existence statement, and they're when you can replace it with they are. The word after the form often gives you a useful clue.
Their manager is waiting there because they're ready to begin.
Why it works: Their comes before the noun manager. There names a place, and they're means they are ready.
5 more examples
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Their neighbors brought chairs for the outdoor concert.
Their comes before the noun neighbors and shows a connection with the people already mentioned.
Not this:The neighbors are sitting
there near the gate. What changes: There points to the place where the neighbors are sitting. -
There is a copy shop across from the station.
There is introduces the fact that a copy shop exists in that location.
Not this:
They're openinga copy shop across from the station. What changes: They're means they are. It names the people doing the action. -
They're bringing their lunch to the workshop.
They're expands to they are bringing. The apostrophe marks the missing letter in are.
Not this:
Their lunchis on the table over there. What changes: Their shows who the lunch belongs to, while there points to its location. -
Please leave the forms there after you sign them.
There answers where the forms should go.
Not this:
Their formsare ready for collection. What changes: Their comes before forms and shows whose forms they are. -
There are several reasons for their delay.
There are introduces the existence of several reasons. Their identifies the people connected with the delay.
Not this:
They're delayedbecause the road is closed. What changes: They're means they are delayed. The sentence describes the people, not possession or a place.
Read the full guide
Start with a quick question. Does the sentence mean belonging, a place, or they are? If you can replace the form with they are and the sentence still works, use they're. If a noun follows, look for the possession meaning of their. If the sentence points to a place or begins there is or there are, choose there.
Choose their for belonging
Use their before a noun when the noun belongs to or is connected with people. It works in the same position as my, your, our, his, or her. Look for the noun that follows it.
Their train leaves at seven o'clock.
Train is a noun, and their tells us whose train it is.
Choose the form before a noun: ___ appointment starts at noon.
Use their: Their appointment starts at noon.
Use there for a place
Use there when the sentence answers where. It may refer to a place you can see, a place named earlier, or a place the speaker points to.
We can meet there after the class.
There tells us where the meeting can happen. It does not show who owns something.
Choose the form for a location: Put the package ___.
Use there: Put the package there.
Use there is and there are for existence
There also starts sentences that say something exists or is available. Use there is with a singular noun and there are with a plural noun in standard writing.
There are three empty seats by the door.
The sentence announces that three seats exist. There does not mean they are.
Complete the sentence: ___ a message for you at reception.
Use there is: There is a message for you at reception.
Expand they're to they are
They're is a contraction. Write it only when the full words they are fit the sentence. The apostrophe replaces the missing a in are.
They're waiting outside the office.
They are waiting outside the office has the same meaning, so they're is correct.
Test the sentence: ___ looking for the museum. Can you say they are?
Yes. Use they're: They're looking for the museum.
Use the next word as a clue
A noun after the blank is a strong clue for their. A verb ending in -ing, an adjective, or a location phrase may help you test they're or there. Read the whole sentence because one clue alone is not always enough.
Their new schedule is on the wall there.
New schedule is a noun phrase after their. There points to the place on the wall.
Which form comes before the noun proposal: their, there, or they're?
Use their: their proposal. It identifies who the proposal is connected with.
Edit one meaning at a time
When you proofread, do not choose by sound. Circle the word after the blank, then ask whether the sentence names belonging, a location, an existence statement, or the words they are.
Their presentation is there, and they're ready to begin.
Their comes before presentation, there names its location, and they're expands to they are ready.
What should you test first when you see they're in a draft?
Replace it with they are. If the meaning stays the same, the contraction is correct.
Before you go
Remember this
Use their before a noun for belonging or connection. Use there for a place and in there is or there are. Use they're only when the words mean they are. A quick expansion or a look at the next word will usually settle the choice.
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 "Their, there, or they are: choosing the form"
How can I check whether they're is correct?
Replace they're with they are. If the sentence still has the same meaning, the contraction is correct: They're waiting for the manager becomes They are waiting for the manager. If the expansion does not work, choose their or there based on the meaning.
Their neighbors brought chairs for the outdoor concert.
Does their always come before a noun?
In ordinary use, their comes before the noun it describes, as in their car, their decision, or their friends. It shows belonging or connection. A noun after the blank is a useful reason to check whether their is the form you need.
The neighbors are sitting there near the gate.
What is the difference between there and their?
There usually points to a place or begins an existence statement, such as There is a printer in the hall. Their shows belonging or connection, such as Their printer is in the hall. The spelling changes because the job in the sentence changes.
There is a copy shop across from the station.
Why does there appear at the start of some sentences?
There can introduce the fact that something exists or is available. In There are two open seats, the sentence tells us that two seats exist. This use does not require a specific location, even though there can also refer to a place.
They're opening a copy shop across from the station.
Can their refer to one person?
Yes. Their can refer to more than one person or to one person when the person's gender is not specified or when that person uses they and their pronouns. The grammar clue stays the same: their comes before a noun.
They're bringing their lunch to the workshop.