Their, There, and They’re

Mixing up their with there or they’re is a common writing error.

Their is a possessive pronoun. It indicates belonging:

They could not believe that their own son could treat them so badly.

Their objective was to overthrow the government and seize power.

There is an adverb. It usually indicates location.

I saw a man hiding there.

There is something wrong with my cell phone. (“there” indicates existence here)

They’re is simply a contraction of “they are.”

They’re my brother’s friends.

I heard they’re going to throw him a surprise party tomorrow.

Tags: Spelling, Writing Tips

Category: Common English errors

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