A common mistake students make is the differentiating between there, their, and they're. This happens because these words sound the same; they're called homophones. These homophones have different meanings, along with different spelling. To identify which version should be used, we have to look at what the context tells us.
Incorrect: They forgot there pen at school, so they went back and grabbed it.
Correct: They forgot their pen at school, so they went back and grabbed it.
Explanation: The correct term is their. The sentence contains a possessive pronoun, 'they,' and is referencing an object, the pen, that belongs to them. 'Their' indicates possession.
Incorrect: She is their waiting for her father to pick her up from soccer practice after a long day.
Correct: She is there waiting for her father to pick her up from soccer practice after a long day.
Explanation: The correct homophone is there because it is pointing out a location.
Incorrect: There learning how to master using run-on sentences.
Correct: They’re learning how to master using run-on sentences.
Explanation: They're is the correct form because it is a contraction of the words they and are, which indicates the people (they) are performing the action (learning).
They're is a contraction of the words they and are.
There is an adverb that means in or at that place.
Their is the possessive case of the pronoun they, meaning belonging to them.
Sabrina Braga, Framingham State U, Class of 2022
Efrain Vega, Framingham State U, Class of 2022
Maddie Brown, Framingham State U, Class of 2022
Sophia Calisi, Framingham State U, Class of 2022
“Homophone Song: There, Their, They’re.” Youtube, Uploaded by Justin Franco, 3 January 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tK6bu37N5Q.
Meme Generator. imgflip.com/memegenerator.
