English Reference

their vs they're vs there

Their shows ownership, they're is the short form of 'they are', and there points to a place or introduces a fact.

their

the possessive form of they

The neighbors decided to paint their front door a bright shade of blue.

they're

contraction of they are

They're planning to move to a larger apartment closer to the city center.

there

a location or existential marker

Please put the groceries on the table over there in the kitchen.

Watch out
  • The children left they're toys scattered all over the living room floor.

    The children left their toys scattered all over the living room floor.

  • I hope there having a good time at the wedding reception.

    I hope they're having a good time at the wedding reception.

Remember Their has an 'i' for ownership; there contains 'here'; they're has an apostrophe for 'a'.

Fill the gap with one of the three options.

  1. 1.

    Students must submit final assignments before the end of the week.

  2. 2.

    I think coming to the party later this evening after work.

  3. 3.

    is a small cafe on the corner that serves excellent coffee.

More like this in Grammar and structure.