In short
- There : adverb of place (over there) or the there is/are structure (there is/are).
- Their : possessive adjective (their), always followed by a noun.
- They’re : contraction of they are.
- Quick test : replace with they are → they’re ; replace with his/her → their ; otherwise → there.
- Additional pitfall : theirs (possessive pronoun) is not to be confused with there’s (contraction of there is).
There, their, and they’re are pronounced identically in English, making them one of the most treacherous homophone trios in writing. In speech, no confusion is possible; it is only when writing that errors lurk. This guide details the meaning of each, substitution tests to avoid mistakes, and additional pitfalls like theirs and there’s.
There : place or existence
There has two distinct uses. Used alone, it is an adverb of place meaning “there” or “over there,” the opposite of here.
- Are you still there? → Are you still there?
- Put the book over there. → Put the book over there.
Followed by the verb to be, there introduces the existence of something and is translated as “there is/are” : there is/there’s (singular noun), there are (plural noun), there was/there were in the past.
- There is a beautiful girl on your left. → There is a beautiful girl on your left.
- There were so many problems in that school. → There were so many problems in that school.
Their : the possessive adjective
Their is the third-person plural possessive adjective, equivalent to “their” in English. It never changes in number and is always placed directly before a noun.
- They went without their hats. → They went without their hats.
- Have you seen their car? → Have you seen their car?
- The students left their books on the table. → The students left their books on the table.
They’re : the contraction of they are
They’re is simply the contracted form of they are. The apostrophe signals the contraction, just like in we’re (we are) or you’re (you are).
- They’re all crazy in this family. → They’re all crazy in this family.
- They’re smarter than they look. → They’re smarter than they look.
Substitution tests to avoid mistakes
Three quick checks are enough to choose the correct form.
| Test | Result | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Replace with “they are” : does the sentence still make sense? | Yes → they’re | They’re (they are) coming to the party. |
| Replace with “his” or “her” : does the meaning remain logical? | Yes → their | Their (his) house is big. |
| Neither test works | → there | There is a problem. |
A mnemonic device complements these tests : there contains the word here, which evokes a place ; their contains heir, which evokes possession ; they’re is the only one of the three with an apostrophe, a clear sign of a contraction.
Most frequent errors
| Error | Correction | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Their coming to the party. | They’re coming to the party. | “Their” can never be directly followed by a verb ending in -ing without a noun in between. |
| Their is a problem. | There is a problem. | The sentence introduces an existence : fixed structure “there is”. |
| They’re dog is very friendly. | Their dog is very friendly. | A noun (“dog”) directly follows : the possessive adjective “their” is needed. |
| Put the keys over their. | Put the keys over there. | Sense of place : adverb “there”, no possession involved. |
Additional pitfalls : theirs and there’s
Two derived forms add an extra layer of confusion.
- Theirs is a possessive pronoun (“theirs”), which replaces an already mentioned noun and never precedes it. That house is theirs. → That house is theirs.
- There’s is the contraction of there is, not to be confused with theirs despite the visual resemblance. There’s someone in my room. → There’s someone in my room.
| Form | Nature | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Their | Possessive adjective + noun | Their bikes are broken. |
| Theirs | Possessive pronoun, no noun after | Theirs are broken. |
| There’s | Contraction of there is | There’s a bike in the garden. |
Other homophone trios of the same type
This pitfall is not isolated : English has several series of homophones that follow the same logic of written confusion.
- to / too / two (preposition / also / the number two)
- where / were / we’re / wear (where / were / we are / to wear)
- quite / quiet (quite / silent)
Practical exercise
Check your understanding of there, their, and they’re :
1. ___ going to the cinema tonight.
2. Can you put the books over ___?
3. The children left ___ jackets in the classroom.
4. ___ is a chance for success if you work hard.
5. That house isn’t ours, it’s ___.
6. ___ someone in the garden.
Your score
