There, Their, and They're — Meanings, Uses, and Examples
There, their, and they're
There, their, and they're are homophones, meaning these frequently confused words sound alike but have different spellings. All three also have different meanings and functions, which, when understood, make it simple to determine the correct usage and avoid a common mistake.
What does their mean?
"Their" means belonging to or associated with someone or something. It’s the third person plural possessive pronoun, which expresses possession or ownership. Because it is a possessive pronoun, it must precede a noun that identifies what someone has or owns:
Janice was hoping she'd be invited to swim in their pool.
What does there mean?
Unlike its counterparts, "there" can be used in multiple ways:
Noun: As a noun, "there" refers to a location.
The book is right over there.
Adverb: As an adverb, "there" means "at/in that place." It is the opposite of "here."
Simon was told that his book was on the table over there.
Adjective: "There" can be used to modify a noun.
The librarian is there to tell students where the books are.
Pronoun: As a pronoun, “there” is used to introduce a word or clause to show that something exists.
There is a book on the table.
What does they're mean?
"They're" is the contraction of the words "they are" or "they were." This form typically precedes an adjective or a verb ending in -ing.
They're quite interested in learning more about the house.
The neighbors always complain that they're playing the music too loudly.
When to use there, their, and they're
When determining which word to use, consider the following:
Noun: "There" is most commonly used as a noun, as it refers to a particular place.
After his first week at camp, Cole was happy he'd be there all summer.
Adverb: When used as the opposite of "here," "there" is used as an adverb.
The magazine Dakota needed wasn't over there – it was right here.
Adjective: "There" can be used to modify a noun or pronoun.
Micha knew that his parents would always be there for him.
Pronoun: When used to introduce a noun or phrase, "there" functions as a pronoun.
There were more people at the show than they originally anticipated.
Possessive Pronoun: "Their" describes the ownership of something that belongs to more than one person; therefore, it is a possessive pronoun.
Raegan and her family thought their home was too small.
Contraction: "They're" is only used as a contraction to combine the words "they" and "are" or "were."
They're planning on taking a cruise toward the end of the summer.
There, their, and they're in sentences
The following example sentences incorporate the correct use of there, their, or they're:
Their
Their car broke down when they were only five miles from their house.
The family was excited when they left the country for their summer vacation.
The fifth-grade class thought their classroom was decorated better than any other room.
There
There isn't enough time to ride everything before the park closes.
They didn't realize they were supposed to run from here to there.
Are there any open reservations for dinner tonight?
They're
Mason doesn't know if they're going to make it to the game.
They're going to enjoy being on the road for the next week.
The fundraiser just started, but they're already halfway to the company's goal.