There Their They’Re Examples | Stop Common Mix-Ups

You’ve seen these three in the same paragraph a thousand times, yet they still trip people up. That’s normal. They sound the same, spell differently, and show up in everyday writing—texts, essays, emails, captions, homework, job apps.

This article gives you a clean way to pick the right one fast, plus lots of sentence models you can borrow. You’ll get quick tests, patterns that stick, and a checklist you can run in seconds before you hit submit.

What “there” means and when it fits

There points to a place, a position, or the idea that something exists. If you can swap it with “here” or “in that place,” you’re usually on the right track.

It also shows up in sentences that start with “There is” or “There are.” In that pattern, “there” works like a signal that the sentence is introducing something.

Fast tests for “there”

• Place test: Can you answer “Where?” If yes, “there” often fits.
• Here swap: If “here” sounds reasonable, “there” is a strong pick.
• Existence start: If your sentence begins with “There is/are/was/were,” you’re in “there” territory.

Sentence models for “there”

Try these patterns and replace the bracketed parts with your own details:

• We left the keys there on the counter by the sink.
• Is your notebook over there near the window?
• There are three chapters left before the exam.
• There wasn’t enough time to rewrite the whole intro.
• I’ve been there before, and the map is confusing.

What “their” means and when it fits

Their shows ownership. It answers “Whose?” If the next word is a thing someone owns, “their” is a likely match.

A quick way to spot it: “their” often sits right before a noun—their book, their plan, their shoes. It can also come before a noun phrase—their final project draft.

Fast tests for “their”

• Whose test: Ask “Whose is it?” If the answer is “belonging to them,” use “their.”
• My/your swap: Replace it with “my” or “your.” If the sentence still works, “their” is the right family.

Sentence models for “their”

• The students turned in their lab reports before lunch.
• They forgot their tickets, so we waited outside.
• We read their feedback and fixed the confusing steps.
• My neighbors painted their fence a darker color.
• The players packed their gear after practice.

What “they’re” means and when it fits

They’re is a contraction of they are. If “they are” works in the sentence, “they’re” works too. If “they are” sounds wrong, “they’re” is wrong.

This one is the easiest to test, yet it’s the one people mistype most, often because spellcheck doesn’t always catch a real word used in the wrong spot.

Fast tests for “they’re”

• They are test: Read the sentence aloud with “they are.” If it still makes sense, “they’re” fits.
• Verb check: “They’re” is often followed by a verb ending in -ing or an adjective: they’re running, they’re ready.

Sentence models for “they’re”

• They’re studying for the same quiz we have next week.
• They’re late again, so we’ll start without them.
• I heard they’re opening a new library branch downtown.
• They’re proud of the final presentation.
• If they’re free, we can meet after class.

There Their They’Re Examples in real sentences

Seeing the three side by side helps your brain build a “sound-alike filter.” Read the sets below out loud. Then cover the answer and try to fill it in from memory. You’ll get quicker with each pass.

Mini sets that show the contrast

• There: Put the backpack over there by the chair.
• Their: The backpack is their new one for school.
• They’re:They’re carrying it because the straps are stronger.

• There:There are two answers on the board.
• Their: The class wrote their guesses in pencil.
• They’re:They’re checking the steps for mistakes.

• There: We’ll meet there after the lecture ends.
• Their: We’ll borrow their notes if we miss a detail.
• They’re: I think they’re sitting near the front today.

If you want a quick, formal reference for pronoun forms, the Purdue OWL pronouns overview is a solid starting point for student writing standards.

Clues inside the sentence that usually give it away

When you’re stuck, don’t stare at the word. Look at what comes right after it. The next word often tells you which choice belongs.

When the next word is a noun

If the next word is a thing that can be owned, “their” is the front-runner: their schedule, their apartment, their results. If the next word is a location clue, “there” may be right: there inside, there upstairs, there at the corner.

When the next word is a verb or an adjective

If the next word is a verb or an adjective, try “they are.” If it fits, you’ve got “they’re.” Common patterns include “they’re going,” “they’re learning,” “they’re ready,” and “they’re done.”

When the sentence starts with “There is” or “There are”

This pattern signals existence. You’re not pointing to a spot on a map. You’re introducing something: “There are two options,” “There is a reason,” “There were errors.”

Common mistake patterns and how to fix them

Most mix-ups happen in the same few sentence shapes. Once you spot the shape, the right word feels obvious.

Pattern 1: Ownership plus a thing

Wrong: “They forgot there homework.”

Right: “They forgot their homework.”

Fix method: ask “Whose homework?” The answer points to “their.”

Pattern 2: “They are” hiding in plain sight

Wrong: “Their going to be late.”

Right: “They’re going to be late.”

Fix method: expand it. “They are going to be late” works, so “they’re” is correct.

Pattern 3: Place or existence

Wrong: “Their is a new assignment posted.”

Right: “There is a new assignment posted.”

Fix method: you’re introducing something that exists, so “there” fits.

Pattern 4: Autocorrect and fast typing

Phones learn your habits. If you’ve typed the wrong one a few times, your keyboard may keep pushing it. The fix is boring but effective: slow down for one week and run the tests in this article. Your typing memory catches up.

Dictionary entries can help with clean, no-drama definitions when you’re teaching others. Cambridge Dictionary’s page for “they’re” lays out the contraction in a plain way.

Quick checks that separate there, their, and they’re

Sentence clue	Best pick	Try this test
You can answer “Where?”	there	Swap with “here”
The next word is a noun someone owns	their	Swap with “my”
“They are” fits smoothly	they’re	Expand the contraction
Sentence starts with “There is/are/was/were”	there	Check if it introduces something
Word before is a preposition (over, down, in)	there	Ask “Over where?”
Word after is a feeling or state (ready, tired)	they’re	Read it as “they are ready”
Word after is a plural thing (bags, ideas)	their	Ask “Whose bags?”
You’re pointing to a spot in writing	there	Replace with “in that spot”

Practice drills that make the right choice automatic

Knowing the rule is one thing. Using it under pressure is another. These drills train speed without making you feel like you’re doing boring worksheets.

Drill 1: The three-second swap

Pick a sentence you wrote today. Cover the word. Then try these swaps in your head: “here,” “my,” “they are.” One of them will click. Write the correct form and move on.

Drill 2: One paragraph rewrite

Write a short paragraph about your day and force yourself to use each word once. Then read it back and run the tests. This drill spots your weak points fast.

Drill 3: The proofreading lap

When you finish a draft, scan only for these three words. Don’t reread everything. Just hunt the sound-alikes. Your brain catches more when the task is narrow.

Tricky cases that still fool strong writers

Some sentences hide the clue word. These are the ones that sneak past spellcheck and make you second-guess yourself.

Case 1: “There” at the end of a sentence

“I’ll see you there.” This is still place. The clue sits earlier in the sentence, not after the word.

Case 2: “Their” with an implied noun

In casual speech you may hear: “That seat is theirs.” That’s a different word (a possessive pronoun), not “their.” If you need a word before a noun, choose “their.” If the noun is missing, “theirs” may be right.

Case 3: “They’re” with a missing verb

In dialogue, writers sometimes drop words: “If they’re… you know.” The contraction still stands for “they are,” even if the sentence trails off.

Common sentences and the correct choice

Sentence	Correct word	Why it fits
Put it over ___.	there	It answers “Where?”
___ teacher assigned a quiz.	their	Ownership of the teacher group
___ waiting outside.	they’re	Expands to “they are waiting”
___ are two meetings today.	there	Introduces existence
I like ___ ideas.	their	“Ideas” belong to them
___ not ready yet.	they’re	Expands to “they are not”
We’ve been ___ before.	there	Place or situation
They left ___ books at home.	their	Ownership

A proofreading checklist you can run in ten seconds

This is the last pass that saves you from embarrassing typos in class posts, scholarship essays, or work messages.

1. Circle every “there/their/they’re” in your draft.
2. For each one, run the single best test: “Where?”, “Whose?”, or “they are.”
3. If you still feel stuck, read the whole sentence out loud once. Your ear often hears what your eyes missed.
4. Fix it, then move to the next one. Don’t overthink it.

Short practice paragraph you can copy and correct

Try correcting this paragraph on your own. Then compare with the answer right below it.

They’re going to meet us over their after school. Their bringing there notes because there are a few steps they missed. If there teacher asks, they’ll say there working on it.

Corrected version

They’re going to meet us over there after school. They’re bringing their notes because there are a few steps they missed. If their teacher asks, they’ll say they’re working on it.

After you fix a few paragraphs like that, the pattern locks in. You start seeing “their + noun,” “there + place/existence,” and “they’re + they are” before you even finish the sentence.