There, Their & They’re: Examples & How to Fix It
There refers to a place or introduces a sentence (“over there”, “there is a problem”). Their shows possession (“their house”). They’re is a contraction of “they are” (“they’re here”). Paste your own sentence into the free checker below to fix it in one click.
There refers to a place or introduces a sentence (“over there”, “there is a problem”). Their shows possession (“their house”). They’re is a contraction of “they are” (“they’re here”).
How it works
- 1Spot the pattern. If you mean “they are”, use they’re. If something belongs to them, use their. Otherwise — a place or “there is/are” — use there (note it contains the word “here”).
- 2Apply the rule. Run two quick checks: does “they are” fit? → they’re. Does it answer “whose?” → their. Neither? → there.
- 3Check your sentence. Paste your text into the grammar checker below — it flags the issue and shows the correction.
- 4Re-read it. Read the corrected version aloud to confirm it says exactly what you meant.
The rule
Three different words that sound alike: there (place or “there is/are”), their (belonging to them), and they’re (they are).
How to spot it
If you mean “they are”, use they’re. If something belongs to them, use their. Otherwise — a place or “there is/are” — use there (note it contains the word “here”).
How to fix it
Run two quick checks: does “they are” fit? → they’re. Does it answer “whose?” → their. Neither? → there.
The most common mistake
Defaulting to “there” for all three, or writing “their” when you mean “they’re”. If you’re not sure whether your sentence has the problem, paste it into the checker above — it catches this and explains the fix in plain language.
| ❌ Incorrect | ✓ Corrected | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Their going to be late. | They’re going to be late. | = they are |
| Put it over they’re. | Put it over there. | A place |
| The students forgot there books. | The students forgot their books. | Possession = their |
Frequently asked questions
There, their, or they’re — which one?
They’re = they are. Their = belongs to them. There = a place or “there is”. “They’re taking their seats over there.”
Is there a trick to remember the difference?
Their contains “heir” (an owner) — possession. There contains “here” — a place. They’re has an apostrophe for the missing “a” in “are”.
How do I check my own writing for this?
Paste your text into the free grammar checker on this page. It flags the issue, suggests a correction, and explains why — so you learn the rule, not just the fix.
Is it free?
Yes — 3 free runs every day with up to 500 words per run, no credit card to start. Upgrade for a larger word pool, or use the free iOS app.