Their vs. There: Tips for Correct Usage!

Last updated on September 22, 2024 by Liam Daniel

Why does the English language have so many words that look almost the same but can’t be used the one instead of the other? That’s the question that everyone who’s learning English asks at least once. Indeed, homophones, or words that sound really alike, are common in this language. One pair that causes problems for many people is their vs there.

Their vs. There: the Key Difference

Key Distinctions:

  • Their: Shows possession, meaning it belongs to someone.
    • Example: “They parked their car in the garage.”
  • There: Refers to a place or is used to indicate the existence of something.
    • Example: “There is a cat on the roof.”
Their vs. There
Their vs. There – Created by 7ESL

Their vs. There: Definition, Usage

Their (Possessive Adjective):

  • Meaning: Refers to something that belongs to or is associated with a group of people or things.
  • Use: Shows possession or ownership.
  • Examples:
    • “The students forgot their books.”
    • “They finished their homework early.”
  • Explanation: “Their” is a possessive word that shows ownership or belonging.

There (Adverb):

  • Meaning: Refers to a place, position, or existence.
  • Use: Can indicate location (“in that place”) or introduce a sentence, especially when pointing out something’s existence.
  • Examples:
    • “Put the book over there.”
    • “There are many reasons to visit this city.”
  • Explanation: “There” refers to location or is used to introduce the existence of something.

Their vs. There: Common Mistakes

Using “there” instead of “their” for possession:

  • Incorrect: “They forgot there bags.”
  • Correct: “They forgot their bags.”
  • Explanation: “Their” is the correct possessive form to show that the bags belong to them.

Using “their” instead of “there” for location:

  • Incorrect: “I saw a bird flying over their.”
  • Correct: “I saw a bird flying over there.”
  • Explanation: “There” is correct when referring to a place or location.

Their vs. There: Examples

Examples of “Their” in Sentences

  1. The students presented their projects to the class.
  2. Their house is at the end of the street.
  3. The cats curled up in their favorite spot by the window.
  4. They always take their vacation in July.
  5. All the players on the team wore their uniforms to the game.

Examples of “There” in Sentences

  1. I will meet you there at 5 PM.
  2. There seems to be a misunderstanding about the deadline.
  3. Look over there! It’s a shooting star.
  4. There are many reasons why I love living in this city.
  5. Is there anything I can do to help?

Examples of Sentences that Use Both “Their” and “There“

  1. The children put on their coats before they went out there into the cold.
  2. Their excitement was evident as they arrived there at the amusement park.
  3. There are many challenges ahead, but with their determination, they will succeed.
  4. Their car broke down, so they had to walk from there to the nearest service station.
  5. The team left their gear in the locker room before heading out there onto the field.

Their vs. There: Exercises

Fill in the blank 

  1. The students put __________ books on the table before class started.
  2. __________ are many reasons why we should consider renewable energy sources.
  3. They always take __________ dog to the same park every morning.
  4. Look over __________; the northern lights are visible tonight!
  5. __________ opinions on the matter seemed to differ greatly from the rest of the group.
  6. Can you put these groceries __________ on the counter?
  7. __________ going to be a meeting at 3 PM in the conference room.
  8. The children were proud of __________ artwork displayed at the school fair.
  9. Is __________ a possibility that the event will be canceled due to the weather?
  10. The team celebrated __________ victory with a night out on the town.

Answer and Explanation

  1. Answer: their
    • Explanation: “Their” is a possessive pronoun referring to the students owning the books.
  2. Answer: There
    • Explanation: “There” is used to indicate the existence of something.
  3. Answer: their
    • Explanation: “Their” is a possessive pronoun referring to the ownership of the dog by “they.”
  4. Answer: there
    • Explanation: “There” is used to refer to a place or point in space.
  5. Answer: Their
    • Explanation: “Their” is a possessive pronoun indicating that the opinions belong to them.
  6. Answer: there
    • Explanation: “There” refers to a place, in this case, a location on the counter.
  7. Answer: There’s
    • Explanation: “There’s” is a contraction of “there is,” indicating the existence of a meeting.
  8. Answer: their
    • Explanation: “Their” is a possessive pronoun showing that the artwork belongs to the children.
  9. Answer: there
    • Explanation: “There” is used to introduce the possibility of something happening.
  10. Answer: their
    • Explanation: “Their” is a possessive pronoun indicating that the victory belongs to the team.
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