free lancer (freelancer)

'Their going to' is almost always wrong: it mixes the possessive their with the contraction they're (they are). If you mean "they are going to," write they're or they are; use their only to show ownership.

Quick answer

Use they're (they are) when you mean "they are going to." Use their only for possession. If replacing the word with "they are" still makes sense, write they're or they are.

'They're going to' = 'They are going to' (correct for future/action).
'Their' shows ownership (their idea, their car) and is incorrect before a verb phrase like 'going to' unless 'going' is a noun.
If unsure, try the expand test: can you read 'they are' in place of the word? If yes → they're.

Core explanation and the rare exception

'Their' is possessive; 'they're' is a contraction of 'they are.' 'They're going to' is a subject + auxiliary + verb phrase. Writing 'their going to' treats 'their' like it owns the verb, which usually makes no sense.

Rare exception: 'their going' is grammatical when 'going' is a gerund (a noun). Example: 'Their going to college was a turning point.' Even then, most writers prefer a clearer rewrite.

Subject + auxiliary (they're) vs. possessive (their).
Gerund cases exist but are uncommon; prefer rephrasing for clarity.

Wrong | Right: Wrong: Their going to take the train.
Right: They're going to take the train.
Edge case: Technically correct but awkward: 'Their going to college was delayed.' Better: 'Their plan to go to college was delayed.' or 'They were supposed to go to college, but it was delayed.'

They're vs their vs there - three quick tests

Run these fast tests whenever you see there/their/they're.

Expand test: replace with 'they are'. If the sentence still reads correctly, use they're.
Possession test: does something belong to them? If yes, use their.
Place/existential test: if it refers to a location or introduces a clause (there is/there are), use there.

They're = They are: 'They're joining the meeting at 2.'
Their = Possessive: 'Their feedback was helpful.'
There = Location/intro: 'There are two issues to resolve.'

Spacing, apostrophes and hyphenation - small typographic traps

Missing or wrong apostrophes usually come from speed, autoformatting, or copying text. Apostrophes are not hyphens and should not be replaced by spaces or dashes.

Use an apostrophe for they're: they're (not they're with a hyphen or a space).
Watch for stray characters: "Their're" or "Their 're" are mechanical typos to fix.
If your editor strips smart quotes, make sure apostrophes aren't removed globally.

Wrong | Right: Wrong (hyphen/typo): Their-going to be late. Right: They're going to be late.
Wrong | Right: Wrong (spacing error): Their going to call. Right: They're going to call.

Punctuation and formality notes

Contractions are fine in most modern writing, but choose formality deliberately. In very formal prose or academic papers, prefer 'they are' or rephrase to name the agent (the team, the students).

Formal contexts: use 'they are' or restructure ('The team will...').
Emails/blogs/chats: 'they're' is usually acceptable.
Commas and parentheses don't change which word is correct; apply the expand-test inside punctuation.

Formal: 'They are expected to submit the report by Friday.'
Informal: 'They're expected to be here soon.'

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context usually makes the correct form obvious.

Fix it fast: copy-paste rewrites for work, school and casual writing

Pick the rewrite that matches your audience. When in doubt, choose the formal option or name the agent to avoid ambiguity.

Formal: expand the contraction → 'They are going to...'.
Neutral/conversational: contract → 'They're going to...'.
Alternative: name the agent → 'The team will...', 'The students will...'.

Rewrite:
Wrong: Their going to review the budget tomorrow.
Formal: They are going to review the budget tomorrow. Neutral: They're going to review the budget tomorrow. Alt: The finance team will review the budget tomorrow.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Their going to hand in the assignment late.
Formal: They are going to hand in the assignment late. Neutral: They're going to hand in the assignment late. Alt: The students will submit the assignment late.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Their going to cancel the picnic if it rains.
Formal: They are going to cancel the picnic if it rains. Neutral: They're going to cancel the picnic if it rains. Alt: The organizers will cancel the picnic if it rains.

Examples: many wrong → right pairs (work, school, casual, plus alternatives)

Grouped examples below show the wrong sentence with 'Their going to' followed by correct contraction, full form, and when useful, an alternative rewrite.

Work:
Wrong: Their going to finalize the slides before the meeting.
Right: They're going to finalize the slides before the meeting. Alt: The design team will finalize the slides before the meeting.
Work:
Wrong: Their going to need access to the live database.
Right: They're going to need access to the live database. Alt: The developers will need access to the live database.
Work:
Wrong: Their going to miss the deadline if they don't revise.
Right: They're going to miss the deadline if they don't revise. Alt: The group will miss the deadline unless they revise.
Work:
Wrong: Their going to start the onboarding at nine.
Right: They're going to start the onboarding at nine. Alt: Onboarding begins at nine.
Work:
Wrong: Their going to present the Q2 results to the client.
Right: They're going to present the Q2 results to the client. Alt: The analytics team will present the Q2 results to the client.
Work:
Wrong: Their going to follow up with the vendor about the delay.
Right: They're going to follow up with the vendor about the delay. Alt: Someone from procurement will follow up with the vendor.
School:
Wrong: Their going to hand the essay in late.
Right: They're going to hand the essay in late. Alt: The students will submit the essay late.
School:
Wrong: Their going to present their project next Tuesday.
Right: They're going to present their project next Tuesday. Alt: The team will present its project next Tuesday.
School:
Wrong: Their going to study together after class.
Right: They're going to study together after class. Alt: The students plan to study together after class.
School:
Wrong: Their going to have to retake the exam.
Right: They're going to have to retake the exam. Alt: They will have to retake the exam.
Casual:
Wrong: Their going to be late, so start without them.
Right: They're going to be late, so start without them.
Casual:
Wrong: Their going to call when they get home.
Right: They're going to call when they get home.
Casual:
Wrong: Their going to love the surprise party.
Right: They're going to love the surprise party.
Casual:
Wrong: Their going to fix it tomorrow; don't worry.
Right: They're going to fix it tomorrow; don't worry. Alt: The team will fix it tomorrow; don't worry.

How to proofread and fix your sentence - checklist (30 seconds)

Use this quick checklist every time you see their/there/they're. It takes seconds and prevents most slips.

1) Expand it: replace the word with 'they are'. If it makes sense, use they're/they are.
2) Ownership check: if you can't expand, ask "Does something belong to them?" If yes → their.
3) Read aloud: hearing 'they are' often reveals the error faster than scanning.
4) If still unsure, rephrase: use 'the team', 'students', 'participants' to avoid ambiguity.

Check: 'Their going to help.' → 'They are going to help.' → Contract: 'They're going to help.'
Check: 'Their idea is brilliant.' → 'They are idea is brilliant.' (nonsense) → Keep 'their'.

Memory tricks and similar mistakes to watch for

Two quick mnemonics and a small list of related confusions to check while fixing their/they're.

Trick 1: Apostrophe = missing letters - they + are → they're.
Trick 2: Possession has no apostrophe for their (their car).
Also check: your vs you're; its vs it's; were vs we're.

Wrong | Right: Wrong: Your going to love this.
Right: You're going to love this.
Wrong | Right: Wrong: The cat hurt it's paw.
Right: The cat hurt its paw.
Wrong | Right: Wrong: Were going to the store.
Right: We're going to the store.

FAQ

Is 'Their going to' ever correct?

Almost never in everyday writing. Only when 'going' is a gerund and 'their' modifies it - for example, 'Their going to college was delayed.' Still, rephrasing usually improves clarity.

How can I remember the difference between their and they're?

Try the expand-test: replace the word with 'they are'. If it works, use they're. If the sentence shows possession, use their.

Should I use they're or they are in formal writing?

In very formal or academic writing, prefer 'they are' or a rephrasing (the team will...). 'They're' is fine in most professional emails and informal contexts.

Why do I keep making this mistake in texts and emails?

Speed and habit. Add a simple habit: when you type 'their' before a verb, pause and run the expand-test. Enable grammar checks that flag homophones.

How do I fix multiple occurrences quickly?

Search for ' their ' (with spaces) and scan each instance. For long documents, use a grammar tool that flags misused homophones and missing apostrophes so you can fix them in batches.

Need a quick check?

Paste a sentence into a grammar checker that flags homophone mistakes and missing apostrophes. Choose the contraction or full form that matches your tone and paste the corrected sentence back into your draft.