Kama Sutra

The typo "their going to" happens when the possessive their replaces the contraction they're (they + are). Below are tight rules, quick checks, many copyable corrections for work, school, and casual writing, plus rewrite patterns you can use immediately.

Quick answer

Use they're when you mean "they are." Use their only to show possession. Quick test: expand to "they are" - if the sentence still makes sense, use they're.

They're = they are (contraction). Example: They're arriving at 3.
Their = belongs to them (possessive). Example: Their car is red.
There = place or existence. Example: The keys are over there.

Core explanation: contraction vs possessive

They're is a contraction (they + are); their is a possessive pronoun. They sound the same, so fast typing or autocorrect often picks the wrong one. Use the expansion test: replace the phrase with "they are." If it reads naturally, choose they're; if the phrase implies ownership, choose their.

Test: "Their going to the meeting" → "They are going to the meeting" → use they're.
Possession: "Their meeting notes" → "They are meeting notes" (nonsense) → use their.

Spacing and typing errors: what to look for

Two frequent mistakes: omitting the apostrophe (their instead of they're) and inserting a space inside the contraction (they 're). Mobile autocorrect can make both errors because "their" is a valid word.

Missing apostrophe: "Their going to" (wrong if you mean they are).
Stray space: "They 're" (incorrect spacing).
Fast fix: read the phrase aloud, try "they are," or add a keyboard shortcut that expands a short trigger to they're.

Example: Incorrect: Their not available until Monday.
Correct: They're not available until Monday.
Example: Incorrect: They 're scheduled for 10.
Correct: They're scheduled for 10.

Hyphenation note: "going to", "going-to", and informal forms

"Going to" is two words. Don't hyphenate in phrases like "they're going to." Hyphens appear only in rare compound modifiers (for example, a "going-to" moment) and are stylistic. Avoid informal spoken spellings like "gonna" in formal writing.

Correct: They're going to discuss the timeline.
Avoid in reports: They're gonna finish it tomorrow → better: They're going to finish it tomorrow.

Grammar quick: apostrophes in contractions vs possession

An apostrophe in a contraction marks omitted letters (it's = it is). Possessive pronouns (their, your, its) have no apostrophe. Because possessives are valid words, simple spell-checkers may not flag misuse; use the expansion test instead.

Contractions: they're = they are, it's = it is, you're = you are.
Possessives: their, your, its (no apostrophe).
Quick check: expand the contraction - if it makes sense, use the contraction; otherwise use the possessive.

Real usage and tone: work, school, and casual examples

Contractions are fine in most emails and casual writing. In formal reports or academic work, prefer "they are" or rephrase. Below are ready-to-use examples grouped by context.

Work (professional): Incorrect: Their going to review the contract.
Correct: They're going to review the contract.
Work (professional): Incorrect: Their sending the invoice today.
Correct: They're sending the invoice today.
Work (professional): Incorrect: Their available for a 15-minute sync.
Correct: They're available for a 15-minute sync.
School (academic): Incorrect: Their going to grade the essays tomorrow.
Correct: They're going to grade the essays tomorrow.
School (academic): Incorrect: Their expecting a five-minute presentation.
Correct: They're expecting a five-minute presentation.
School (academic): Incorrect: Their not allowed to retake the quiz.
Correct: They're not allowed to retake the quiz.
Casual (friends): Incorrect: Their bringing snacks to the party.
Correct: They're bringing snacks to the party.
Casual (chat): Incorrect: Their gonna be here soon.
Correct: They're going to be here soon.
Casual (comment): Incorrect: Their saying the movie was great.
Correct: They're saying the movie was great.

Try your own sentence

Test the entire sentence rather than the phrase alone; context usually makes the correct choice clear.

Examples you can copy: wrong → right pairs (extra practice)

Copy any corrected line below into your email, assignment, or message.

Incorrect: Their going to need more time to finish the prototype.
Correct: They're going to need more time to finish the prototype.
Incorrect: Their not sure if the dates changed.
Correct: They're not sure if the dates changed.
Incorrect: Their replacement parts arrived yesterday.
Correct: Their replacement parts arrived yesterday. (Here "their" is correct.)
Incorrect: Their planning a team lunch next week.
Correct: They're planning a team lunch next week.
Incorrect: Their expecting everyone at 9 a.m.
Correct: They're expecting everyone at 9 a.m.
Incorrect: Their opinion matters to the committee.
Correct: Their opinion matters to the committee. (Here "their" is correct.)

Rewrite help: patterns and ready rewrites

Pick a pattern depending on tone: expand (formal), swap verbs (clearer), or restructure (avoid contraction altogether). Below are multiple rewrites you can paste.

Expand: Original: Their going to update the spreadsheet by Friday.
Rewrite: They are going to update the spreadsheet by Friday.
Swap: Original: Their going to send the invoice.
Rewrite: They plan to send the invoice.
Restructure: Original: Their going to handle the onboarding.
Rewrite: The onboarding will be handled by them.
Expand (formal): Original: Their gonna miss the meeting.
Rewrite: They are going to miss the meeting.
Swap: Original: Their going to take the lead on this.
Rewrite: They will take the lead on this.
Restructure: Original: Their going to release the update next week.
Rewrite: The team plans to release the update next week.

Memory tricks, habit fixes, and quick checklist

Use one habit change plus a short checklist to stop repeating the error.

Mnemonic: apostrophe = missing letters (they're = they + 're).
Possessive reminder: their, your, its - no apostrophe.
Tech fix: add a text shortcut that expands a short trigger (e.g., "tgy" or "theyre") to they're.
Three-step checklist: 1) Read aloud. 2) Expand to "they are". 3) If it shows ownership, use their; otherwise use they're or rephrase.

Practice: Read "Their going to check the data." Say "They are going to check the data." That fits → use They're.
Keyboard tip: Map a trigger (e.g., "tgh") to they're so fast typing inserts the correct contraction.

Similar mistakes to watch for

If you mix their/they're/there, you may also confuse your/you're, its/it's, and were/we're/where. The same expansion method works for each pair.

Your vs you're: Expand to "you are" to test for you're; otherwise use your. Example: Incorrect: Your going to love this.
Correct: You're going to love this.
Its vs it's: Expand to "it is" to test for it's; otherwise use its. Example: Incorrect: Its been a long day.
Correct: It's been a long day.
Were vs we're vs where: We're = we are; were = past tense; where = place. Example: Incorrect: Were not sure where to go.
Correct: We're not sure where to go.

FAQ

Is "their going to" ever correct?

"Their going to" is incorrect when you mean "they are." Use they're or rephrase. The only time "their going to" might appear is in unusual stylized text where grammar is deliberately altered, which is rare in normal writing.

How do I stop my phone from changing they're to their?

Add a text replacement that maps a short trigger to they're, or turn off aggressive autocorrect. Most keyboards also learn from repeated manual corrections over time.

Should I use contractions in formal writing?

In formal reports or academic work, prefer "they are" to avoid contractions. In most workplace emails and casual writing, contractions are acceptable and often sound more natural.

What's a two-second test to choose between their/they're/there?

Read aloud and try the expansion: if "they are" fits, use they're; if it shows ownership, use their; if it points to place or existence, use there.

Will grammar tools catch "their going to"?

Context-aware grammar tools often flag it, but simple spell-checkers may not because "their" is a valid word. Use a context-aware checker or the quick expansion test to be safe.

Want a quick check before you send it?

Run the three-step checklist: read aloud, expand to "they are," rephrase if needed. Paste the sentence into a context-aware checker for immediate suggestions and rewrite options.