miss use (misuse)

When you write "Their going to" you almost always mean "they're going to" (they are). Their is possessive-shows ownership-while they're is a contraction for they are. Confusing them swaps ownership for action and changes the sentence's meaning.

Below: quick rules, clear tests, many wrong/right examples (work, school, casual), step-by-step rewrites, and memory tricks to fix the error fast.

Quick answer

"Their going to" is incorrect when you mean "they are going to." Use "they're going to" or "they are going to." If you mean ownership, use "their."

If the phrase describes action/state: use they're or they are - e.g., They're going to start at 9.
If it shows possession: use their - e.g., Their schedule is posted.
In formal writing, prefer they are or they will rather than contractions.

What's wrong - fast

The confusion comes from three similar words: their (possession), they're (they are), and there (place). Use the "they are" replacement test: if you can substitute they are and the sentence still makes sense, write they're. If the phrase answers "whose?" use their.

Their = possession (their book).
They're = they + are (they're leaving).
There = place (over there).

Wrong: Their going to miss the meeting.
Right: They're going to miss the meeting.

Grammar fundamentals (quick test)

Ask: is the word showing ownership or performing an action? Run the replacement test: replace the suspect word with "they are." If the sentence still reads correctly, use they're. If it answers whose, use their.

Replacement test: Original: Their going to finish. Try: They are going to finish. If it fits, choose they're.
After fixing the pronoun, check subject-verb agreement and tense.

Contractions and the apostrophe

Apostrophes mark omitted letters in contractions. They're = they + are (the apostrophe replaces the a). Their is a possessive with no apostrophe. The same distinction appears in it's (it is) vs its (possessive).

they're = they are (needs an apostrophe).
their = possessive (no apostrophe).
Practice: "The dog wagged its tail" vs "It's wagging its tail."

Wrong: Their going to fix its settings.
Right: They're going to fix its settings.

Spacing, punctuation and keyboard traps

Typos and autocorrect often mask the problem: accidental replacements, missing apostrophes, or auto-replace turning they're into their. Expanding the contraction to "they are" reveals meaning and catches hidden mistakes.

Check for accidental spaces: "Their going" remains wrong.
Auto-correct can silently change they're to their - always re-read after it runs.
If unsure, write "they are" first; contract later if appropriate.

Usage: Hard-to-spot wrong: Their going to respond soon. Clear fix: They're going to respond soon.

Hyphenation and informal contractions

"Going to" is normally two words. Hyphenation appears only when a multiword phrase functions as a compound adjective before a noun, which is rare here. Informal forms like gonna are casual and unsuitable for formal writing.

going to = two words in normal use.
Don't write they're-going-to or their-going-to.
Use gonna only in casual dialogue or direct quotes.

Wrong: Their-going-to be late isn't standard.
Right: They're going to be late. / They will be late.

Fix your sentence - step-by-step rewrites

Steps: 1) Decide possession or action. 2) If action, replace with they're or they are. 3) For formal tone, use they are, they will, or recast the subject. 4) Re-check verb agreement and clarity.

Quick fix: swap Their → They're.
Formal rewrite: use They are or The team will, or name the subject (The committee will...).
After edits, read the whole sentence to catch tense or agreement issues.

Rewrite:
Original: Their going to finish the draft by Friday. → Quick fix: They're going to finish the draft by Friday. → Polished: They will finish the draft by Friday.
Rewrite:
Original: Their sending the invoice now. → Fix: They're sending the invoice now. → Polished (formal): The team will send the invoice now.
Rewrite:
Original: Their gonna be here soon. → Fix: They're gonna be here soon. → Polished: They'll be here soon.

Examples and realistic wrong/right pairs (work, school, casual)

Use the direct correction when you need a fast fix. Use the polished alternative for formal tone or clearer phrasing.

Work - Wrong: Their going to review the report this afternoon.
Right: They're going to review the report this afternoon. / The team will review the report this afternoon.
Work - Wrong: Their sending the client the invoice now.
Right: They're sending the client the invoice now. / The accounting team is sending the invoice now.
Work - Wrong: Their going to present at the meeting on Friday.
Right: They're going to present at the meeting on Friday. / They will present at Friday's meeting.
School - Wrong: Their going to submit the assignment tomorrow.
Right: They're going to submit the assignment tomorrow. / They plan to submit the assignment tomorrow.
School - Wrong: Their studying together in the library.
Right: They're studying together in the library. / The students are studying together in the library.
School - Wrong: Their going to ask the professor after class.
Right: They're going to ask the professor after class. / They will ask the professor after class.
Casual - Wrong: Their going to join us for drinks later.
Right: They're going to join us for drinks later. / They'll join us for drinks later.
Casual - Wrong: Their so excited about the concert.
Right: They're so excited about the concert. / They are so excited about the concert.
Casual - Wrong: Their gonna be here any minute.
Right: They're gonna be here any minute. / They'll be here any minute.

A short memory trick that works

Read the phrase aloud. If you hear "they are," write they're. If you hear "whose," write their. Use the replacement test before you send the message.

Hear "they are"? → they're.
Answers "whose"? → their.
Try it: "Their going to start now" → say "They are going to start now." If it fits, use "They're."

Similar mistakes (quick check pairs)

The same tests apply to other confusing pairs: one form shows possession, one is a contraction, one indicates place. Use replacement or meaning checks.

their / they're / there - possession / contraction / place.
its / it's - possessive vs it is/it has.
your / you're - possession vs you are.

Wrong: Their going to set the bags over there, it's fine.
Right: They're going to set the bags over there; it's fine.
Wrong: Your going to need help with its installation.
Right: You're going to need help with its installation.
Wrong: There going to announce the winner at that spot.
Right: They're going to announce the winner at that spot. / The announcement will be made there.

FAQ

Is "Their going to" ever correct?

Only if you're using their to show possession (e.g., "Their manager approved the plan"). If you mean "they are going to," use they're or they are.

Can I use "they're" in formal writing?

Avoid contractions in formal academic or many professional documents. Prefer they are, they will, or a noun subject like the team.

My spellchecker didn't flag it - why?

Basic spellcheckers catch misspellings, not incorrect word choice. Use a grammar-aware tool or the "they are" replacement test to spot this error.

What's a fast formal rewrite?

Replace "They're going to" with "They are going to" or "They will," or recast the sentence: "The team will..."

Any typing shortcut to avoid mistakes?

Type the full form "they are" first, then contract if you want. That reduces the chance of accidentally inserting the possessive their.

Want to check a sentence quickly?

Paste a sentence into a context-aware grammar tool to catch their vs they're mistakes. If you want, paste one sentence here and get a quick correction plus a formal rewrite.