he gos (goes)

Many writers type "their going to" when they mean "they're going to" (they are). Below are quick rules, lots of copy-paste wrong/right pairs, rewrite templates for work, school, and casual contexts, a short checklist, and memory tricks to stop the mistake.

If you need a fast fix, use the examples and checklist here to decide whether to use their, they're, or a rewrite.

Quick answer

"Their going to" is almost always wrong when you mean "they are going to." Use they're or they are. "Their" shows possession and must modify a noun (their plan, their laptop). A rare grammatical case allows a possessive + gerund (their going was unexpected), but it usually reads better rewritten.

Their = possessive adjective (their car).
They're = contraction of they are (they're going to arrive).
If unsure, expand to "they are." If the sentence still makes sense, use they're/they are; otherwise use their + noun or rewrite.

Core explanation: why "their going to" is wrong

"Their" must modify a noun. "They're" replaces two words: they are. Writing "their going to" usually swaps the contraction for the possessive by mistake.

Wrong: Their going to send it. →
Right: They're going to send it.
Possessive intent: Their decision surprised us. (Here "their" modifies "decision.")
Possessive + gerund is possible but often awkward: Their going was unexpected → Better: Their arrival was unexpected / They went unexpectedly.

Grammar essentials (possessives, contractions, gerunds)

Use their + noun for ownership. Use they're / they are for "they are" + verb. If a verb+ing follows and you mean "they are doing X," use they're. If you mean a noun (the action as a thing), rewrite for clarity.

Use their + noun: their meeting, their laptop.
Use they're / they are: they're meeting us → they are meeting us.
Prefer rewriting possessive+gerund: Their going to the meeting → Their trip to the meeting / They went to the meeting.

Memory trick: fast ways to catch the error

Two quick tests will catch most slips.

Expand test: Replace the suspect word with "they are." If the sentence reads naturally, use they're/they are.
Ownership test: If a noun follows and you mean possession, use their. If no noun follows, you're likely looking for they're.

Try it: "Their going to be late." → Expand: "They are going to be late." Works → use they're.

Small edits, big clarity

Mixing their and they're lowers clarity. A quick checklist and a couple of rewrite patterns stop almost every mistake and improve tone across emails, reports, and texts.

Real usage and tone: work, school, and casual

Adjust formality by choosing between contractions and full forms.

Work: Prefer "they are" or a clear rewrite (they will / the team plans to). Contractions are fine in chat but spell out in formal reports.
School: Instructors expect clarity; avoid possessive+gerund and prefer "they are" or a specific noun subject.
Casual: "They're" is common in texts and social posts; still avoid "their" when you mean "they are."

Work: Wrong (email): Their going to miss the deadline.
Right: They're going to miss the deadline. Better: They will miss the deadline unless we help.
School: Wrong (assignment): Their going to present tomorrow.
Right: They're going to present tomorrow. Better: The group will present tomorrow.
Casual: Wrong (text): Their going to love this.
Right: They're going to love this.

Examples: many wrong/right pairs you can copy

Pick the right-hand sentence when you need a fast fix. Grouped for quick reference.

Wrong: Their going to send the invoice today.
Right: They're going to send the invoice today. Better: The finance team will send the invoice today.
Wrong: Please remind them their going to need ID.
Right: Please remind them they're going to need ID. Better: Tell them they will need ID.
Wrong: Their going to handle QA on Friday.
Right: They're going to handle QA on Friday.
Wrong: I heard their going to submit the essay late.
Right: I heard they're going to submit the essay late.
Wrong: Their going to study in the lab all afternoon.
Right: They're going to study in the lab all afternoon.
Wrong: Their going to present the experiment during class.
Right: They're going to present the experiment during class.
Wrong: Their going to bring snacks.
Right: They're going to bring snacks.
Wrong: Their going to love the surprise.
Right: They're going to love the surprise.
Wrong: Their going to be here soon.
Right: They're going to be here soon.
Wrong: There going to announce the winners.
Right: They're going to announce the winners.
Wrong: Your going to need a charger.
Right: You're going to need a charger.
Grammatically possible but clearer: Wrong-ish: Their going to the new office surprised everyone. Clearer: Their move to the new office surprised everyone. Or: The fact that they moved surprised everyone.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context makes the correct choice clear far more often than checking a fragment.

Rewrite help: three quick templates and variants

If you're unsure, these templates avoid the their/they're trap entirely.

Use "they will" for firm commitments or deadlines.
Use "the team / the students / the group" to specify the subject and remove contractions.
Turn actions into nouns: "the fact that..." or "their [noun]" to clarify possession.

Original: They're going to finish the audit →
Rewrite: They will complete the audit by Friday.
Original: They're going to conduct the experiment →
Rewrite: The students will conduct the experiment during lab hour.
Original: They're going to be amazed →
Rewrite: They'll love it.
Original: Their going to apply for funding →
Rewrite: The applicants plan to apply for funding.

Fix your sentence: a four-step checklist

Expand: replace the suspect word with "they are." If the sentence reads correctly, use they're/they are.
Ownership check: did you mean possession? If so, ensure a noun follows "their" (their plan).
Tone fix: in formal writing prefer "they are" or rewrite to "they will"/"the team will."
Gerund check: if verb+ing follows and you meant a noun, rewrite (their going → their trip / the fact that they went).

Checklist example: "Their going to call." Step 1: "They are going to call." (works) → change to "They're going to call." If formal: "They will call."

Hyphenation and spacing: punctuation rules for contractions

An apostrophe stands in for omitted letters and sits inside the word with no extra spaces. Write they're (they + ' + re). Do not add spaces around the apostrophe or use an apostrophe for plurals.

Correct: they're, it's, you're.
Incorrect: they 're, their', theyre, apple's (for plural).
Apostrophe rule: it's = it is; its = possessive (no apostrophe).

Punctuation: Wrong spacing: They 're going to start. Right: They're going to start.
Apostrophe: Wrong plural: Apple's are in the basket. Right: Apples are in the basket.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Confusing their and they're often comes with other homophone errors. Run the same expansion test to catch these.

your / you're - expand to "you are."
its / it's - expand to "it is."
we're / were / wear - check meaning, not just sound.

Wrong: Your going to miss it.
Right: You're going to miss it.
Wrong: Its going to rain.
Right: It's going to rain.

FAQ

Is "their going to" ever correct?

Rarely. It appears in a possessive + gerund construction (their going was surprising), but that phrasing is often unclear. Most of the time, if you mean "they are going to," use they're or they are.

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

Two checks: expand to "they are" - if it fits, use they're. If you are showing ownership and a noun follows, use their.

Which form is best for formal writing?

Use "they are" or a precise rewrite (they will, the team plans to). Avoid contractions in formal reports when you want maximum clarity.

What causes people to write "their" instead of "they're"?

Typing speed, absent-minded typing, and homophone confusion. On phones apostrophes are easy to miss. Proofreading and the expand test stop most slips.

Can grammar checkers fix this automatically?

Yes. Most tools detect misuse of their/they're/there and suggest corrections with short explanations. Use them as a safety net and to learn patterns.

Quick check before you send

If a sentence feels off, expand the suspect word to "they are" or paste the sentence into a checker for an instant suggestion. Using the templates and rewrites above will reduce future errors.