Common Confusions: Clarifying the Difference Between "They," "Then," "That," and "There

The Common Mistake: The vs. They

One of the most common grammar mistakes that people make is confusing the word "the" with "they." These two words may sound similar, but they have different meanings and uses.

The Correct Usage of "The"

The word "the" is a definite article. It is used to refer to specific people, objects, or ideas that have already been mentioned or are known to both the speaker and the listener. For example:

"I bought the book you recommended."
"Can you pass me the salt, please?"

The Correct Usage of "They"

The word "they" is a pronoun used to refer to a group of people or objects. It is often used as a subject in a sentence or to replace a noun. For example:

"They are going to the movies tonight."
"James and Sarah, do they know each other?"

Common Mistakes

Confusing "the" with "they" can lead to various errors in writing and speaking. Here are some examples of common mistakes:

"I saw the are going to the store." (Did you mean "they are going to the store"?)
"Can you pass me they salt, please?" (Did you mean "Can you pass me the salt, please?")

In both of these examples, using "the" instead of "they" changes the meaning and grammatical correctness of the sentence.

Linguix Grammar Checker

To avoid making this common mistake and many others, you can use the Linguix grammar checker. This tool will help you spot any grammar errors and suggest corrections, making your writing more accurate and polished.

Incorrect:
We can do it if the create the concept.

Correct:
We can do it if they|then create they|then concept.
Incorrect:
What if the allowed us to do it?

Correct:
What if they|then allowed us to do it?
Incorrect:
The Tour Down Under is the largest cycling event outside Europe and the was the first event outside Europe to be granted UCI ProTour status.

Correct:
The Tour Down Under is they|then largest cycling event outside Europe and they|then was they|then first event outside Europe to be granted UCI ProTour status.
Incorrect:
I asked the nurse to let me talk to them and when the pulled the curtain back no one was there.

Correct:
I asked they|then nurse to let me talk to they|thenm and when they|then pulled they|then curtain back no one was they|thenre.
Incorrect:
In politics and civic affairs leaders of the pillar organizations cooperated and the acknowledged the right of the other pillars, so public life generally ran smoothly.

Correct:
In politics and civic affairs leaders of they|then pillar organizations cooperated and they|then acknowledged they|then right of they|then othey|thenr pillars, so public life generally ran smoothly.
Correct:
The older tires get, the harder the rubber becomes and the lower the traction becomes.
Correct:
We will call the first the furnace and the second the refrigerator.
Correct:
Tokyo was really wonderful and the welcome the Japanese extended to us was also just as wonderful.
Correct:
Detroit techno developed as the DJ The Electrifying Mojo did his radio program, which fused eclectic sounds into the signature Detroit techno sound.
Correct:
These races, Ionian and Dorian, were the foremost in ancient time, the first a Pelasgian and the second a Hellenic people.
Correct:
The macro currently has two triggers, the first a time based trigger that fires at 5:00 am and the second a keystroke trigger.
Correct:
In that case each of the equations describes a spherical cone, with the cusp located at the satellite, and the base a sphere around the satellite.
Correct:
But the reason the Sooners lost the game was ...
Correct:
Our kids knew how old they were, and the season their birthday was in.
Correct:
... (full signature, no changes made), but the Annex A is not attached, we do not have...
Correct:
This matters because the lower the marginal product, the lower the welfare cost of debt.

Incorrect:
It doesn't matter if the go a little further.

Correct:
It doesn't matter if they|that|there go a little furthey|that|therer.
Correct:
Others seem to think that if the party a given journalist favors is in power they should remain silent on wrongdoing and report only the good stuff.

Incorrect:
The cannot help you.

Correct:
They|That|There cannot help you.
Incorrect:
The would not do it like that.

Correct:
They|That|There would not do it like that.
Incorrect:
The will make me truly happy.

Correct:
They|That|There will make me truly happy.
Incorrect:
But the would be pretty far down my trouble list.

Correct:
But they|that|there would be pretty far down my trouble list.
Incorrect:
As usual, the will provide details separately on the location.

Correct:
As usual, they|that|there will provide details separately on they|that|there location.
Incorrect:
For the should be created.

Correct:
For they|that|there should be created.
Correct:
On any Day, if the Must Offer Generator cannot generate the full PMax it must file a generation outage report.
Correct:
The must have toy this year...
Correct:
Justify the need.
Correct:
Ripping the will up after all.

Correct:
The Don't Laugh Challenge.
Correct:
The Don't Quit Podcast.
Correct:
Do the Don't.
Incorrect:
The don't know.

Correct:
They|That don't know.
Incorrect:
What the didn't know about was ...

Correct:
What they|that didn't know about was ...

Incorrect:
The really would like to do it again.

Correct:
They really would like to do it again.
Incorrect:
If they don't have employees, the probably won't have Corp Charges.

Correct:
If theyy don't have employees, they probably won't have Corp Charges.
Incorrect:
So far this season indicates the really might finish in the top 10 nationally for the first time since 1983.

Correct:
So far this season indicates they really might finish in they top 10 nationally for they first time since 1983.
Correct:
The 1st will come from the asset management deals.

Incorrect:
The unsuccessfully attacked the ship in the Gulf of Taranto in early March 1944.

Correct:
They unsuccessfully attacked the ship in the Gulf of Taranto in early March 1944.
Correct:
Thanks by the way dude!
Correct:
During the rest of the decade, they would star together in Grumpier Old Men, Out to Sea, and the widely panned The Odd Couple II.
Correct:
The well reached a total vertical depth of 14,080 feet and was drilled laterally for almost 5,000 feet.

Incorrect:
The also use camouflage to hide from their enemies.

Correct:
They also use camouflage to hide from their enemies.
Incorrect:
Tom and Mary are going to do that the way the always do.

Correct:
Tom and Mary are going to do that the way they always do.
Correct:
Thanks by the way dude!
Correct:
The about section.
Correct:
So, about the never say never part:
Correct:
Sorry for the late thank you.
Correct:
Incorrect grammar: I already untick the automatically update.

Incorrect:
Did the quietly finish up the project?

Correct:
Did they quietly finish up the project?

Incorrect:
It ensures the correctly get the results back.

Correct:
It ensures they correctly get they results back.

Incorrect:
The have scheduled 2.5 hours for the presentation.

Correct:
They have scheduled 2.5 hours for the presentation.
Correct:
The Have Doughnut tests showed this most strongly.

Common mistake the (they)

The Common Mistake: The vs. They

The Correct Usage of "The"

The Correct Usage of "They"

Common Mistakes

Linguix Grammar Checker

the (they) mistake examples

Related mistakes from category Grammar