their/they're (there) is/are

The words their, they're, and there sound the same but perform different roles: possession, contraction, and place/existence.

Short rules, clear checks, many wrong→right pairs, and context-specific examples help you fix errors fast.

Quick answer

Use their for possession, they're as the contraction of they are, and there to point to a place or introduce existence (there is/there are).

their = possession (their laptop, their idea)
they're = they are (expand to check: they are)
there = place or existence (over there, there is/are)

Core rules and instant tests

Their is a possessive pronoun used before a noun to show ownership.

They're is a contraction: expand it to they are. If that fits, use they're.

There points to a location or introduces existence (there is / there are).

Contraction test: Replace they're with they are.
Possession test: Ask Whose? → their.
Location/existence test: Replace there with here or try there is/are.

Possession: Their schedule starts at 9 AM. (Whose schedule?)
Contraction: They're ready to present. → They are ready to present.
Place: Leave the kit over there. (pointable location)

Memory tricks and quick checks

Expand they're → they are. If the expansion breaks the sentence, try their or there instead.

If the word sits before a noun, it's usually their. If you can point or swap with here, it's there.

They're → they are: always expandable.
Their + noun: possession.
There: use with location words or is/are.

Real usage: work, school, casual (copyable examples)

Short, realistic sentences you can model or paste. Each shows the correct use in context.

Work: Please ask their manager for approval before 3 PM.
Work: They're presenting the Q2 results at tomorrow's meeting.
Work: There will be a client call at 2; add your availability there.
School: Their research notes are attached to the submission.
School: They're studying for the midterm next week.
School: Put your bibliography there so the instructor can check it.
Casual: They're on their way - should be here in ten minutes.
Casual: Is that their cat or yours? It looks friendly.
Casual: Meet me there by the fountain at 4.

Examples: common wrong → right pairs (copy these fixes)

Each wrong example is followed by the corrected form and a brief reason when needed.

Wrong: Their going to join the meeting. -
Right: They're going to join the meeting.
Wrong: I left the keys over their. -
Right: I left the keys over there.
Wrong: Their is no evidence in the report. -
Right: There is no evidence in the report.
Wrong: They're house is on Oak Street. -
Right: Their house is on Oak Street.
Wrong: Their's a problem with the upload. -
Right: There's a problem with the upload.
Wrong: Your going to love their new design. -
Right: You're going to love their new design.
Wrong: They're books are on the desk. -
Right: Their books are on the desk.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the word. Context usually makes the correct choice obvious.

Rewrite help: fix your sentence in three quick steps (with examples)

Three steps: 1) Expand contractions, 2) Ask Whose? for possession, 3) Point or replace with here/there for place/existence. Apply one step at a time and re-read.

Step 1 - Expand: they're → they are.
Step 2 - Possession: If it precedes a noun, ask Whose? → their.
Step 3 - Place/existence: Substitute here or try there is/are.

Rewrite:
Wrong: "Their going to finish the draft." → Expand → "They are going to finish the draft." → Final: "They're going to finish the draft."
Rewrite:
Wrong: "Put it over their so it won't get wet." → Point → "Put it over there so it won't get wet."
Rewrite:
Wrong: "I put their on the shelf." → Ask Whose/Point → "I put their book on the shelf." or "I put it on the shelf there." (choose by meaning)
Rewrite:
Wrong: "There team left early." → Ask Whose? → "Their team left early."
Rewrite:
Wrong: "They're is a gap in the data." → Expand breaks → try there → "There is a gap in the data."

Spacing, apostrophes & hyphenation - small errors that change everything

Missing or misplaced apostrophes and spaces often create these mistakes. Hyphens rarely apply here but avoid inserting them into contractions.

They're requires an apostrophe: they're. Don't write theyre or they 're.
Never write their's - correct forms are their (possessive) or there's (there is).
Avoid hyphens inside contractions (they're-going is wrong).

Wrong: Theyre arriving soon. -
Right: They're arriving soon.
Wrong: Their's the issue we discussed. -
Right: There's the issue we discussed.
Wrong: They're-going to update the file. -
Right: They're going to update the file.

Grammar: there is/there are and agreement

After picking there for existence, match the verb to singular or plural subjects. Also watch for double errors (e.g., their + they're in one sentence).

There is → singular subject (There is a problem).
There are → plural subject (There are two problems).
If you see "their is" it's almost always wrong; change to there is/are, then re-check possession elsewhere.

Wrong: There is many reasons to accept the offer. -
Right: There are many reasons to accept the offer.
Wrong: Their is three options available. -
Right: There are three options available.
Usage: There seems to be a problem with their submission. (there = existence; their = possessive)

Similar mistakes to check at the same time

When you proofread their/they're/there, also check its/it's, your/you're, and who's/whose. The same three quick tests apply.

its vs. it's - its = possessive; it's = it is / it has.
your vs. you're - your = possession; you're = you are.
who's vs. whose - who's = who is; whose = possession.

Wrong: Their going to bring its umbrella. -
Right: They're going to bring their umbrella; it's theirs.
Wrong: Your welcome to leave your bag there. -
Right: You're welcome to leave your bag there.
Wrong: Who's coat is that? -
Right: Whose coat is that?

FAQ

How can I remember which to use?

Ask three quick questions: Whose? → their. Can you expand to they are? → they're. Is it a place or does it introduce existence? → there.

Is it okay to use they're in formal writing?

In very formal writing prefer they are; in most business emails they're is fine if the tone is conversational.

My spellchecker doesn't flag these errors. What should I do?

Use a context-aware grammar checker or run the three quick tests manually-spellcheck checks spelling, not word choice.

I still mix them up in long documents. Any workflow tips?

Search for " their " and " there " (with spaces) and run the Whose/point/expand checks on each hit. Do a second pass for contractions (they're).

What if a sentence could mean two things?

Rewrite for clarity. Example: "Their report is over there" → "The team's report is on the table over there." Use specific nouns to remove ambiguity.

Want a second pair of eyes?

If you're unsure, paste the sentence into a grammar checker or run the three-step test here: expand, ask Whose?, and point/replace. Use the rewrite examples as templates to save time.