there (their) own

There (place/existence) and their (possession) sound the same but serve different jobs. Use quick substitution tests and the rewrite templates below to pick the right word fast.

If you're checking a sentence, test the word in context: can you replace it with here/there or with theirs/they're? That answer usually settles it.

Quick answer

"There" points to a place or introduces existence (There is/are...). "Their" shows possession and appears before a noun.

"There" answers Where? or marks existence: There is a problem.
"Their" modifies a noun to show ownership: their plan, their phones.
Fast test: try replacing the word with "they are" (they're), "theirs", or "here/there" to see which fits.

Core rule and two quick tests

There = locative/existential. Their = possessive adjective before a noun.

Test A (place/existence): Can you sensibly replace the word with here/there or answer Where? → use there.
Test B (possession): Does it directly modify the following noun or could you replace it with theirs? → use their.

Wrong / Right: Wrong: The students left there backpacks in class.
Right: The students left their backpacks in class.
Wrong / Right: Wrong: There laptop is on the desk.
Right: Their laptop is on the desk.

Existential "there" vs possession: quick signs

Sentences that start with There + a form of be (is/are/was/were) usually announce existence and never use their. If the word sits directly before a noun (their + noun), it shows possession.

Look for a be-verb immediately after: "There is/There are" → existence.
Look for a noun right after: "their + noun" → possession.

Wrong / Right: Wrong: Their is a chance we'll miss the train.
Right: There is a chance we'll miss the train.
Wrong / Right: Wrong: There homework is due today.
Right: Their homework is due today.
Right / Right: There are several mistakes in their report. (First "there" = existence; "their" = possession.)

Step-by-step rewrite help (paste-ready)

Checklist: 1) Underline the word. 2) Ask Where? or Possession? 3) Try substituting with here/there or theirs/they're. If it's still unclear, use a rewrite template.

Original: The committee left there decision until Monday. Quick fix: The committee left their decision until Monday. Stronger: The committee delayed its decision until Monday.
Original: There's team missed their deadline. Quick fix: The team missed its deadline. Informal: The team missed their deadline.
Original: There presentation was great. Quick fix: Their presentation was great. Alt: The presentation they gave was great.
Original: I put there chargers in the drawer. Quick fix: I put their chargers in the drawer. Alt: I put the chargers they use in the drawer.

Examples you can copy (work / school / casual)

Copy the corrected right-hand sentences as templates for your own writing.

Work - Wrong / Right: Wrong: There client called three times today.
Right: Their client called three times today.
Work - Wrong / Right: Wrong: Their is a discrepancy in the budget.
Right: There is a discrepancy in the budget.
Work - Wrong / Right: Wrong: The engineers uploaded there diagrams to the repo.
Right: The engineers uploaded their diagrams to the repo.
Work - Wrong / Right: Wrong: There will be a client demo at 3 pm.
Right: There will be a client demo at 3 pm.
School - Wrong / Right: Wrong: The students left there laptops in the lab.
Right: The students left their laptops in the lab.
School - Wrong / Right: Wrong: There answers on the exam were incomplete.
Right: Their answers on the exam were incomplete.
School - Wrong / Right: Wrong: There will be a makeup quiz on Monday.
Right: There will be a makeup quiz on Monday.
School - Wrong / Right: Wrong: Their teacher praised their effort.
Right: Their teacher praised their effort.
Casual - Wrong / Right: Wrong: Their coming over for dinner later.
Right: They're coming over for dinner later.
Casual - Wrong / Right: Wrong: I left it over their by the gate.
Right: I left it over there by the gate.
Casual - Wrong / Right: Wrong: There going to text you when they arrive.
Right: They're going to text you when they arrive.
Casual - Wrong / Right: Wrong: Their phone died so they couldn't call.
Right: Their phone died, so they couldn't call.
Rewrite:
Original: There software update caused problems for their users. Clean rewrite: The software update caused problems for their users. Alt: Their users were affected by the software update.
Rewrite:
Original: Their house is two blocks from there park. Clean rewrite: Their house is two blocks from the park. Alt: Their house is two blocks from there. (if pointing)

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence-context usually makes the right choice obvious. Run the substitution tests on the sentence, not just the phrase.

Spacing, punctuation and small gotchas

Watch for attached words, misplaced apostrophes, and contractions.

Never write "their's" for possession-use theirs or their + noun.
Don't run words together: "Thereis" is wrong; write "There is" or "There's".
Apostrophes: they're = they are (contraction). their = possessive adjective (no apostrophe). theirs = possessive pronoun (no apostrophe).

Wrong / Right: Wrong: their's homework is late.
Right: their homework is late. (Or: The homework is theirs.)
Wrong / Right: Wrong: Thereis a problem with the file.
Right: There is a problem with the file. (Or: There's a problem with the file.)
Wrong / Right: Wrong: Theyre going to join us.
Right: They're going to join us.

Hyphenation, compounds and "their own"

"Their own" is always two words. Avoid awkward hyphenated possessives; when possession modifies a compound adjective, recast the phrase.

"their own" = two words; use it to emphasize ownership: their own solution.
Avoid creating hyphenated possessives like "their-owned." Better: the business they own or their business.
When you need a possessive in a compound adjective, use a possessive noun: the team's long-term strategy, not "their-long-term strategy."

Wrong / Right: Wrong: Their-owned startup raised funding.
Right: Their own startup raised funding. Alt: The startup they owned raised funding.
Wrong / Right: Wrong: The engineers moved there-office equipment.
Right: The engineers moved their office equipment.

Memory tricks and fast routines

Use short checks every time you write. Practice beats one-off rules, but mnemonics help at first.

Mnemonic: their contains "heir" → think ownership.
Routine: read the sentence aloud. If you hear "they are," write they're. If a noun follows, try their.
Editor habit: highlight every their/there/they're and run the substitution tests (they are / theirs / here).

Practice - Wrong / Right: Wrong: Their are two routes to the office.
Right: There are two routes to the office.
Practice - Right / Right: I can't find their keys over there. (Their = possession; there = location.)

Similar mistakes and quick grammar checks

Related confusions: they're/their/there, its/it's, your/you're. Apply the same substitution tests.

they're = they are. Replace with "they are" to check.
their = possessive adjective. Replace with "theirs" or check that a noun follows.
there = place or existential. Replace with "here" or look for a be verb after.
its (possession) vs it's (it is). Replace with "it is" to test.

Wrong / Right: Wrong: Their going to update it's status.
Right: They're going to update its status.
Wrong / Right: Wrong: Its their fault for not checking.
Right: It's their fault for not checking.

FAQ

How do I know when to use there vs their quickly?

Ask: Is this about location or existence? Use there. Is it showing ownership and followed by a noun? Use their. Substitute with here/theirs or with "they are" to test.

Can I use "their" with singular groups (the team)?

Yes. "Their" is common and widely accepted with collective nouns in informal and many formal contexts. For strict formal style, use its.

When should I rewrite instead of choosing there/their?

Rewrite when the sentence feels awkward or ambiguous. Use a name, a possessive noun (Maria's report), or recast the clause (The team's report) to remove doubt.

Is "there're" acceptable as a contraction?

Avoid "there're"-it's awkward and rare in formal writing. Use "there are" or recast the sentence.

What if a grammar checker still flags my sentence?

Check meaning first; tools can be cautious with ambiguous context. If flagged, run the substitution tests and, if needed, rewrite using an explicit possessive or a name.

Need fast editing help?

Build the quick checklist into your routine (Where? Possession? Substitute?) and the choice will become automatic. When unsure, substitute words in the full sentence or recast the sentence to remove ambiguity.