'wherever there (they are) going'

Writers often slip an unnecessary there into relative and wh-clauses: "wherever there (they are) going" → "wherever they are going." Removing the extra word keeps sentences tighter and clearer.

Quick answer

Drop the extra there when the clause already names its subject (they, we, she, the team). Keep there only as an existential/dummy subject ("There are three options") or as a true locative ("over there").

Wrong: "Wherever there they are going." →
Right: "Wherever they are going."
Keep for existence: "There are three reasons."
Keep for place: "Put it over there." If the clause already names who does the action, remove there.

Core grammar: existential 'there' vs. redundant 'there'

'There' serves two main jobs: (1) a dummy subject that introduces existence with be (There is/are ...), and (2) a locative adverb pointing to place (over there).

If a clause already contains an explicit subject (they, we, the committee), adding there duplicates subjecthood and becomes pleonastic.

Existential: "There are two meetings today." (required)
Locative: "The cafe is over there." (required)
Redundant: "Wherever there they went" → remove there because 'they' is the subject.

How to spot and fix it (practical rewrite templates)

Follow this quick checklist: 1) Find the clause opener (where/wherever/when/if); 2) Look for an explicit subject inside the clause; 3) If a subject is present, delete there and read the clause aloud. If the sentence becomes awkward, rephrase.

If removal yields a natural subject-verb order, keep the change.
If removal leaves no subject (e.g., "There is..."), rework to an existential phrasing or a prepositional phrase instead of deleting there.

Work rewrite: Original: "Wherever there they are going, we'll send directions." →
Rewrite: "We'll send directions to wherever they are going."
School rewrite: Original: "We will meet at locations wherever there the professor schedules them." →
Rewrite: "We will meet wherever the professor schedules them."
Casual rewrite: Original: "I'll go wherever there you want." →
Rewrite: "I'll go wherever you want."

Common wrong/right pairs

These pairs remove unnecessary there from clauses that already have a subject.

Wrong: "Wherever there they are going, I'll follow." →
Right: "Wherever they are going, I'll follow."
Wrong: "We looked for them wherever there they went." →
Right: "We looked for them wherever they went."
Wrong: "Tell me wherever there you hid the files." →
Right: "Tell me where you hid the files."
Wrong: "I'll support her wherever there she decides to study." →
Right: "I'll support her wherever she decides to study."
Wrong: "Wherever there we search, we'll look carefully." →
Right: "Wherever we search, we'll look carefully."
Wrong: "If there they are ready, start the test." →
Right: "If they are ready, start the test."
Wrong: "Do it wherever there he asks." →
Right: "Do it wherever he asks."
Wrong: "Wherever there the team meets, I will join." →
Right: "Wherever the team meets, I will join."

Work examples (professional rewrites)

Concise clauses improve clarity in emails, reports, and procedures.

Wrong: "Save the document wherever there your team stores shared files." →
Right: "Save the document wherever your team stores shared files."
Wrong: "Schedule the call wherever there works best for everyone." →
Right: "Schedule the call at a time that works best for everyone."
Wrong: "Send the report wherever there the client prefers receiving updates." →
Right: "Send the report wherever the client prefers to receive updates."

School and academic examples

Academic writing favors precise clause structure; remove redundancies while keeping a formal tone.

Wrong: "Cite any sources wherever there you find supporting evidence." →
Right: "Cite any sources wherever you find supporting evidence."
Wrong: "We will hold office hours wherever there the professor chooses to meet." →
Right: "We will hold office hours wherever the professor chooses to meet."
Wrong: "Choose the lab section wherever there you prefer." →
Right: "Choose the lab section wherever you prefer."

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context often makes the correct choice clear.

Casual, spoken, and text examples

Speech tolerates extra words, but written messages read better without unnecessary there.

Wrong: "I'll go wherever there you want to eat." →
Right: "I'll go wherever you want to eat."
Wrong: "Call me wherever there you're at." →
Right: "Call me wherever you're at."
Wrong: "I'll meet them wherever there they said they'd be." →
Right: "I'll meet them wherever they said they'd be."

Real usage and tone: when 'there' is acceptable

Don't delete there when it carries meaning. Keep it when it introduces existence (There is/are...) or points to place (over there).

Existential: "There are several applicants." - 'There' is the dummy subject and must stay.
Locative: "The package is over there by the door." - 'There' indicates place and must stay.
If removing there removes the subject, you're likely dealing with an existential use; rephrase rather than delete.

Memory tricks, spacing & hyphenation (quick edits)

Mnemonic: "Subject already? Drop already-there." If the clause names who acts, you don't need there.

Formatting: watch for stray parentheses and odd spacing - e.g., "wherever there (they are) going"; remove the parentheses and the extra word if the sentence reads better without them.

Quick-edit checklist: 1) Find clause opener; 2) Is a subject present? If yes → delete there; 3) Read aloud.
If you see there inside parentheses, try the sentence without both the parentheses and there.
Hyphenation: this redundancy doesn't affect hyphenation rules. Avoid awkward compounds like "wherever-they-go plan"; rewrite (e.g., "a plan for wherever they go").

Similar mistakes to watch for

Once you trim there, other pleonasms become easier to spot and fix.

Unnecessary that: "I know that she knows" → "I know she knows."
Double subjects: "My brother he left early" → "My brother left early."
Redundant locatives: "Where are you at?" → "Where are you?" (casual speech aside)
Pleonastic constructions: shorten "There is, as you know, a reason" when a simpler form works.

FAQ

Is "wherever there they are going" ever correct?

Not in standard usage. If the clause already contains the subject "they," the there is redundant. Use "wherever they are going."

When must I keep the word "there"?

Keep there when it functions as the existential/dummy subject ("There is/are...") or as a locative adverb pointing to place ("over there"). If it does neither, drop it.

How do I rewrite sentences that sound awkward after removing "there"?

Move the clause or turn it into a prepositional phrase. Example: instead of "Wherever there they are going, we will send a map," write "We will send a map to wherever they are going."

Should I remove "there" in casual speech or text messages?

Casual speech tolerates redundancy, but written messages are clearer without unnecessary there. Removing it is a good habit for written English.

Will a grammar checker spot this error?

Yes. Context-aware grammar checkers usually flag pleonastic there inside clauses with explicit subjects and suggest deletions or rewrites.

Want to check a sentence now?

Paste a sentence like "wherever there (they are) going" into a checker or use the quick-edit checklist above. Small deletions like this sharpen clarity immediately.

Compare wrong/right examples when you practice - they show the pattern faster than rules alone.