There, Their or They’re—No More Tears!

Hello dear grammar enthusiast. Ever stare at a sentence and wonder, “There, Their, They’re… which one is it this time?”

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. These three little words can cause even the most confident writer to break into a cold sweat.

Look at this…

“You’re crafting a scathing (or hilarious) online review for a clothing store. There/Their/They’re selection of sweaters is amazing, but there/their/they’re all gigantic. There/Their/They’re I was, surrounded by racks of beautiful sweaters, yet none fit me properly—they all swallowed my petite frame.”

So how do you remember the difference?  Let’s have a look:

• “Their” is for things that belong to someone, like “Their selection of sweaters is amazing!” 
• “They’re” is a contraction for “they are,” like “They’re all gigantic!”
• “There” is for places you can go, like “There I was…!” (Points dramatically in a random direction)

See? Easy, right? (Winks sarcastically)

Now go forth and conquer those pesky little words.

Still scratching your head? This little illustration might help you: