Distinguish between they are and their in English

Distinguish between they are and their in English

A common grammar mistake that students learning communicative English as well as some English speakers often encounter is the difference between “They’re” and “Their”.

While most of us cannot really tell the difference between these two words when speaking, in writing they have completely different meanings. What do you think is the difference between them?

Let's find out the difference between "They're" and "Their" by finding out the meanings of these words first!

1. "They’re"

 “They’re” is actually a contraction (shortened form) of the two words “they are”. It often comes before an adjective or a verb ending in “-ing”.

Try this sentence: They’re eating ice cream.

For example :

a. They’re glad to be here.

b. They’re swimming in the sea.

c. They’re asleep.

2. "Their"

As said before, “they’re” and “their” are pronounced the same. However, “their” is essentially the possessive adjective of “they”, meaning belonging to them.

For example :

a. Their class teacher is Miss Mary.

b. Their performance last night was superb !Distinguish between they are and their in English

3. Homophones: They’re, Their and There

“They’re” and “Their” have the same pronunciation, but did you know that the word “there” is also pronounced similarly to the two minuses above? In English, words with similar sounds are called homophones. Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings. Although they have the same pronunciation, you need to remember the meaning of each word to avoid confusion when using it in English. Now, let's learn more about the meaning of the word "There".

“There” is simply the opposite of “here”.

For example :

I am sitting there. I am NOT sitting here.

My room is here and yours is there.

Let's practice again: They're and Their and There

Now that you know the difference between these words, can you fill in the blanks using “They’re,” “Their,” or “There” to complete the sentence?

_____ making ____ assignments together over ________.

Answer: They’re making their homework together over there.

Explain:

They’re is because we use “they’re” before an adjective or a verb with–ing (expresses ongoing action).

Their homework (their is a possessive before a noun).

There because it is not here ‘this’ but over there that’NOT here but there.