On there / their / they’re

Welcome to The Grammar Hammer, my help page of tips and tricks for better writing!

It's the height of hurricane season, so school days must be just around the corner! What better time to begin a blog that explores common mistakes and offer solutions to help avoid those errors in the future.

I am a professional writer and editor, and I offer in-person writing tutoring in Deer Park and La Porte on an appointment-only basis (e-mail me for details). I will post a grammar/usage tip every week or so, beginning with my pet peeves.

On there / their / they’re

There is a place:
Where did they park? They parked over there by the trees.

Their belongs to someone:
Which one is the Smith family’s car? That blue Toyota is their car.

They’re is a contraction built from they + are, and it indicates that two or more people are doing something:
What are they doing? They’re getting a picnic basket out of the trunk.

Put them together:
The blue car parked over there is their car, and they’re carrying a picnic basket.
(This means that the blue car parked under the trees is the Smiths’ car, and they are carrying a picnic basket.)

To remember the difference, try these clues:

• There contains here, which also indicates a place.

• A person who inherits something is an heir, and you will find an heir in their.

• They’re is the only one of these three that is a verb, which indicates an action. If you can break down the word into they are without making your sentence into nonsense, they’re is the word you want. This verb is also the only one of these three that contains an apostrophe (’).