There vs Their
[A2] There vs Their vs They're in English: a quick guide to correct usage. Learn how to choose between there, their, and they're with clear examples and common mistakes.
Core meanings
There, their, and they’re sound similar but have different jobs in a sentence. There most often points to a place or introduces that something exists. Their shows possession for the pronoun they. They’re is a contraction meaning they are, so it always relates to an action or a state.
There, their, y they’re suenan parecido pero tienen trabajos diferentes en una oración. There con mayor frecuencia señala un lugar o introduce que algo existe. Their muestra posesión para el pronombre they. They’re es una contracción que significa they are, por lo que siempre se relaciona con una acción o un estado.
Opción múltiple
Which word fits this definition: 'a word that points to a place or introduces existence'?
Using there
Use there to talk about location: it answers where. Use there to introduce or point out existence with sentences like There is or There are. In these existential sentences, there is not the subject; it is a placeholder that lets you present new information smoothly.
Usa there para hablar de ubicación: responde a dónde. Usa there para introducir o señalar existencia con oraciones como There is o There are. En estas oraciones existenciales, there no es el sujeto; es un marcador de posición que te permite presentar nueva información de forma fluida.
Rule | 🇪🇸 Español Regla | Example | 🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
 Use there for location | 📌 Usa there para ubicación | Put it over there. | 📌 Colócalo por ahí. |
| Use there with be to introduce existence | 📌 Usa there con be para introducir existencia | There are two options. | 📌 There are dos opciones. |
| Use there with singular and plural be correctly | 📌 Usa there con be en forma singular y plural correctamente | There is a problem. There are problems. | 📌 There is a problem. There are problems. |
Using their
Use their to show that something belongs to them. Their can modify a noun directly and does not change for gender. It can refer to a group of people, or to one person when you do not know the person’s gender or when the person uses they.
Usa their para mostrar que algo pertenece a ellos. Their puede modificar un sustantivo directamente y no cambia por género. Puede referirse a un grupo de personas, o a una persona cuando no conoces el género de la persona o cuando la persona usa they.
Rule | 🇪🇸 Español Regla | Example | 🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
 Use their before a noun to show possession | 🧩 Usa their antes de un sustantivo para mostrar posesión | Their car is outside. | 🧩 Su coche está fuera. |
| Their can refer to one person in singular they usage | 🧩 Their puede referirse a una persona en uso singular de they | Someone left their phone. | 🧩 Alguien dejó su teléfono. |
| Their can refer to mixed or unspecified gender groups | 🧩 Their puede referirse a grupos mixtos o de género no especificado | Each student should bring their ID. | 🧩 Cada estudiante debe traer su ID. |
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Using they’re
Use they’re only when you can replace it with they are. Because it is a contraction, it normally fits informal or neutral writing; in very formal writing, you may prefer they are. If the sentence does not describe what they are or what they are doing, they’re is usually wrong.
Usa they’re solo cuando puedas reemplazarlo por they are. Como es una contracción, normalmente encaja en escritura informal o neutral; en escritura muy formal, puedes preferir they are. Si la oración no describe qué son o qué están haciendo, they’re suele estar mal.
Rule | 🇪🇸 Español Regla | Example | 🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
 Use they’re when it equals they are | 🔧 Usa they’re cuando equivale a they are | They’re ready now. | 🔧 They’re ready now. |
| If you cannot expand to they are, do not use they’re | 🔧 Si no puedes expandir a they are, no uses they’re | Incorrect: They’re house is big. Correct: Their house is big. | 🔧 Incorrecto: They’re house is big. Correct: Their house is big. |
| Prefer they are in very formal writing if needed | 🔧 Prefiere they are en escritura muy formal si es necesario | They are responsible for the results. | 🔧 They are responsible for the results. |
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Quick substitution
A reliable way to choose the correct form is to test what the word must mean in your sentence. If you mean a place or an existence statement, choose there. If you need a possessive determiner before a noun, choose their. If the phrase can become they are, choose they’re.
Una forma confiable de elegir la forma correcta es probar qué debe significar la palabra en tu oración. Si te refieres a un lugar o a una afirmación de existencia, elige there. Si necesitas un determinante posesivo antes de un sustantivo, elige their. Si la frase puede convertirse en they are, elige they’re.
Grammar roles
These three forms belong to different grammar categories, which is why they cannot substitute for each other. There is an adverb of place or an introductory word in existential clauses. Their is a possessive determiner that modifies a noun. They’re is a contracted verb phrase combining a subject pronoun and the verb be.
Estas tres formas pertenecen a categorías gramaticales diferentes, por lo que no pueden sustituirse entre sí. There is un adverbio de lugar o una palabra introductoria en las cláusulas existenciales. Their es un determinante posesivo que modifica un sustantivo. They’re es una frase verbal contraída que combina un pronombre sujeto y el verbo be.
Word/Phrase | 🇪🇸 Español Palabra/Expresión | Definition | 🇪🇸 Español Definición | Example | 🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 there | 👤 there | location word or existential starter | 👤 palabra de ubicación o iniciador existencial | There is a café nearby. | 🧠 There is a café nearby. |
| their | 👤 their | possessive determiner meaning belonging to them | 👤 determinante posesivo que significa pertenecer a ellos | Their café is busy. | 🧠 Their café is busy. |
| they’re | 👤 they’re | contraction of they are | 👤 contracción de they are | They’re busy today. | 🧠 They’re busy today. |
Existence there
In There is and There are sentences, the true subject comes after the verb, and there simply introduces it. Use this pattern to present new information, especially in speech and writing. Agreement typically follows the noun that comes after the verb, although informal speech sometimes uses There’s with plurals.
En There is y There are oraciones, el verdadero sujeto viene después del verbo, y there simplemente lo introduce. Usa este patrón para presentar nueva información, especialmente en el habla y la escritura. El acuerdo normalmente sigue al sustantivo que aparece después del verbo, aunque el habla informal a veces usa There’s con plurales.
Rule | 🇪🇸 Español Regla | Example | 🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
 Match be to the noun after it in careful writing | 📍 Empareja be con el sustantivo que va después de él en una escritura cuidadosa | There are many reasons. | 📍 There are many reasons. |
| Use this pattern to introduce new information | 📍 Usa este patrón para introducir nueva información | There is a new policy. | 📍 There is a new policy. |
| Informal speech may use There’s with plurals | 📍 El habla informal puede usar There’s con plurales | There’s two tickets left. | 📍 There’s two tickets left. |
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Singular they
Their and they’re are both used with singular they. This use is common and accepted in modern English for a person whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or nonbinary. The verb agreement remains plural in form, so you still say they are and therefore write they’re.
Tanto their como they’re se usan con singular they. Este uso es común y aceptado en el inglés moderno para una persona cuyo género es desconocido, irrelevante o no binario. La concordancia verbal permanece en forma plural, por lo que aún dices they are y por lo tanto escribes they’re.
Rule | 🇪🇸 Español Regla | Example | 🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|---|
 Use their with singular they to show possession | 👤 Usa their con singular they para mostrar posesión | If a customer calls, take their name. | 👤 Si un cliente llama, toma su nombre. |
| Use they’re because singular they still takes are | 👤 Usa they’re porque singular they aún toma are | If someone is late, they’re probably stuck in traffic. | 👤 Si alguien llega tarde, they’re probablemente atrapado en el tráfico. |
| Use their for known individuals who use they pronouns | 👤 Usa their para individuos conocidos que usan pronombres they | Jordan forgot their keys again. | 👤 Jordan olvidó sus llaves otra vez. |
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Meaning checks
When you hesitate, focus on what the sentence must communicate. If you can point to a place, there is the only choice. If a noun needs an owner, their is the only choice. If you need a verb phrase describing them, they’re is the only choice.
Cuando dudas, céntrate en lo que la oración debe comunicar. Si puedes señalar un lugar, there is la única opción. Si un sustantivo necesita un dueño, their es la única opción. Si necesitas una frase verbal que describa a ellos, they’re es la única opción.
Opción múltiple
Choose the correct word: ___ is a book on the table. (pick the one that shows location/existence)
Punctuation note
They’re uses an apostrophe because letters are missing from are. Their and there never take an apostrophe. In careful writing, avoid creating a possessive with an apostrophe for pronouns, since standard pronoun possessives do not use one.
They’re lleva un apóstrofe porque las letras de are se omiten. Their y there nunca llevan apóstrofe. En una escritura cuidadosa, evita crear un posesivo con apóstrofe para pronombres, ya que los posesivos de pronombres estándar no usan uno.
