#grammarlessonsforthepeople
*in my Rafiki voice* It is time.
There/ Their/ They’re
I can wait until you grab a pen and paper for this one. Go ahead.
You ready?
Three words, folks. Yes, they sound exactly alike. But wouldn’t you know it? They’re three completely different words with different meanings and parts of speech.
And they are not, much your chagrin, I’m sure, interchangeable.
There: (adverb) in, at, or to that place or position
Their: (pronoun) belonging to or associated with the people or things previously mentioned or easily identified
They’re: (contraction) they are
There indicates a place. Your problems are not for Facebook. Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.
Their indicates possession. People who share their misery on Facebook need prayer. (The misery belongs to the people. It’s theirs. NOT MINE.)
They’re is an abbreviated form of they are. Folks who air all their dirty laundry on Facebook? They’re attention seekers.
There is only used to indicate place. Their is only used to indicate possession. They’re is only the contraction for they are.
One more time for the people in the back who aren’t listening because they are still waiting for Bill Clinton to get to the point of the speech he made last night:
There: location
Their: belonging to them
They’re: they are
Place. Possession. Contraction.
Go forth and prosper, beloved. And please, for my sanity’s sake, stop bleeding all over Facebook. *whispers* Because nobody cares.
#thenerdyeditor
#thepettyeditor
