A writer that is clear when an apostrophe is used for a possessive, and when it is serving as letters in a contraction, will still often confuse the words of these two common homonym sets. Homonyms are groups of words that share a pronunciation, but usually have different definitions and spellings. Your and their are each homonyms, and errors surround them because all of the related terms are common English words.
Your and You’re
Your is a possessive pronoun, itself confusing since it is possessive without the use of an apostrophe.
- Place the pillow on your bed.
- The cat is yours, not mine.
- Your outfit is very fashionable.
You’re, although pronounced identically, is a contraction of you are.
- You’re going to get in trouble.
- So you’re sure we aren’t lost?
- I’m surprised that you’re going to take that job.
A reliable way to check on proper use of your and you’re is to substitute the phrase “you are” in the sentence. If that phrase fits, you’re is appropriate; if not, the proper word is always your.
Their, There, and They’re
Their is another one of those pesky possessive pronouns. It is the possessive form of they:
- Their uniforms were tattered and dirty.
- Their address had changed several times.
Since English lacks a gender-neutral pronoun, it is becoming more common to see they and its possessive their being used as one. The biggest barrier to this trend is the fact that they is a plural word, and it is being asked to serve as a singular pronoun. If this convention becomes accepted it is likely to lead to more they related errors.
There has two different meanings.
- It describes location, such as put the book there, on that shelf.
- It can also be used with “to be” as an idom: There are sixteen candles on the cake.
They’re is a contraction of they are.
- They’re going to Kansas this weekend.
- I think they’re insane for spending that much on a television.
Rules of Thumb for Their, There, and They’re
It is more difficult to identify rules of thumb for these words.
- If they are can be substituted, they’re is the appropriate term.
- Since their is a possessive pronoun, a writer should be able to replace it with the original noun while keeping the meaning of the sentence the same: Their allegiance becomes the citizens’ allegiance.
- There is always used in place of a location, or appears next to a form of “to be,” such as is or are.
All three of these words are spelled with the letters T-H-E at the beginning.
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