Quick & Easy Content Writing Tips: There vs. Their vs. They’re

For our second instalment of Quick & Easy Content Writing Tips, we thought that we’d tackle this triple threat that someone once upon a time saw fit to torture us with: There vs. Their vs. They’re.

Obviously they didn’t foresee a future where everyone writes all the time; all day long; just throwing there’s, their’s and they’re’s around with reckless abandon. Anyway, we are here now, so it’s time to provide a solution and get everyone on the same page, so that you can stop making this mistake. Keep reading and we will break each one down for you.

Btw, you can see our first Quick & Easy Content Writing Tips post here…it’s a good one!

There

This one is probably the most commonly used in the trio. Basically, it means “in that place” or “at that place”, such as “We all went there last night.” However, it can also be used in other ways in content writing and daily correspondence. You can say, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there for you,” which doesn’t necessarily mean in that physical place, but more a conceptual one.

You can also say. “There comes a time when all writers need to figure this out,” which is another variance from the standard meaning. Is it all clear as mud?

Ok, perhaps it’s easier to learn when you should use the other two variations of this word, then you’ll know when “there” is required.

Their

This word is the possessive form of the word “they” and is only used to show ownership of something. “Their content writing improved after learning this quick tip.” It is often confused with the other two versions of the word, but as long as you remember it has to do with ownership, you should never have to worry about getting it wrong.

They’re

This may be the most misused word in the trio, but it is also the easiest to correct because it can only be used in one situation. And that situation is as a contraction, made up of the words “they are”. If you can’t say, “they are” in the sentence, then this is not the version of the word you should be using. And no, the apostrophe has nothing to do with ownership as it would with “Billy’s race car.” They’re is always two words contracted into one, with no exceptions.

Keeping It All Straight

You can use a couple of little tricks to try and help you remember which one to use, but with some practice they shouldn’t be necessary. They’re is the easy one because it is made up of two words. When you look inside “there” you find “here” which reminds you it should be a place. And when you look inside “their” you find “heir” which reminds you it’s about possession. Remembering the rules for their and they’re, and then using there for all other instances should keep you in the good graces of the grammar police most of the time.

These little details may seem annoying as hell, but they are crucial if you want to create high quality content on a consistent basis. If you’re still unsure, or want to talk about any other aspect of content creation, give The Content Company a call today at 888-221-5041.