There, there
May 19, 2009
There is no excuse.
I know typos happen. I am as guilty as anyone. But something as basic as sorting out when to use “there,” “their” or “they’re” should not confound people. And yet, a quick look around the Internet will reveal plenty of confusion on this matter.
“Their” denotes possession, such as “their stuff” or “their unwillingness to understand vocabulary.”
“They’re” is simply short for “they are.” And “there” is used as a reference to a place, or to indicate the existence of something. It can also be used to focus attention in making a point.
There.
