RegisteredJusyNotSignedOn
07-30-2009, 10:43 AM
I am going to go back to my Board of Education and apologize for voting against the school budget increases. Apparently we need to put more money into the education process.
Please take a few minutes and learn how to use the homophones (no they are not cell phones for gays!) "their", "there" and "they're". You are making the Brotherhood look illiterate!
HOT TO USE THERE, THEIR and THEY'RE
The English language is full of problems like the one presented by there, their and they're. Most native English speakers pronounce these words the same way; therefore, it is difficult for some to judge in which situation to use which spelling. Each spelling means a very different thing; if you'd like to learn the difference, read on!
STEPS
1. Use there when referring to a place, whether concrete ("over there by the building") or more abstract ("it must be difficult to live there").
- There is an antique store on Camden Avenue.
- The science textbooks are over there on the floor.
- There are many documents that are used in investigations
2. Use their to indicate possession. It is a possessive adjective and indicates that a particular noun belongs to them.
- My friends have lost their tickets.
- Their things were strewn about the office haphazardly.
3. Remember that they're is a contraction of the words they and are. It can never be used as a modifier, only as a subject (who or what does the action) and verb (the action itself).
- Hurry up! They're closing the mall at 6 tonight!
- I'm glad that they're so nice to new students here.
4. Test your usage. When you use any of these three words, get in the habit of asking yourself these questions:
- If you wrote there, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with here? If so, you're using it correctly.
- If you chose their, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with our? If so, you've chosen the correct word.
- If you used they're, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with they are? If so, you're on the right track!
Recognize incorrect examples and learn from the mistakes. By looking over others' work with a critical eye, especially by offering proofreading or copyediting help, you can become more sensitized to correct usage and practice it yourself.
- Wrong: Their is no one here.
- Wrong: Shelley wants to know if there busy.
- Wrong: The dogs are happily chewing on they're bones.
- RIGHT: I can't believe they're leaving their children there alone!
Practice, practice, practice! Get your English teacher or friend to say several sentences aloud that include one of these three words and write down which version they are using. Hire a private English tutor if you're still having trouble.
*TIPS
- Spell out your contractions. Replace can't with cannot, you're with you are, and they're with they are. This way, you will catch yourself if you make a mistake in writing.
- The students misplaced they're books → The students misplaced they are books.
- Here, the second sentence makes no sense; hence, it is improper usage.
- Turn off the auto-correct feature in your word processor. People tend to get lazy and forget special rules when the computer automatically corrects mistakes like the ones listed above.
- If you're unsure if you're using "their" correctly, try replacing it with "my" —the sentence should work with the substitution. For example: Their house is purple. If you replace "their" with "my" the sentence still makes sense: My house is purple. So, you know you're using "their" correctly.
- If you've ruled out "they're" or "their" as the correct form, then "there" is one you should go with!
- If you have "there is" or "there are" then it's always "there" -- you'd never say "they're is" or "they're are" or "their is" or "their are".
- Learning to spell correctly can help you succeed in school, get a great job, and be a contributor to wikiHow articles.
- Remember there, their, and they're by the following rules:
- there: the word here is in there so refer to there as a word for location.
- their: the word he is in their so refer to their as a word for people.
- they're: there is an ' in they're so they're is like they are. Instead of saying they're, say they are to see if it makes sense.
Please take a few minutes and learn how to use the homophones (no they are not cell phones for gays!) "their", "there" and "they're". You are making the Brotherhood look illiterate!
HOT TO USE THERE, THEIR and THEY'RE
The English language is full of problems like the one presented by there, their and they're. Most native English speakers pronounce these words the same way; therefore, it is difficult for some to judge in which situation to use which spelling. Each spelling means a very different thing; if you'd like to learn the difference, read on!
STEPS
1. Use there when referring to a place, whether concrete ("over there by the building") or more abstract ("it must be difficult to live there").
- There is an antique store on Camden Avenue.
- The science textbooks are over there on the floor.
- There are many documents that are used in investigations
2. Use their to indicate possession. It is a possessive adjective and indicates that a particular noun belongs to them.
- My friends have lost their tickets.
- Their things were strewn about the office haphazardly.
3. Remember that they're is a contraction of the words they and are. It can never be used as a modifier, only as a subject (who or what does the action) and verb (the action itself).
- Hurry up! They're closing the mall at 6 tonight!
- I'm glad that they're so nice to new students here.
4. Test your usage. When you use any of these three words, get in the habit of asking yourself these questions:
- If you wrote there, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with here? If so, you're using it correctly.
- If you chose their, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with our? If so, you've chosen the correct word.
- If you used they're, will the sentence still make sense if you replace it with they are? If so, you're on the right track!
Recognize incorrect examples and learn from the mistakes. By looking over others' work with a critical eye, especially by offering proofreading or copyediting help, you can become more sensitized to correct usage and practice it yourself.
- Wrong: Their is no one here.
- Wrong: Shelley wants to know if there busy.
- Wrong: The dogs are happily chewing on they're bones.
- RIGHT: I can't believe they're leaving their children there alone!
Practice, practice, practice! Get your English teacher or friend to say several sentences aloud that include one of these three words and write down which version they are using. Hire a private English tutor if you're still having trouble.
*TIPS
- Spell out your contractions. Replace can't with cannot, you're with you are, and they're with they are. This way, you will catch yourself if you make a mistake in writing.
- The students misplaced they're books → The students misplaced they are books.
- Here, the second sentence makes no sense; hence, it is improper usage.
- Turn off the auto-correct feature in your word processor. People tend to get lazy and forget special rules when the computer automatically corrects mistakes like the ones listed above.
- If you're unsure if you're using "their" correctly, try replacing it with "my" —the sentence should work with the substitution. For example: Their house is purple. If you replace "their" with "my" the sentence still makes sense: My house is purple. So, you know you're using "their" correctly.
- If you've ruled out "they're" or "their" as the correct form, then "there" is one you should go with!
- If you have "there is" or "there are" then it's always "there" -- you'd never say "they're is" or "they're are" or "their is" or "their are".
- Learning to spell correctly can help you succeed in school, get a great job, and be a contributor to wikiHow articles.
- Remember there, their, and they're by the following rules:
- there: the word here is in there so refer to there as a word for location.
- their: the word he is in their so refer to their as a word for people.
- they're: there is an ' in they're so they're is like they are. Instead of saying they're, say they are to see if it makes sense.