{"id":249,"date":"2026-08-21T17:37:53","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T17:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/?p=249"},"modified":"2026-08-21T17:37:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T17:37:54","slug":"their-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/their-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Their Meaning: A Simple Guide to Using It Right"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have you ever written &#8220;there&#8221; when you meant &#8220;their&#8221;? Don&#8217;t worry. Almost everyone does this at some point. Understanding <strong>their meaning<\/strong> is one of the trickiest parts of learning English, but it&#8217;s also one of the easiest things to fix once you know the trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This guide is for anyone who gets mixed up between their, there, and they&#8217;re. It&#8217;s for students working on homework. It&#8217;s for adults writing emails. It&#8217;s for anyone who wants to sound smart and clear when they write.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the end of this guide, you will know exactly what &#8220;their&#8221; means. You will know how to use it in a sentence. And you will never feel confused about it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"quick-answer\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quick Answer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Their meaning<\/strong>, in short: &#8220;their&#8221; is a word that shows something belongs to more than one person. It means &#8220;belonging to them.&#8221; For example, &#8220;The kids lost their meaning toys&#8221; means the toys belong to the kids. It is different from &#8220;there&#8221; (a place) and &#8220;they&#8217;re&#8221; (short for &#8220;they are&#8221;).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#quick-answer\">Quick Answer<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#what-does-their-mean\">What Does &#8220;Their&#8221; Mean?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#their-vs-there-vs-theyre\">Their vs. There vs. They&#8217;re<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-use-their-in-a-sentence\">How to Use &#8220;Their&#8221; in a Sentence<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#when-to-use-their-for-one-person\">When to Use &#8220;Their&#8221; for One Person<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#where-does-the-word-their-come-from\">Where Does the Word &#8220;Their&#8221; Come From?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#common-mistakes-people-make\">Common Mistakes People Make<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#expert-tips-to-remember-their-meaning\">Expert Tips to Remember Their Meaning<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#examples-of-their-in-real-sentences\">Examples of Their in Real Sentences<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#myths-about-their\">Myths About &#8220;Their&#8221;<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#their-in-formal-vs-casual-writing\">Their in Formal vs. Casual Writing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#pros-and-cons-of-using-their-for-one-person\">Pros and Cons of Using &#8220;Their&#8221; for One Person<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#a-quick-checklist-before-you-hit-publish\">A Quick Checklist Before You Hit Publish<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#safety-and-trust-why-small-word-mix-ups-matter\">Safety and Trust: Why Small Word Mix-Ups Matter<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#explore-more-word-meanings\">Explore More Word Meanings<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-does-their-mean\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Does &#8220;Their&#8221; Mean?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Their&#8221; is a small word with a big job. It is called a <strong>possessive pronoun<\/strong>. That&#8217;s a fancy way of saying it shows who owns something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you say &#8220;their,&#8221; you are talking about something that belongs to two or more people. Or it can belong to one person whose gender you don&#8217;t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s an easy way to picture it. Imagine three friends: Sam, Alex, and Jo. They all own one red bike together. You would say, &#8220;That is their meaning bike.&#8221; One word tells you the bike belongs to all three of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is the true <strong>their meaning<\/strong>. It points to ownership. It always points to more than one owner, or to a person you don&#8217;t want to label as &#8220;he&#8221; or &#8220;she.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"their-vs-there-vs-theyre\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Their vs. There vs. They&#8217;re<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the part that trips up almost everyone. These three words sound exactly the same when you say them out loud. But they mean completely different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Word<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>What It Means<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Their<\/strong><\/td><td>Shows ownership<\/td><td>&#8220;Their dog is friendly.&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>There<\/strong><\/td><td>Shows a place<\/td><td>&#8220;The dog is over there.&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>They&#8217;re<\/strong><\/td><td>Short for &#8220;they are&#8221;<\/td><td>&#8220;They&#8217;re walking the dog.&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is a simple trick to keep them straight:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>their meaning<\/strong> has the word &#8220;heir&#8221; hiding inside it. An heir is someone who <em>inherits<\/em> or owns something. So &#8220;their&#8221; is about owning things.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>There<\/strong> has the word &#8220;here&#8221; hiding inside it. Both are about places.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>They&#8217;re<\/strong> has an apostrophe. An apostrophe often means two words got squeezed into one. &#8220;They&#8217;re&#8221; is just &#8220;they are&#8221; squeezed together.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you spot these hidden clues, you will almost never mix them up again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-to-use-their-in-a-sentence\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to Use &#8220;Their&#8221; in a Sentence<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using &#8220;their&#8221; is simple once you know the pattern. You use it right before a noun (a person, place, or thing) to show that the noun belongs to a group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is the basic pattern:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Their + [noun]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Their house<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their homework<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their idea<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Their favorite song<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s put that into full sentences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The students finished <strong>their meaning<\/strong> homework early.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>My neighbors painted <strong>their meaning<\/strong> fence blue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Everyone should bring <strong>their<\/strong> own lunch.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The team celebrated <strong>their<\/strong> big win.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notice how &#8220;their&#8221; always comes before a thing that belongs to someone. That is the whole secret to using it correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"when-to-use-their-for-one-person\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>When to Use &#8220;Their&#8221; for One Person<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes people use &#8220;their&#8221; even when they are talking about just one person. This happens when we don&#8217;t know if that person is a boy or a girl, or when we simply don&#8217;t want to guess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example: &#8220;Someone left <strong>their<\/strong> jacket on the chair.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We don&#8217;t know if that someone is male or female. So &#8220;their&#8221; works perfectly here. This has been a normal part of English for hundreds of years, and most style guides now accept it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"where-does-the-word-their-come-from\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where Does the Word &#8220;Their&#8221; Come From?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Words have histories, just like people do. &#8220;Their&#8221; is a very old word. It came from an Old Norse word, &#8220;\u00feeirra,&#8221; used by Viking settlers in England a long time ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Old English speakers already had words like &#8220;hira&#8221; for &#8220;their,&#8221; but over time, the Norse version won out and became the &#8220;their&#8221; we use today. Language often changes this way. New words move in, old words fade out, and eventually, the new word becomes completely normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowing this history won&#8217;t change how you use the word today. But it&#8217;s a fun fact that shows how English has borrowed from many different languages over the centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"common-mistakes-people-make\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Common Mistakes People Make<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even smart, careful writers slip up with &#8220;their.&#8221; Here are the mistakes that happen most often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mistake 1: Swapping &#8220;their&#8221; for &#8220;there.&#8221;<\/strong> Wrong: &#8220;Put the box over their.&#8221; Right: &#8220;Put the box over there.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mistake 2: Swapping &#8220;their&#8221; for &#8220;they&#8217;re.&#8221;<\/strong> Wrong: &#8220;Their going to the park.&#8221; Right: &#8220;They&#8217;re going to the park.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mistake 3: Using &#8220;their&#8221; with one clear owner.<\/strong> Wrong: &#8220;Give the book to their,&#8221; when you already know it&#8217;s Maria&#8217;s book. Right: &#8220;Give the book to her.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mistake 4: Forgetting the noun after &#8220;their.&#8221;<\/strong> Wrong: &#8220;That is their,&#8221; with nothing after it. Right: &#8220;That is their book.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spotting these patterns in your own writing is the fastest way to stop making them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"expert-tips-to-remember-their-meaning\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Expert Tips to Remember Their Meaning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teachers and writing coaches use a few simple tricks to help students lock in <strong>their meaning<\/strong> for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Say the sentence out loud, but swap in &#8220;our.&#8221;<\/strong> If &#8220;our&#8221; makes sense, &#8220;their&#8221; is probably correct too. &#8220;That is (our\/their) house&#8221; both work, so &#8220;their&#8221; is right.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Look for the hidden &#8220;heir.&#8221;<\/strong> If the sentence is about who owns something, think &#8220;heir&#8221; and reach for &#8220;their.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Read your writing backward.<\/strong> Reading sentences in reverse order forces your brain to look at each word on its own, which makes mix-ups easier to spot.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use a find-and-replace check.<\/strong> Before turning in important writing, search for &#8220;their,&#8221; &#8220;there,&#8221; and &#8220;they&#8217;re&#8221; and double-check each one by hand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These habits take only a few seconds but save you from small errors that can make good writing look sloppy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"examples-of-their-in-real-sentences\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examples of Their in Real Sentences<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Seeing &#8220;their&#8221; used in different situations helps the meaning stick. Here are examples from everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At school: &#8220;The class shared <strong>their<\/strong> art projects with the principal.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At home: &#8220;My parents renovated <strong>their<\/strong> kitchen last summer.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At work: &#8220;The company updated <strong>their<\/strong> website this week.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In sports: &#8220;The players signed autographs after <strong>their<\/strong> victory.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In nature: &#8220;Birds build <strong>their<\/strong> nests high in the trees.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In stories: &#8220;The heroes returned to <strong>their<\/strong> village as legends.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each sentence follows the same rule. Something belongs to more than one person (or a person whose gender isn&#8217;t stated), and &#8220;their&#8221; shows that ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"myths-about-their\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Myths About &#8220;Their&#8221;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few myths float around about this little word. Let&#8217;s clear them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Myth: &#8220;Their&#8221; can only refer to groups of people.<\/strong> Not true. &#8220;Their&#8221; can also describe one person when the gender is unknown or unimportant, as we saw in the &#8220;someone left their jacket&#8221; example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Myth: Using &#8220;their&#8221; for one person is a new, incorrect trend.<\/strong> Not true. Writers have used &#8220;their&#8221; this way for centuries, long before it became a hot topic online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Myth: &#8220;Their&#8221; and &#8220;there&#8221; are interchangeable if the sentence still makes sense.<\/strong> Not true. They have completely different jobs. Mixing them up is always considered an error in formal writing, even if a reader can guess what you meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"their-in-formal-vs-casual-writing\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Their in Formal vs. Casual Writing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every kind of writing treats <strong>their meaning<\/strong> the same way. Knowing the difference helps you pick the right style for the right moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In casual writing<\/strong>, like texts, chats, or social media, &#8220;their&#8221; is used freely for both groups and single people. Nobody blinks if you write, &#8220;Ask the driver for their name.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In formal writing<\/strong>, like school essays, business reports, or legal papers, some older style guides still prefer &#8220;his or her&#8221; instead of &#8220;their&#8221; for one unknown person. But this is changing fast. Many major style guides, dictionaries, and universities now fully accept singular &#8220;their&#8221; in formal writing too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is a simple table to help you choose:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Setting<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Common Choice<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Texting a friend<\/td><td>&#8220;their&#8221;<\/td><td>&#8220;Tell them to bring their charger.&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>School essay (older style)<\/td><td>&#8220;his or her&#8221;<\/td><td>&#8220;Every student must bring his or her ID.&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Modern formal writing<\/td><td>&#8220;their&#8221;<\/td><td>&#8220;Every student must bring their ID.&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Business email<\/td><td>&#8220;their&#8221;<\/td><td>&#8220;The client updated their order.&#8221;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When in doubt, &#8220;their&#8221; is almost always a safe, modern, and widely accepted choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"pros-and-cons-of-using-their-for-one-person\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pros and Cons of Using &#8220;Their&#8221; for One Person<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using &#8220;their&#8221; to talk about a single person, instead of &#8220;he&#8221; or &#8220;she,&#8221; has real benefits and a few small drawbacks worth knowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It works when you don&#8217;t know someone&#8217;s gender.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It respects people who don&#8217;t identify as strictly male or female.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It keeps sentences short. You avoid clunky phrases like &#8220;he or she.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has been part of English for a very long time, so it sounds natural.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A few very strict teachers or editors may still mark it as incorrect.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some readers might briefly pause if they aren&#8217;t used to seeing it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In very formal legal writing, some documents still spell out &#8220;he or she&#8221; to avoid any confusion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, the pros outweigh the cons for almost every situation you&#8217;ll run into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"a-quick-checklist-before-you-hit-publish\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Quick Checklist Before You Hit Publish<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before you send an email, turn in homework, or post online, run through this short checklist. It only takes a few seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Did I use &#8220;their&#8221; to show something belongs to someone?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did I use &#8220;there&#8221; only when talking about a place?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did I use &#8220;they&#8217;re&#8221; only as a short form of &#8220;they are&#8221;?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did I read the sentence out loud to see if it sounds right?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Did I check any sentence that felt tricky one more time?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you can answer &#8220;yes&#8221; to all five, your writing is in great shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"safety-and-trust-why-small-word-mix-ups-matter\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Safety and Trust: Why Small Word Mix-Ups Matter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might wonder why a tiny word like &#8220;their&#8221; is worth so much attention. Here&#8217;s the honest answer: word mix-ups can quietly hurt how people see your writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A mixed-up &#8220;their&#8221; won&#8217;t confuse most readers about the meaning of your sentence. But it can make a resume, a work email, or a school paper look rushed or careless. Getting <strong>their meaning<\/strong> right builds trust with your reader. It shows that you care about the details, which matters in school, at work, and online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The good news is that this is one of the easiest writing habits to fix. A little practice goes a long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"explore-more-word-meanings\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Explore More Word Meanings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you enjoyed learning about <strong>their meaning<\/strong>, you might like exploring more word and phrase meanings. Here are a few guides worth checking out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Curious about texting shortcuts? Read about<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/sms-meaning\/\"> SMS meaning<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/asl-meaning\/\"> ASL meaning<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/ofc-meaning\/\"> OFC meaning<\/a>, and<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/iykyk-meaning\/\"> IYKYK meaning<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Want to sound smarter in conversation? Check out<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/pedantic-meaning\/\"> pedantic meaning<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/nonchalant-meaning\/\"> nonchalant meaning<\/a>, and<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/hubris-meaning\/\"> hubris meaning<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interested in feelings and relationships? Try<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/platonic-meaning\/\"> platonic meaning<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/solace-meaning\/\"> solace meaning<\/a>, and<a href=\"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/epiphany-meaning\/\"> epiphany meaning<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"frequently-asked-questions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What does &#8220;their&#8221; mean in simple words?<\/strong> &#8220;Their&#8221; means something belongs to more than one person. It can also mean something belongs to one person whose gender is not known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Is &#8220;their&#8221; singular or plural?<\/strong> &#8220;Their&#8221; is mainly plural, but it is also correctly used for one person when we don&#8217;t know if that person is male or female.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How do I know when to use &#8220;their&#8221; instead of &#8220;there&#8221; or &#8220;they&#8217;re&#8221;?<\/strong> Use &#8220;their&#8221; when you are showing ownership. Use &#8220;there&#8221; for a place. Use &#8220;they&#8217;re&#8221; as a short way to say &#8220;they are.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Can &#8220;their&#8221; be used for a single person?<\/strong> Yes. This has been standard English for a very long time. &#8220;Everyone grabbed their coat&#8221; is a correct and common example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What part of speech is &#8220;their&#8221;?<\/strong> &#8220;Their&#8221; is a possessive pronoun. It shows who owns or has something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Is it rude to use &#8220;their&#8221; for someone instead of &#8220;his&#8221; or &#8220;her&#8221;?<\/strong> No. Using &#8220;their&#8221; is a polite, neutral choice when you don&#8217;t know someone&#8217;s gender or don&#8217;t want to assume it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Why do people confuse their, there, and they&#8217;re so often?<\/strong> All three words sound exactly the same when spoken. Our brains hear one sound but must choose the correct spelling based on meaning, which takes extra thought while writing quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Does &#8220;their&#8221; ever change form, like &#8220;theirs&#8221;?<\/strong> Yes. &#8220;Theirs&#8221; is used without a noun right after it. Example: &#8220;This bike is theirs&#8221; instead of &#8220;This is their bike.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"conclusion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding <strong>their meaning<\/strong> does not have to be hard. &#8220;Their&#8221; simply shows that something belongs to more than one person, or to a person whose gender you don&#8217;t know. Remember the hidden &#8220;heir&#8221; inside the word, and you will always know it&#8217;s about ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that you know the difference between their, there, and they&#8217;re, try spotting them in your own writing today. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel, and soon you won&#8217;t even need to think twice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever written &#8220;there&#8221; when you meant &#8220;their&#8221;? Don&#8217;t worry. Almost everyone does this at some point. Understanding their meaning is one of the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":250,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grammer-learning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":251,"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249\/revisions\/251"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsentprojectpro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}