Some mistakes really destroy your writing and make you look dumb or uneducated, even if the goof is merely the result of a typo. Confusing they're, there, and their is one of those reputation-busting mistakes!
The easiest word to separate from this group is they're. This word is a contraction, which means we've decided (at some point) to smash two words together to form one word. We use apostrophes to indicate that, in the act of smashing together words, we've left out a few letters. The word "they're" is short for "they are."
Tip: As you read over any draft of your writing, stop on any word that has an apostrophe and do a mental check. Ask yourself if the apostrophe is there to form a contraction or to indicate a possessive form.
As for the other two--there is a trick to remembering the difference between "their" and "there."
There is a place name, just like here and where. When proofreading, remember that they are spelled alike with the "ere" ending.
Their is a possessive adjective that goes in front of a noun to indicate ownership:
- their car
- their elbows
- their toes
