2021-02-11 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด T – Their & theirs

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2021-02-11

ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด T – Their & theirs

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Dictionary.com

ออกเสียง Their & theirs = ‘THAIRz

Dictionary.com

“Their” vs. “There” vs. “They’re”: Do You Know The Difference?

The trio of their, there, and they’re can flummox writers of all levels.

It’s confusing; they are homophones,

meaning they have the same pronunciation (sound)

but differ in meaning and derivation (origin).

Even though they sound the same, they aren’t spelled the same … cue the noticeable errors!

Let’s explore the correct usages of the three.

How do you use their, there, and they’re?

These three words serve many functions.

When to use their

Their is the possessive case of the pronoun they,

meaning belonging to them.

As in:

• They left their cell phones at home.

Their is generally plural, but it is increasingly accepted in place of the singular his or her after words such as someone:

• Someone left their book on the table.

When to use there

There is an adverb that means in or at that place.

In this sense, there is essentially the opposite of here.

This is what’s known as an adverb of place,

which answers the question where an action is taking place.

Many common adverbs end in -ly,like quickly, usually, and completely,

but not all adverbs do.

• She is there now.

There is also used as a pronounintroducing the subject of a sentence or clause:

• There is still hope.

When to use they’re

They’re is a contraction of the words they and are.

• They’re mastering the differences between three homophones!

Take a hint from the spelling!

If you find yourself coming up blank when trying to determine which one to use,

take a hint from the spelling of each:

• Their has the word heir in it, which can act as a reminder that the term indicates possession.
• There has the word here in it. There is the choice when talking about places, whether figurative or literal.
• They’re has an apostrophe, which means it’s the product of two words:

they are.

If you can substitute they are into your sentence

and retain the meaning, then they’re is the correct homophone to use.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Can they be used as an indefinite subject?: Usage Guide

They used as an indefinite subject(sense 2) is sometimes objected to

on the grounds that it does not have an antecedent.

Not every pronoun requires an antecedent, however.

The indefinite they is used in all varieties of contexts and is standard.

Can they, their, them, and themselves be used as singular pronouns?:

Usage Guide

They, their, them, themselves:

English lacks a common-gender third person singular pronoun

that can be used to refer to indefinite pronouns(such as everyone, anyone, someone).

Writers and speakers have supplied this lack by using the plural pronouns.

and every one to rest themselves betake — William Shakespeare

I would have everybody marry if they can do it properly — Jane Austen

it is too hideous for anyone in their senses to buy — W. H. Auden

The plural pronouns have also been put to use as pronouns of indefinite number to refer to singular nouns that stand for many persons. 'tis meet that some more audience than a mother, since nature makes them partial, should o'erhear the speech — William Shakespeare

a person can't help their birth — W. M. Thackeray

no man goes to battle to be killed.—But they do get killed — G. B. Shaw

The use of they, their, them, and themselves as pronouns of indefinite gender and indefinite number is well established in speech and writing, even in literary and formal contexts.

In recent years, these pronouns have also been adopted by individuals whose gender identity is nonbinary, as illustrated in sense 3d above.

There vs. They're vs. Their

There, they're, and their:

they sound the same but have different meanings

and keeping them straight can be very tricky.

We'll start with there.

It has the word here in it, which can help remind us that this particular word is often about location:

There it is.

Put it there.

Stay there.

We'll be there soon.

It's about location in the more abstract sense too:

There you go.

There is where we disagree.

Friends who are always there for you.

It's also the one to use as the first word in sentences that have the subject after the verb:

There goes the bus.

And it's the one used with is and are at the beginning of sentences and questions:

There are plenty available.

Is there a hotel in the town?

The other two are trickier because they both have the idea of the plural in them. Both are connected to the idea of "them."

They're means "they are":

They're (=they are) funny people.

They're (=they are) the cutest puppies ever.

It can be used of non-living things too:

They're (=they are) both really good books.

They're (=they are) two of our biggest problems.

The last of this trio, their, is the possessive form of they,

So, it has to do with what belongs to, relates to,

or is made or done by certain people, animals, or things:

It's their house.

We're their neighbors.

The trees are losing their leaves.

And there you go. They're not an easy group of words, but with practice we know you can master their distinctions.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

How to Use They're, There, and Their

They’re, their, and there are among the most commonly confused homophones. Here, some tricks and examples to help you use them correctly.

What to Know

Their, there, and they're are all pronounced the same way.

Their is the possessive pronoun,as in "their car is red";

there is used as an adjective, "he is always there for me," a noun, "get away from there," and, chiefly, an adverb, "stop right there";

they're is a contraction of "they are," as in "they're getting married."

Homophones — words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings — can be tricky.

There are three in particular that commonly confuse people.

They're very tricky, in part because of their usefulness,

which means that we call on them over and over in our writing here and there

"There" Usage

And we'll start there.

That one has the word here in it, which is helpful.

It can remind us that this particular there is often about location:

There it is.
Put it there.
Stay there.
We'll be there soon.

It's about location in the more abstract sense too:

There you go.
There is where we disagree.
Friends who are always there for you.

It's also the one to use as the first word in sentences that have the subject after the verb:

There is a nice hotel in the town.

And it's the one used with the verb be at the beginning of sentences and questions:

There are plenty available.
Is there a hotel in the town?

The other two are trickier because they both have the idea of the plural in them. They key is discerning between the contraction for "they are" (they're) and the possessive of "belonging to them" (their).

"They're" Usage

They're is a contraction that means "they are."

You can remember that apostrophes indicate the possessive only when used of 's, such as "the writer's thoughts."

Otherwise, it's generally a contraction of two words,

as in can't = cannot, or won't = will not, or an omission of a letter or letters,

as in singin' for singing and 'em for them in stick it to 'em.

They're (=they are) funny people.
They're (=they are) the cutest puppies ever.

It can be used of non-living things too:

They're (=they are) both really good books.
They're (=they are) two of our biggest problems.

"Their" Usage

The last of this trio, their, is the possessive form of they, so it has to do with what belongs to, relates to, or is made or done by certain people, animals, or things:

It's their house.
We're their neighbors.
The trees are losing their leaves.

Their also has a long history of being used as a singular pronoun. Associate Editor Emily Brewster explains its usage in this video.

And there you go. They're not an easy group of words, but with practice we know you can master their distinctions.

In summary:

There is the most common. It has the word here in it, which is helpful because it's often about location.

They're always means "they are."

Their is the possessive form of they.

Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions

Their & theirs

Their is the possessive form of the pronoun they.

Theirs is a possessive pronoun, the absolute form of their.

Their is used to qualify a noun that follows: “their dog,” “theircar.”

Theirs is used in other constructions: “a dog of theirs,” “all theirs.”

Their means “belonging to them”

and should be kept distinct from thereand they’re.

Their is never written with an apostrophe (theirs, not their’s)

See also THEY.