ENGLISH LANGUAGE WARS - THERE VS THEIR

THERE vs THEIR

I have always told my students "... the way you use a word will determine the meaning of that word." This is because there are so many words in the English language that has more than a single meaning - and that can be infuriatingly confusing, believe me.
But if you get confused about the multiple meanings of a single word, what happens when that word sounds like another word or group of words?
Yea, we've gone and done it.

Today we shall be looking at two words, "there" and "their".

Translating phonetically:
There - /ðeə(r)/ BrE
              /ðer/ NAmE
Their - /ðeə(r)/ BrE
              /ðer/ NAmE

When I first saw the above, I was astounded. So I did a brief research online and got the following from a website:

Rules for Using There and Their
Paying attention to the meaning and parts of speech of these two words, as well as common ways they are used, will help to prevent errors when using them in your writing.

Rule #1: "There" works as a noun. 
The word "there" has many uses but more than any other function, "there" works as a noun, meaning "that place:"
- We jogged from way over there to the end of the block, then we sprinted the rest of the way home.
- The child took one look at the haunted house, and shrieked, "I am never stepping foot in there!"

Rule #2: "There" also works as an adverb. 
Alas, "there" can also work as an adverb, meaning the opposite of "here:"
- Do you hear that dog barking over there?
- May I please sit there?
- The officer shouted, "Stop right there!"

Rule #3: "There" works as a pronoun, too.
Finally, "there" may also be used as a pronoun to introduce a noun or a phrase:
- Is there a desk I can use to do my homework?
- There are too many people on this elevator.

Rule #4: "Their" works as a possessive adjective. 
"Their" primarily works as a possessive adjective, to describe something that belongs to "them". A noun typically follows "their". Take a look at these examples below. Notice that a noun follows every "their:"
- We walked their dog for them while they were on vacation.
- Their cars were parked on the street while they were having their driveway repaved.
- I offered to babysit their toddler, so they could get out on a date.

Remember: "Their" shows possession, "there" does not.
"There" may work as a noun, adverb, or pronoun, but it never shows possession. Only "their" may show possession.

Why Are There and Their So Similar?
"There" and "their" are homophones. Let's break down the word homophone to help you understand its meaning. Homo means "same," and phone means "sound." So, words that are homophones will have the same sound. Homophones like "there" and "their" sound the same but, as we have shown, have different spellings and meanings. There are many homophones in the English language. In this case, there's even another word that sounds similar to "there" and "their" but has a different meaning - "they're".
The word "they're" is actually a contraction of the two words "they are," and again shouldn't be confused with "there" or "their."

- 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.

NOTE:
1. Homophones — words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.
2. BrE = British English.
3. AmeE = American English.

At NADIGIGS, we aim at bringing out the best version of every child we reach out to.


References: https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules-and-tips/rules-for-there-and-their.html

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At NADIGIGS, we aim at bringing out the best version of every child we reach out to.