Normally, their is used as a plural to indicate ownership by more than one person, but there can be exceptions when it is singular if the identity or gender of the owner is not known, usually indicated by words like someone or anybody: Someone left their backpack behind.

January 11, 2025 - Merriam-Webster notes that their can also be used along with an antecedent for an indefinite third person singular pronoun (e.g., everyone, anyone, etc.) to mean “his or her” (“Their, Adj.

September 11, 2023 - There is no evidence to support their theory. In this instance, “there” is used as a pronoun to introduce a clause. “Their” identifies the theory as belonging to someone. They’re in their final year of college.

October 24, 2024 - There is commonly used to introduce sentences or to indicate where something is, as in It’s over there, next to the window. Their is the possessive form of the personal pronoun they, essentially meaning “belonging to or possessed by them,” as in Is that their car, or ours?

March 11, 2025 - 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.

June 23, 2023 - There is a chance of rain this afternoon. The word their is the possessive form of the pronoun they. Often followed by a noun, their indicates ownership and describes something owned by one or more persons.

June 18, 2024 - Although classified as plural in many grammars, their is often used in modern English with a singular meaning if the gender of a person is irrelevant or unknown (e.g., “I think the customer left their bag behind”). Many academic styles such as APA Style now endorse the use of singular they ...

"Their" is the possessive form of the plural pronoun they, used as an adjective preceding a noun (e.g., their company, their books on the shelves, their promotion to upper management). Despite being plural, "their" has also come to be used as a replacement for the singular possessive pronouns ...

August 28, 2025 - “They’re” is a contraction of “they are.” It is used to combine the pronoun “they” with the verb “are.” For example: ... Let’s look at some examples to understand the difference between there, their, and they’re. “There” – There are many books on the shelf. “Their” – The children are playing with their toys. “They’re” – They’re going to the park to play soccer. “There” – The store is over there on the right.

July 27, 2022 - Their is the only form of the homophone that indicates possession by someone or something. It does not refer to a location, but rather ownership of an object. Most often, their replaces a pronoun in a sentence.

October 21, 2024 - "Here going to school" makes no sense, so it's not "there". If you were talking about just one person, you would say "he's going to school" or "she's going to school", so "they're" is correct. ... I live there. Mike is here. Jane is there. ... Whose car is that? It's their car.

However, neither of the following examples are acceptable to the modern speaker unless the person referred to is known to be male or known to be female: Everyone should bring his own pencil. If someone calls, tell her I'll be back soon. His or her, him or her, and similar combinations were formerly recommended instead, but widely disliked. Fortunately, a simpler solution is available: they—and the related forms them, their, theirs, and themselves—have done the job for centuries, and are now widely accepted.

November 18, 2020 - They’re running late but should arrive soon. ... I don’t know if they’re planting a garden this year. ... there - Use the word there to refer to a particular place or to indicate a general location.

They're [=they are] coming over tomorrow for dinner. I hope they're enjoying the show. Use there when you are talking about a place, use their when you are talking about ownership, and use they're when you mean "they are."

November 27, 2023 - However, the term “their” means “belonging to someone”. It is a possessive pronoun for them. “There” means “at that point or at that place” and can be used as a pronoun, adverb, adjective, or interjection.

4 days ago - What is the difference between 'theirs' and 'their'? They're both pronouns. They're both third-person plurals. But they are of different categories of pronouns. 'Anybody' and 'somebody' are indefinite pronouns that refer to people without saying exactly who they are.

While in most cases “their” ... “someone.” ... Someone left their car keys on the table. “Their” should not be used when referring to a specific person......

February 22, 2024 - They said their hearts and their bird’s heart were forever broken by the destruction of the birthday cake. Tip: If you’re talking or writing about something that belongs to somebody, use “eir.” ... As an adverb: She stood there waiting for cake even after we told her the dog ate it.

October 21, 2024 - In less-formal writing that often crosses into formal writing, their also can serve as a singular attributive adjective that refers to a person previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the current context. Examples A parent should lead their child by example. ... If you would like to correspond with a teacher, ask for their email address. There can have two meanings.

There is a large oak tree outside the hotel. Their is a possessive determiner which means ‘belonging to them’: