Definition:
'they're' is a contraction of the words 'they' and 'are.' Contractions are used in English to make speech and writing more concise and colloquial by combining two words into one. In the case of 'they're,' it's used to refer to a group of people or things and describe something about them.
Rules:
'they're' should only be used when you mean 'they are.' It's informal and is often used in spoken English, casual writing, and dialogue in literature.
It's not typically used in very formal writing.
Examples:
They're going to the concert tonight.
I think they're the best candidates for the job.
If they're not coming, we should start without them.
Tips:
'they're' is often confused with 'their' (possessive pronoun) and 'there' (referring to a place or the existence of something). It's crucial to differentiate between these homophones based on the context. A quick way to check if 'they're' is used correctly is to expand it to 'they are' and see if the sentence still makes sense. Avoid using 'they're' in very formal contexts or academic writing. Instead, use 'they are.'
Definition:
'they're' is a contraction of the words 'they' and 'are.' Contractions are used in English to make speech and writing more concise and colloquial by combining two words into one. In the case of 'they're,' it's used to refer to a group of people or things and describe something about them.
Rules:
'they're' should only be used when you mean 'they are.' It's informal and is often used in spoken English, casual writing, and dialogue in literature.
It's not typically used in very formal writing.
Examples:
They're going to the concert tonight.
I think they're the best candidates for the job.
If they're not coming, we should start without them.
Tips:
'they're' is often confused with 'their' (possessive pronoun) and 'there' (referring to a place or the existence of something). It's crucial to differentiate between these homophones based on the context. A quick way to check if 'they're' is used correctly is to expand it to 'they are' and see if the sentence still makes sense. Avoid using 'they're' in very formal contexts or academic writing. Instead, use 'they are.'