The Differences Between There, Their, and It in English Grammar

In standard English grammar, three different pronouns can be used to refer to something that’s not close by: There, their, and it.

What is the difference between there, their, and it?

There is a word that can be confusing for those who are new to English grammar. The words there, their, and it are all used differently when they're used as a pronoun or an adverb. They're also spelled differently. Let's take a look at the different uses of these three similar-looking words. 

There is a word that can be confusing for those who are new to English grammar. The words there, their, and it are all used differently when they're used as pronouns or adverbs. They're also spelled differently.

When to use each word

There is a pronoun that's used to refer to a place or time. For example: It's raining outside. There is a storm on the horizon. 

Their is possessive, which means that it shows ownership of something. For example: I found their car keys on the floor. 

It can be both a pronoun or a noun. As an adjective, it means having the qualities of, so you might say it tastes good (meaning the food).

Examples of each word in a sentence

It is a pronoun. It is also used as a verb meaning to place or put. You can also use it as an adjective meaning belonging to it. Finally, you can use it as an adverb meaning on or at that place.

In English grammar there refers to any place not near the speaker (a distance away). For example: There's your phone. In this sentence there means the phone is not near the speaker (not close by).

When we speak of someone else's possessions they refer to anything that belongs to them. For example: It seems like they have everything. In this sentence they means all of their belongings are present.

Tips for remember the differences

One of the trickiest parts of English grammar are the three different words that all look very similar: there vs. their vs. it.

There is a pronoun for locations. If you use this word to refer to places, then you can see one or two objects there (e.g., The dog is over there). This word also means here when used as an adverb or prefix (e.g., I am here; I will be here soon).