Grammar on the Porch #1

Is it just me, or do high school English classes slide further and further away with every year? Thank goodness I have "Grammar on the Porch". Good old Grammar loves to visit The Letterbug from time to time for a nice cup of tea and a natter about the English language.

She knows we know - really she does. But just in case...

Image kindly supplied by Toni Grote - visit www.artisttonigrote.blogspot.com to see more of her beautiful artwork.

There, Their, They're

"Now then dears, at first glance it seems so simple - and it is! But these three words trip up many an unsuspecting writer. That is because these words are homonyms - words that sound alike but have different meanings. Have a wee peek at the the following examples and you'll be set like a jelly on the there/their/they're matter..."

There
- denotes a place, and means in, at, or to that place.

• I will pop my tea cosy over there.
• Could you please leave my knitting in there?
• There is nowhere like Grammar's house.

Their
- is a determiner belonging to them, a possessive pronoun.

• Will you get a ride in their car?
• I want to play in their bowls team.
• Their sponge cake was the best.

They're
- the contraction of they are. If you can replace "they're" with "they are" then you know you have used the correct homnym

• They're going to the movies tomorrow.
• I wonder what they're going to do afterwards?
• They said they're going out for hot chocolate.

"Its as easy as that dears. Now be a sweetie and pass me another slice of vanilla sponge cake... I'd get it myself only my hip plays up in this weather. You know.... "

Love Grammar X