Their, There, They're

Three words. One sound. Endless trouble — even people who grew up speaking English mix these up, so if they trip you, you're in excellent (and slightly embarrassed) company. Each one has one main job.

• THERE — a place, or “it exists.” The cheese is over there. There is a goat in my car.
• THEIR — it belongs to them. That is their goat. The Brazilian witches lost their passports riding evil horses.
• THEY'RE — short for “they are.” They're eating my passport now. They're goats, so they don't care about grammar.

Quick tip: if you can say “they are,” use they're. If it belongs to someone, their. If it's a place, there.