Editor's Corner

Good morning, folks!

Many of you have written to me in the last few months to suggests topics you would like me to cover. A lot of the suggestions are things I’ve already written about over the past ten years, but then I remembered: some of you have joined us more recently than that! I thought it would be a good idea to revisit some of these topics—particularly those that cause the most pain. Wait, that sounds horrible. Let’s just call them topics that are beneficial to review. If you have anything in particular you’d like me to cover, feel free to send your ideas to me at kchurch.

Now for today’s subject, the troubling homonyms there, their, and they’re.

Hopefully, this information will help!

There shows location.

• He is sitting over there.
• Stay there and I will come and get you.
• Is the store close enough that I can walk there and back in an hour?

Their shows ownership. (Possessive form of “they.”)

• Ask Jane and Wally if you can go to their house.
• The kids sang their loudest at the recital.
• Dusty and Rusty wrapped their knees in bubble wrap before starting to re-roof the house.

They’re is a contraction for “they are.”

• They’re going to the mountains this weekend.
• When Fritz and Adam are together, they’re always happy.
• They’re going to get a new dog soon.

And a joke we editors hear a lot:

I hope you have a lovely day!

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

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