Homonyms are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings and usages. This can be confusing sometimes as one must rely on context to figure out which word is meant or should be used.
Even native speakers sometimes fail to use the homonyms "there," "their," and "they're" correctly. Here is a quick review of which one is appropriate for which occasion.
1) The word "there" is used to refer to a physical or abstract location.
When I flew in on the float plane, they were all there on the boat.
When I flew in on the float plane, they were all there on the boat.
Caption 4, Alaska Revealed - Endless Wave
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Also, it is commonly combined with a conjugation of “to be” or a modal verb to discuss the existence of something.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.
Caption 28, Barack Obama's Inauguration Day - Obama's Speech
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I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus.
I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus.
Caption 9, A Charlie Brown Christmas - Opening
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2) "Their" is a possessive adjective used before a noun when the subject is "they." With "their," we are speaking about something that belongs to two or more people.
What are their names? -Their names are Naya and Alex.
What are their names? -Their names are Naya and Alex.
Caption 14, Caralie and Annie - Get to Know Each Other
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Their goal is a plan to finally help humanity reduce its carbon footprint.
Their goal is a plan to finally help humanity reduce its carbon footprint.
Caption 3, Green TV - What Is COP21?
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3) "They’re" is a contraction of "they are" used to refer to two or more people in the third person. It is especially useful for shortening sentences in the present continuous tense.
I think they're nice.
I think they're nice.
Caption 12, Comic-Con 2015 - Jennifer Lawrence
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They're playing a game on the lawn.
They're playing a game on the lawn.
Caption 10, Jessica - in Prospect Park
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Further Learning
Check out the examples above on Yabla English to get a better sense of the full context for the use of "there," "their," and "they're." Try to write a few sentences in which you use two or even all three of these words to solidify your understanding. An example would be: "They're not sure when they will get there. It depends on when their plane lands."
Regular verbs in English consist of a base verb from which all different tenses can easily be formed. For example, the verb "to learn": present tense: learn; continuous present tense: learning, perfect tense and past tense: learned. As you see, all tenses of the regular verb "to learn" can be formed by adding the endings -ing and -ed.
English irregular verbs, however, have no definite rules, and although some irregular verbs have certain patterns in common, the best way to learn them is by looking at each individual verb. Let's look at the irregular verb "begin" in its simple present tense as an example.
Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off,
and begin again the work of remaking America.
Captions 26-27, Barack Obama's Inauguration Day - Obama's Speech
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As you see, in the simple present tense it remains the same. But in the present continuous tense:
It's beginning to turn into a lovely red color!
Caption 28, Tara's Recipes - Chilli Prawns and Golden Couscous
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Just like a regular verb, this irregular verb adds -ing, but with an extra '"n": However, in the past tense:
She got a fright when the clock suddenly began to strike twelve.
Caption 15, Yabla Fairy Tales - Cinderella
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The base verb "begin" changes to "began." And as a past participle:
Bottled water sales have begun to drop.
Caption 67, Nature Preservation - The Story of Bottled Water
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The base verb "begin" changes to "begun."
Further Learning
Take a look at this list of English irregular verb forms, and search Yabla English for some of your favorite English irregular verbs to see them used in a real-world context.
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