Activity: Grammar on the Red Carpet Skill: Commonly Confused Words

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Activity: “Grammar on the red carpet” • skill: Commonly Confused Words

There, their, andthey’re

The words there, their, and they’re are often confused and misused. Here’s what you need to know:

Use there to refer to a place or to the existence of something.

Examples:

Ayumi found her dropped book overthere,behindtheoaktree.

Ted promised that there will be free ice cream at the Scoop Shop’s grand opening.

Use their to indicate that something belongs to certain people, animals, or things.

Examples:

TheKroebersbroughttheirnewbabyhometoday.

Thedogsfoughtovertheirtennisballsforthewholecarride.

Use they’re as a contractionof “they are.”

Examples:

Ben and Gabriel say they’re

trying out for the baseball team.

I love hanging out with Kim andCarli. They’re so funny!

Directions: Highlight the correct boldface word in each sentence below.

1.TheKavanaghshavelivedinMadridforthreeyears,butthere/their/they’removingbacktoSeattle nextmonth.

2.Meganalreadyleftfortheparty.Priscillaismeetingherthere/their/they’reafterdinner.

3.Ajacarriedthetwins’birthdaycake,andIcarriedthere/their/they’represents.

4.Feyisaidthere/their/they’rearefourkittenssleepinginaboxundertheporch.

5.TheBarrettboysexplainedthatthere/their/they’reparrotflewawaywhentheyopenedthewindow.

6.LeoprefersBraziliangreenpeachesbecausethere/their/they’resmallerandmilderthanAmericanpeaches.

Directions: Write the correct choice of there, their, or they’re on each blank in the paragraph below.

Yesterday,mylittlesisterschallengedmetoagameofScrabble.Usually,Iavoidplayinggameswiththem becauseterriblecheaters.But pleadingworemedown,anditwasraining,soIagreed.Wesetuptheboardonthedining-roomtable,removingPrincess,thecatthatlikestosleep .

Then we pickedourtiles.areonlytwoblanktiles,andIgotthemboth!Thingswerelookinggood.The girls obviouslydidn’tlike tiles: They kept tryingtosneak hands into the tilebagfor newones. isnotmuchelsetosayaboutthegame,exceptthatitwentonandonandon.Whenitfinally ended, I was more than ready to getoutof .Thescore?Lisa:311.Janet:296.Me:64.Ugh.

Mysisters,ofcourse,hadagreattime.alreadybeggingmetoplayagain.

ScholasticSCOPE activity • January 14, 2013