A few years ago, before I became a gracious Fairy Godwriter, I watched in a little bit of horror (and a little bit of delight) as Carrie Bradshaw (of Sex and the City fame) read a note from Big’s wife, Natasha.

“Dear Carrie, 

Thank you for supporting women in the arts by attending the luncheon. 
Sorry I couldn’t be their.” 

I heard the proverbial vinyl scratching sound, as I winced in pain. It left such an impression on me, that thirteen years after the series ended (yes, munchkins. It’s really been that long), I still remember that scene.

And guess what, my lovelies? Natasha isn’t the only person who’s a little bit impaired in that department. I see this mistake almost on a daily basis on social media. But not to worry, my precious wonders. The Fairy Godwriter is here to do right by you.

Ok. So How Do I fix it?

THEY’RE. Remember when we talked about contractions? (If you haven’t read that blog post, go do so now. I’ll wait). Well, they’re is a contraction of “They are”. Sound out your sentence. If you mean to say “They are crazy!”, “They are delicious!”, or anything along those lines, using “they’re” is appropriate. If you’re still confused, say the sentence out loud, and add the word “are” into it. Does it go there? If it make sense, use they’re. If it doesn’t, eliminate it from your list of options.

THERE. Use this word when you are referring to location. “The remote control is over there,” “I grew up over there,” “Look at Carrie over there, making fun of Natasha; even though Natasha’s the one who got the ring,” (at least during that season).

THEIR. Their is a pronoun (a word that substitutes a noun (person, place, or thing). It’s used to substitute them. Princess Leia and Han Solo were a good pair together. Their chemistry was palpable.” In this example, you would use their because you are talking about them.

Going back to the Sex and the City example, Natasha should’ve used the word “there”, because she was sorry she couldn’t be at a specific location/event.

That’s it! As simple as tapping your wand three times on a magic pumpkin. Except that I don’t do that, but you know what I mean.

Have a wonderful day, little wonders!

Much love,

The Fairy Godwriter