Choosing Between Two Words: Biggest Offenders

They’re, There, and Their

They’re is a contract of they are. So whenever you can substitute what you’re trying to say with they are, you can use they’re. Call it the contraction test.

Example: Jon and Meg aren’t home yet. (They’re/There/Their) at the store.

• Contraction Test: Jon and Meg aren’t home yet. They are at the store.
• Passed Test: They’re is the proper form for this sentence.

There is an adverb which answers the question “where?”. So if you go to use the form there, you should be able to replace the word with where and turn it into a question. Let’s call this the where test.

Example: (They’re/There/Their) goes the train! Oh no, now we have to walk all the way over (They’re/There/Their).

• Where Test: Where goes the train? Oh no, now we have to walk all the way over where? There.
• Passed Test: There is the proper form in both cases because it answer the question where.

While these doen’t sound good to the ear, these sentences do make sense. It should be very obvious when the where test is failed.

Example 2: Jon and Meg aren’t home yet. (They’re/There/Their) at the store.

• Where Test: Jon and Meg aren’t home yet. Where at the store?
• Failed Test: This sentence really doesn’t make any sense, so there is not the correct form for this sentence.

Their is a possessive adjective to show ownership of an object which answers the question “whose?”. So if you go to use the form there, you should be able to replace the word with whose and turn it into a question. Call this the whose test.

Example: They left (They’re/There/Their) car in the parking garage.

• Whose Test: They left whose car in the parking garage? Their car.
• Passed Test: Their is the proper form here because it answers the question whose car.

Affect and Effect

Affect is a verb so it shows Action. Remember this because both affect and action start with A. If you go to use affect, you should be trying to talk about something or someone that did something i.e. you’re using it as a verb.

Example: Her speech (Affected/Effected) us all in different ways.

• Action Test: Her speech (did an action) us in all different ways.
• Passed Test: The speech did perform a type of action to get a result. Therefore, affected is the proper choice here.

Effect is a noun so it does not show action. It also does not start with A so it is not the action one. If you go to use effect, you should be talking about the result of something, not an action.

Example: The (Effect/Affect) on us was profound!

• Result test: The result on us was profound!
• Passed Test: You can see result serves the right function in this sentence, making effect the proper choice.

Then and Than

Then is an adverb that talks about time which answers the question “when?” So if you go to use the form then, you should be able to replace the word with when and turn it into a question (replacing all first person with second person, as though you were asking the person a question) Call this the when test.

Example: We went to lunch. (Then/Than) we went to the park.

• When Test: You went to lunch. When did you go to the park? Then.
• Passed Test: For it to make sense, you have to change the person to ask the question, but you can still see that the word then was answering the question when the people went to the park. Therefore, then is the correct choice here.

Than is a comparative word which is used to compare two things. If you use than you should almost be able to visualize a scale in your head weighing the characteristics of two things like two trees, comparing their heights.

Example: My cookie is so much sweeter (Then/Than) your cookies.

• Scale Test: Picture the two cookies on a scale, their sweetness being compared.
• Passed Test: Since you can visualize the scale comparing two things, than is the proper choice here.

You’re and Your

You’re is a contract of you are. So whenever you can substitute what you’re trying to say with you are, you can use you’re. Use the contraction test again.

Example: (You’re/Your) going to have a hard time carrying that up the stairs.

• Contraction Test: You are going to have a hard time carrying that up the stairs.
• Passed Test: You’re is the proper form for this sentence.

Your is a possessive adjective to show ownership of an object which answers the question “whose?”. So if you go to use the form there, you should be able to replace the word with whose and turn it into a question. Call this the whose test.

Example: (You’re/Your) mother still hasn’t shown up to the party.

• Whose Test: Whose mother still hasn’t shown up to the party? Your mother.
• Passed Test: Your is the proper form here because it answers the question whose mother.

It’s and Its

It’s is a contract of it is. So whenever you can substitute what you’re trying to say with it is, you can use it’s. Use the contraction test again.

Example: (It’s/Its) raining out again.

• Contraction Test: It is raining out again.
• Passed Test: It’s is the proper form for this sentence.

Its is a possessive adjective to show ownership of an object which answers the question “whose?”. So if you go to use the form there, you should be able to replace the word with whose and turn it into a question. Call this the whose test.

Example: Don’t touch its teeth!

• Whose Test: Don’t touch whose teeth? Its teeth.
• Passed Test: Its is the proper form here because it answers the question whose teeth.

To, Two, and Too

To is a preposition which denotes some sort of tansfer, movement, or action. It’s also the form used with an infinitive (i.e. to walk, to run, to play). So if you want to use this form you should either have an infinitive verb or something performing an action or transferring something.

Example: He walked (To/Two/Too) the store (To/Two/Too) return the eggs (To/Two/Too) the cashier.

• Action/Transfer Test: To the store is action. To retun is an infinitive. To the cashier is a transfer.
• Passed Test: In all three cases her to is the correct form.

Two is the word to represent the number 2. This form is only used when you want to signify the number of something.

Example: He only has (To/Two/Too) baby teeth left.

• Number Test: Number of teeth is being counted.
• Passed Test: Two is the correct form here.

Too is an adverb which can be replaced with a world like also. Use this also replacement as a test.

Example: She wanted to go to the beach (To/Two/Too).

• Also Test: She wanted to go to the beach also.
• Passed Test: Also can be used in place of too; therefore too is the correct form here.

Hope this helps everyone with these confusing words! Good luck and happy writing. And don’t worry, after a while you’ll naturally pick the right word without having to go through these little tests.