Their Response vs. There Response – Which is Correct?
The correct phrase is “their response,” not “there response.” “Their” is a possessive word showing that a response belongs to people or a singular person whose gender is unknown or unspecified. “There” refers to a place or introduces something, so it cannot correctly modify “response” here grammatically.
Their Response or There Response: Which Is Correct?
Their response is the correct phrase. The word their shows possession: it tells readers that the response belongs to or was given by one or more people. For example, “The applicants submitted their response” means the response belongs to the applicants.
There response is incorrect in standard English. The error usually results from confusion between their and there, which sound alike in many varieties of English. However, there refers to a place or helps introduce a sentence, so it does not express possession.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the “they” test. If you can replace the word with “belonging to them” or connect it to they, choose their: “They gave their response.” If the sentence refers to a location, choose there: “The response is over there.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| their | Possessive determiner | Belonging to them or to a person of unspecified gender | The committee published their response. |
| there | Adverb or introductory pronoun | In or at a particular place; used to introduce existence | The documents are over there. |
How to Use Their
Their is a possessive determiner used before a noun. It indicates that something belongs to, relates to, or is associated with two or more people. It can also refer to one person when the person’s gender is unknown, irrelevant, or intentionally not specified. The word is common in casual, academic, business, and formal writing.
Example 1: The customers shared their response after receiving the update.
Example 2: Each applicant must attach their response to the online form.
Example 3: The research team presented their findings at the conference.
What Are the Different Forms of Their?
Their does not change form based on whether the owners are masculine, feminine, plural, or singular. It is used before a noun: “their response,” “their ideas,” or “their manager.”
Related forms from the same pronoun family include they, the subject form; them, the object form; and theirs, the possessive pronoun used without a following noun. Compare these examples: “They submitted their response,” “We thanked them,” and “The final decision was theirs.”
Etymology of the Word Their
Their developed from the Old Norse possessive form þeira, meaning “of them.” It entered Middle English through contact between Norse-speaking settlers and English speakers. Over time, it replaced earlier English possessive forms and became the standard possessive word associated with they.
Related Concepts
Understanding possessive words and commonly confused homophones makes it easier to choose their rather than there in writing.
These distinctions become clearer when comparing There vs. Their vs. They’re across common sentences.
- Possessive determiners: Words such as my, your, his, her, our, and their show ownership or association and normally appear before a noun.
- Homophones: Their, there, and they’re sound similar but have different meanings and grammatical roles.
- Singular they: Their can refer to one person when that person’s gender is unknown or when the person uses they/them pronouns.
- Possessive pronouns: Theirs expresses possession without a noun immediately following it, as in “The response was theirs.”
Examples from Media and Literature
The correct word their appears whenever writers describe ownership, responsibility, actions, or opinions connected with people or groups.
- News reporting: A report may explain that elected officials issued their response to a public concern.
- Business writing: A company announcement may ask customers to submit their response before a stated deadline.
- Fiction: A narrator may describe how a group of characters prepared their response to an unexpected threat.
- Film dialogue: A character might say that the team needs to consider their response before speaking publicly.
- Academic writing: A researcher may discuss how participants recorded their response to a survey question.
Their Synonyms
| Synonym or Alternative | Definition |
|---|---|
| The group’s | Belonging to or associated with a specific group |
| The organization’s | Belonging to a company, institution, or organization |
| His or her | Belonging to one person when the person’s gender is specified |
| Belonging to them | A longer phrase expressing the same possessive relationship |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “their response” grammatically correct?
Yes. “Their response” is grammatically correct because their shows that the response belongs to or is associated with one or more people.
Question 2: Why is “there response” incorrect?
“There” usually refers to a location or introduces an existence statement, as in “The files are there” or “There is a problem.” It does not show possession, so it cannot correctly describe a response that belongs to someone.
Question 3: Can “their” refer to one person?
Yes. Singular their is standard when a person’s gender is unknown, unspecified, or when the person uses they/them pronouns. For example: “Each student should submit their response.”
Conclusion
Use their response when you mean a response belonging to or associated with people or an individual whose gender is unspecified. Use there for a place or to introduce a statement, never as a possessive modifier before “response.” Pro tip: Choosing the correct homophone strengthens your clarity and professional reputation.
