There Being vs. Their Being – Which is Correct?
“There being” and “their being” are both correct, but they serve different grammatical purposes. “There being” introduces the existence or presence of something, often in formal absolute constructions. “Their being” refers to something done by or associated with them, usually before an adjective or participle. Context alone determines the choice.
The distinction also connects to the broader comparison in There vs. Their vs. They’re, which clarifies each word’s grammatical role.
There being or their being – Which is Correct?
There being and their being are both correct expressions, but they cannot usually be substituted for each other. The difference is grammatical rather than stylistic.
There being uses there to introduce the existence, presence, or absence of something. It commonly appears in formal sentences such as “There being no further questions, the meeting ended.”
Their being uses their as a possessive determiner. It describes an action, condition, or state associated with them, as in “The teacher was concerned about their being late.”
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the “existence test”: if the phrase means “the fact that something exists or is present,” choose there being. If it means “the fact that they are doing or experiencing something,” choose their being.
Another quick test is to replace their with our or his. If the replacement works, the possessive form their being is probably correct: “I object to their being noisy” becomes “I object to our being noisy.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| there being | Existential phrase | The fact that something exists or is present | There being no objections, the proposal passed. |
| their being | Possessive determiner + gerund phrase | The fact that they are doing or experiencing something | We apologized for their being delayed. |
How to Use There Being
There being is an existential construction. It presents a situation involving the existence, presence, or absence of something. The phrase is especially common in formal writing, legal documents, academic prose, reports, and carefully structured narratives.
It often begins an absolute construction that provides the reason, condition, or background for the main clause. A comma usually separates this introductory phrase from the independent clause. In less formal English, writers may replace it with “because there was,” “since there was,” or “as there were.”
Example 1: There being no evidence of wrongdoing, the investigation was closed.
Example 2: There being several vacant seats, the late arrivals found places easily.
Example 3: There being no agreement among the parties, negotiations continued for another week.
Etymology of the phrase there being
There comes from Old English þǣr, meaning “in that place” or “at that point.” Over time, it developed an existential use in constructions such as “there is” and “there are.” Being is the present participle of be, from Old English forms related to bēon. Together, there being functions as a formal way to refer to the existence of a situation.
How to Use Their Being
Their being combines the possessive determiner their with the gerund being. It generally means “the fact that they are” or “their state of being.” The phrase identifies people or things as the ones connected with a condition, action, or behavior.
It commonly follows prepositions and verbs that express reactions, concerns, objections, or judgments. Examples include “about their being,” “despite their being,” “because of their being,” “object to their being,” and “appreciate their being.” This construction is grammatically formal but also appears in ordinary speech.
Example 1: The manager apologized for their being excluded from the meeting.
Example 2: We were surprised by their being so well prepared.
Example 3: The committee objected to their being given additional funding.
Etymology of the phrase their being
Their developed from Old Norse and Middle English possessive forms associated with the plural pronoun “they.” Being comes from the verb be and expresses existence or a state. The phrase therefore combines possession or association with a state or action: “their being” means “the fact of them being” or “their state of being.”
Related Concepts
Understanding existential constructions and possessive gerunds makes the difference between these two phrases much easier to recognize.
- Existential there: In expressions such as “there is,” “there are,” and “there being,” there introduces the existence or presence of something. It does not indicate a location.
- Possessive determiners: Words such as my, your, his, her, our, and their show association or possession. In “their being late,” their identifies who is late.
- Gerunds: A gerund is an -ing form that functions as a noun. In “I object to their being late,” being late acts as the object of the preposition to.
- Absolute constructions: An absolute construction contains a noun or pronoun and a participle and provides background information for the main clause. “There being no objections, the vote proceeded” is an example.
Examples from Media and Literature
Both expressions appear in different types of writing. There being is more likely in formal narration, news reporting, legal language, and institutional documents, while their being often describes a person’s or group’s condition.
- News reporting: A report may state, “There being no immediate threat, authorities reopened the area.” This emphasizes the absence of a threat.
- Legal writing: Court decisions and contracts may use wording such as, “There being no dispute about the facts, the court considered the legal issue.”
- Historical nonfiction: A historian might write, “There being few surviving records, researchers have relied on archaeological evidence.”
- Fictional dialogue: A character may say, “I was concerned about their being left alone,” referring to the condition of other people.
- Film or television reviews: A reviewer might write, “Despite their being talented performers, the cast received a weak script,” where their refers to the performers.
There Being Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| the existence of | The fact that something exists |
| the presence of | The fact that someone or something is present |
| because there is | A causal, less formal alternative in some contexts |
| since there are | A reason or background condition involving multiple things |
Their Being Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| the fact that they are | A direct explanation of the phrase’s meaning |
| their state of being | Their condition or situation |
| their existence | The fact that they exist, when that is the intended meaning |
| the condition of their being | A formal alternative referring to their condition |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “there being” grammatically correct?
Yes. “There being” is correct when it introduces the existence, presence, or absence of something. For example: “There being no objections, the plan was approved.”
Question 2: Is “their being” grammatically correct?
Yes. “Their being” is correct when their refers to people or things and being introduces their condition or action. For example: “We were concerned about their being late.”
Question 3: Should I write “there being no” or “their being no”?
Use there being no when you mean that nothing exists or is present: “There being no available evidence, the case was dismissed.” Their being no is generally incorrect in this pattern.
Question 4: What is the difference between “there” and “their”?
There can introduce existence or refer to a place, while their is a possessive determiner meaning “belonging to them” or “associated with them.”
Conclusion
There being refers to the existence or absence of something, while their being refers to a condition or action associated with them. Remember that there introduces existence, whereas their indicates association. Pro Tip: Choosing the precise form in professional writing improves clarity and protects your credibility.
