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Theirs vs. Them 

object pronounspossessive pronounstheirsthem
"Theirs" vs. "Them" in the English Grammar

Main Similarity and Difference

'Theirs' and 'them' are both pronouns. 'Theirs' is the possessive pronoun and 'them' is the object form of 'they'.

'Theirs'

Function 1: Possessive Pronoun

'Theirs' is the third-person plural possessive pronoun in the English language. It can be used to refer to something or someone belonging to or associated with 'others'.

Example

Theirs are the ones with the red bow on them.

Function 2: Generic Pronoun

Instead of 'his or hers', you can use 'theirs' to indicate that something belongs to a person without mentioning their gender.

Example

Students must prepare their applications and send in theirs by the end of the month.

'of + Possessive Pronouns'

Sometimes, to show belonging you can use the structure of 'of + possessive pronouns'.

Example

He's a friend of theirs.

'Them'

Function 1: Object of Verb

'Them' is a third-person plural pronoun. It is used as the object of a verb.

Example

Tell them you came home early.

Function 2: Object of Preposition

It is used as the object of a preposition.

Example

Can we not sit next to them?

Function 3: Predicative

It is used as a predicative after the verb be.

Example

It's them. Shall I invite them in?

Function 4: Generic Pronoun

You use 'them' instead of 'him or her' to refer to a person without explicitly stating whether that person is a male or a female.

Example

Talk to children about the environment and tell them to be responsible.

You use 'them' to refer to non-binary people who want to be referred to as 'they' and 'them'.

Example

Do you know Tina? I need to call them.

'Them' instead of 'Those'

Sometimes, in non-standard English, people use 'them' instead of 'those'. It is grammatically incorrect, so do not use it in formal or written English.

Example

I need to buy one of them hamburgers.

Comments

(3)
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Szymon Ciołkiewicz
Sep 2023
Hallo, since I'm not a native speaker, your example: "Students must prepare their applications and send in THEIRS by the end of the month." raised my doubts about proper useage of theirs/them pronoun. Why can't we put in this exmpale "them" (having in mind "applications") instead of "theirs"? Would it change a meaning? Why "theirs" is a proper form? I would be thankful for your help and clarification because it is not so obvious for me.
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Langeek
Sep 2023
Hi there, You can use 'them' instead of 'theirs' in the sentence, like this: 'Students must prepare their applications and send THEM in by the end of the month.' Both are correct, but 'theirs' emphasizes ownership of the applications. 'Them' is a bit less specific. Choose based on the emphasis you want.
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Langeek
Sep 2023
Hi there, You can use 'them' instead of 'theirs' in the sentence, like this: 'Students must prepare their applications and send THEM in by the end of the month.' Both are correct, but 'theirs' emphasizes ownership of the applications. 'Them' is a bit less specific. Choose based on the emphasis you want.
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