Theirs

impersonal pronouns possessive pronouns theirs

'Theirs' is a possessive pronoun of 'they.' In this part, we will go through its uses and grammatical rules in English grammar.

The Pronoun "Theirs" in the English Grammar

Theirs is the possessive pronoun of they, and it is third-person plural. In this lesson, we will discuss when and how to use it.

'Theirs' as a Possessive Pronoun

Use

Theirs as a possessive pronoun is used to refer to the possessions of 'they.' Here are more uses of theirs:

Theirs is used to talk about possession and ownership. Here are some examples:

If there is a blue mark on any plate, it is theirs.

'Theirs' replaces 'a blue mark.'

I broke a glass and I think it was theirs.

Theirs is used to talk about relationships, such as family, friends, colleagues, etc. For example:

I have met everyone's parents except for theirs.

'Theirs' replaces 'parents.'

Our friends are always fighting with theirs.

Theirs can be used to talk about body parts. For example:

Our eyes see very differently than fish's eyes. Theirs are more like birds.

'Theirs' means 'their eyes.'

Theirs can be used to talk about thoughts, feelings, ideas, etc. Take a look at the following examples:

These ideas are much better than theirs.

'Theirs' refers to 'ideas.'

Theirs can be used to refer to a general group of people, such as:

Every person likes freedom and it will be theirs if they fight for it.

'Theirs' is generic and refers to 'every person.'

There is a bag here. Last night someone came here and I think this is theirs.

Position in a Sentence

Theirs as a possessive pronoun replaces the noun. Remember that the verb after theirs agrees with the antecedent (the noun it replaces). For example:

I have met everyone's parents except for theirs.

'Theirs' replaces 'everyone's parents.'

I have three books but theirs are totally different.

The verb after 'theirs' agrees with the noun it replaces.

Indefinite Pattern

The indefinite pattern 'determiner + noun + of theirs' is used to show something belongs to someone. Pay attention to the following examples:

This is a car of theirs.

'A car of theirs' is indefinite because we do not know which car.

That friend of theirs is such a loser.

Comments

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