Theirs
'Theirs' is a possessive pronoun of 'they.' In this part, we will go through its uses and grammatical rules in 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' replaces 'a blue mark.'
I broke a glass and I think it was
- Theirs is used to talk about relationships, such as family, friends, colleagues, etc. For example:
I have met everyone's parents except for
'Theirs' replaces 'parents.'
Our friends are always fighting with
- Theirs can be used to talk about body parts. For example:
Our eyes see very differently than fish's eyes.
'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' 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' is generic and refers to 'every person.'
There is a bag here. Last night someone came here and I think this is
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' replaces 'everyone's parents.'
I have three books but
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' is indefinite because we do not know which car.
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