Do you know how to speak and write correctly - “theirs” or “theirs”? Indeed, at present, a huge number of people are having difficulty answering this question. With an erroneous pronunciation, you can still try to get out, lie, as if the interlocutor was heard. But if you write it incorrectly, you won’t succeed, and then you can pass for ignorance.
To prevent this, we advise you to read the proposed article. In it, we will analyze the problem in detail, explain how it is right and why.
What is the situation in practice?
On the street, in a store, bus or metro, in the market, and even in a library or school, both young people and adults, the elderly often pronounce the pronoun "theirs". This is either ignored or not noticed at all. And all because our hearing is used to this form. She has taken root so much that it has been actively used in speaking for more than one generation. But is it right, and can it be used by an educated person?
Which form is correct
In reality, you can hear both variants of the pronoun. Especially in colloquial speech. Here, many distort the Russian language so that sometimes you do not understand the essence of the story.
But how to determine the right option if both combinations regularly occur in various sentences and phrases and are considered equivalent at the same time? For example, how will it be competent - "their work" or "their work"?
To understand, you need to plunge into history. The pronoun adjectives "theirs", "theirs", "theirs", "theirs", "theirs" began to be widely used in colloquial speech in the XIX century. However, despite this, they did not become part of the literary Russian language.
That is, in fact, the pronouns “their” and “theirs” are equivalent. But the form of theirs and its derivatives are erroneous. That is to say so and write illiterate!
The rule
To understand which form of pronoun to write correctly, you need to study the rule. Although it, by and large, is not. After all, historically, in literary Russian, only one form is used. To write the pronoun "theirs" or "theirs", there is no doubt. Educated people always choose the first option.
Because to indicate the belonging, involvement of someone or something in a certain group (animate and not) in literary Russian, only the pronoun "them" is used. Other options are incorrect and not valid.
Examples
In order not to doubt how to speak and write correctly, it should be remembered forever that educated people do not use the form of "theirs." Or "them," or nothing! It is impossible to figure out the correctness by selecting a test word. It remains only to fix in memory.
Thus, competently build sentences like this:
- Their work requires self-control.
- It is difficult to say how their life would have developed.
- If it were not for their concern, I would not have scrambled out.
- Their new acquaintance immediately seemed suspicious to me.
- When they were called to the director, my heart sank.
- I seem to have mixed up their details.
If the correct form flew out of my head ...
In our head fits a lot of information. There are frequent cases when the most important one clogs up or completely supplants the one that is not so significant or infrequently used. If you forget the correct form, try rebuilding the sentence. Or remove it altogether.
For example, you are at a loss to answer, how competently - "their affairs" or "their affairs". Turn on the fantasy and, based on the context, modify the phrase or sentence. Consider the example of the proposals presented earlier:
- The work of educators and teachers requires perseverance.
- It is difficult to say how the life of Grisha and Dasha would have developed.
- If it were not for the care of the parents, I would not have climbed out.
- The new acquaintance of the guys immediately seemed to me suspicious.
- When the tellers were called to the director, my heart sank.
- I seem to have mixed up the details of the phone and tablet.
Thus, you can always avoid getting into an awkward situation.
Why is confusion happening?
A huge number of people do not think - "their books" or "their books", they calmly use both forms, while not understanding what they make a mistake. But why, in general, did the pronoun adjective arise?
Linguists say that the whole thing is the phonetics of the Russian language. After all, there are such forms: "in your opinion" and "in my opinion." In comparison with them, the pronoun "them" sounds somewhat ragged, which provoked in vernacular "build-up" of the word. For instance:
- Never be your way, in my opinion and in their way!
In the same way, the pronouns of "him" and "her." As a result, two pronouns of the adjectives “evonian” and “ neuny” arose .
Is it possible to use the form "theirs"
So, we found out which variant of the problem pronoun is correct. And now we will answer the question formed in the title of the current section.
According to linguists, the form of theirs can be used. But it is colloquial, which is not worth using in the text, so as not to seem uneducated. Although it is more correct to say that the norm of use of both forms requires differentiation, that is, the need to distinguish between the appropriateness and admissibility of a particular option.
Traditionally, when compiling an official document or speech, it is considered inappropriate to use an incorrect form. But in art or colloquial speech - it is completely permissible.
In practice, both options are used. However, they characterize the person who selects them when constructing a phrase or sentence. It is clear that the forms of “theirs”, “in their way”, “evonian”, “unite” are more often used by poorly educated layers of the population. But literate people use only literary forms.
We hope that our article on how to write “their” or “theirs” will help you choose the right option. And not at random, but meaningfully.