Thompson Communications Blog
Homophone Trilogy
In my years as a writing teacher and as a proofreader, I can safely say that mixing up homophones is the most common spelling error in writing English. Homophones are words that are pronounced the same but have different spellings and meanings. English has hundreds of homophones, but I want to concentrate on one of the most common homophones that confuses many writers, which is there, their and they’re. Most writers know that they’re is a contraction for they are, so that one is usually not a problem - it’s those other two that usually get mixed up. There means: in, at, to, or into that place. Let’s go there after work. There are eight planets in our Solar System. There is no other route we can take. I saw you there last night. And so on. A way to remember when to write there is to see that here is a big part of the word there, and here and there go nicely with each other.
Their means: belonging to them. The students were in their seats, reading their books and writing their vocabulary words. My parents went to the bank to see about getting a loan for their business. Their farm is about twenty miles outside of town. A good way to remember when to write their is to notice that heir is a big part of the word their. An heir, of course, is someone who inherits something, usually property, so that the property now belongs to that person. Though their means belonging to them, as long as you associate the concept of belonging to, you will know when to write their. After the dogs ate their dinner, the pet shop owner put them back in their cages, gave them their biscuits and waited until they were done with their barking and lying on their pillows before he locked up the shop for the night.
I invited some friends over for dinner tomorrow night. They’re bringing their kids, so there will be a lot of noise. But if we put them way over there in the back room, they can play their video games and chase each other around until they’re too tired to make any more noise.
I hope those explanations and examples help with the there/their/they’re trilogy of homophones.
Blake
Our Introduction
Thompson Communications is going through a transformation. When I first opened the business in 2006, writing and editing services for businesses and individuals provided the bulk of my business. In the years since, I worked for other companies and taught English to students in Europe,Russia, and Asia and did some editing for ESL (English as a Second Language)clients as well. In my time teaching and editing for ESL clients, I learned some important lessons, lessons which encouraged me to broaden and improve Thompson Communications.
In those years of working for various companies offering English-language services, I couldn’t help but notice that while the English lessons were taught effectively, some of the written communications to the students contained punctuation, grammar, spelling and other mechanical errors. Also, disappointingly and ironically, the text on the companies’ websites sometimes ran afoul of Standard English. I never claimed to be perfect with all the rules of English, but I can’t reconcile teaching English carelessly, especially to non-native speakers. So when I decided to revive Thompson Communications, I resolved to be as diligent as possible about the correctness of any and all spoken and written words related to teaching, proofreading and editing English.That is the very least a client should expect from my company, and I and my employees are committed to providing professional and personalized English-language services. My lead proofreader and editor, Blake Hughes, who also has years of practical teaching experience, has a highly-developed eye and ear for English and will simply not allow anything that Thompson Communications is hired to teach, proofread or edit to be anything less than exceptional. He’s a real nice guy who is as patient and helpful as anyone I’ve ever known, but his single-mindedness about appropriate English is, frankly, a little scary in its machine-like efficiency. That’s why I hired him. Between me, him and the other editors and teachers that make up my staff, you’ll be sure to get the quality English services you’re looking for.
In addition to my teaching experience, English is my field of study and a consuming endeavor. I’m a writer of short stories; I teach college English; I’m a voracious reader, and my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in English Language and Literature. I intend to use my knowledge and experience to make Thompson Communications a leader in English-language services.
In this blog, we’ll take the opportunity to offer additional educational support for students of English and those who desire to improve their writing skills. We’ll look at topics about which both native and non-native speakers can benefit. We’ll clear up confusing issues such as proper punctuation, commonly confused words, vocabulary expansion, redundant language, and other tips to better your writing and speaking of English.
English has become the international language of business, and many students and business people need more support in grammar, usage and composition. Thompson Communications stands ready to help. It’s an exciting time for us to grow while doing what we have a passion for.
We hope to see feedback from readers regarding topics they would like to see covered in this blog. Please leave your comments and suggestions!
Jennifer
