Do you ever say one of the following: “have them,” that’s theirs? or ?? i gave them that ??? Many people have difficulty with this, but what is the difference between ‘them’ and ‘their’? You use ‘them’ as a direct object and after a preposition. You use ‘hun’ as an indirect object and as a possessive pronoun, but never as a subject!
Them or them?
- History
- Sentence order
- When ‘them’ and when ‘their’?
- Practice test
History
Until the seventeenth century there were no rules for using them and their, these words were often used interchangeably. However, grammarians and literary scholars in the seventeenth century wanted to distinguish between these two words: they gave them the function of the direct object for the third person plural and their the function of the indirect object in the plural.
Sentence order
The introduction of them and their however went against the changes in the Dutch language. In Dutch, we recognize the function of a word by its place in the sentence and not by a certain ending or a certain shape. Just look at the following example:
- I gave it to her.
- I gave it to her.
In sentence one it is indirect object her, while the indirect object is in sentence two him is. This is because the direct object comes before the indirect object, if no preposition is used before the indirect object.
- I gave the bag to her.
- I gave the bag to her.
If a preposition is used before the indirect object, the indirect object can be both before and after the direct object. The distinction between the indirect object and the direct object is thus usually made by the sentence order and the presence of a preposition or not.
When ‘them’ and when ‘their’?
Them
Use them when the one direct object is. A direct object can be in a sentence, but it is not necessary. There is always a maximum of one direct object in a sentence. You can find the direct object by asking the following question: ‘who or what + person form + subject remainder of the verbs?’.
The children wanted to visit their father in prison, but the man wanted them not seeing.??
Use them after a preposition. A preposition is a phrase that you in front of an article or noun (a word where you the or it can put before). The trick of ‘de kast’ has been devised to recognize a preposition. You can put most prepositions before this, such as ‘on the closet ‘or ‘between de kast ‘, this is not possible with a few prepositions, such as with while. That is why you may also use another noun instead of ‘the closet’, such as at ‘while the match’.
‘As soon as I finished the texts for my classmates, I read them them sent. ??
Their
Use their if it indirect object is and there no preposition for stands. (If it does have a preposition, use them.)
An indirect object is a phrase that often gets something in the sentence. You can often recognize the indirect object by the word On or in front ofalthough you On often omit. You can find the indirect object by asking the following question: ‘to or for whom or what + person form + subject (+ direct object) + rest of the verbs?’. For example:
When the children were looking for their father, a passerby gave their a tip.??
Use their as possessive pronoun. The possessive pronoun indicates a possession. So it is not just any house, however their House. For example:
The father gave his children their toys back. ‘
Use their never as subject! You can find the subject by asking the following question: ‘who or what + all verbs?’.
“They ate.”
Special case
Sometimes you can do both in the same place their as them fill in, but then the meaning is different. See the following example:
- Is this encyclopedia of their or your mother?
- Is this encyclopedia of them or your mother?
In sentence one it is asked whose mother the encyclopedia is: whether it is from the mother of Klaasje and Peter or whether it is from the mother of Jantje and Pietje. In sentence two you are asked who owns the encyclopedia: whether it belongs to Klaasje and Peter or whether it is Klaasjes and Peter’s mother.
Possible solution
If you don’t manage to their and them to keep it apart, use she. If the text is not too formal, this is fine. Just look at the following sentences: “I give them (them) the book,” “Let them (them) go.” Please note that this only can if there are several persons is referenced and the function of their or them not possessive. So you can not say, ‘I have them (their) books’. You can their and them So only is replaced by she as the function of their or them is a personal pronoun.
Practice test
Choose the right shape:
- Has the teacher not explained (them / them) how ?? .. (them / them) can best prepare the test?
- Can’t you handle it for me ?? .. ask (their / them) if ….. (their / they) want to take me to the cinema?
- The principal questioned the naughty students one by one in the hope that one of … ?? (them / them) would admit.
- If .. ?? (their / they) keep claiming that we betrayed (their / them), then I don’t need to be friends with (their / them) anymore.
- Although the teacher .. ?? warned (them / them) three times, (their / them) went ahead anyway.
- I did not expect that .. ?? (their / they) would stop playing so soon ?? .. (their / them) game.
- Now that my grandfather and grandmother can no longer take care of themselves, my mom and dad prepare a meal every day ?? .. (their / them).
- If ?? .. (their / they) ask the Dutch teacher for a topic for .. ?? (their / them) profile paper, he guesses .. ?? (their / them) to read the chapter Linguistics and Culture.
- The bartender gave (them / them) something to eat and drink.
- The bartender indicated ….. (them / them) something to eat and drink.
- To please ….. (their / them) I will put on ….. (their / them) clothes, go to the party together with ….. (their / them) and meet ….. (their / them) wishes.
- Why do ….. (their / they) indicate that to ….. (their / them)?
Answers
- Hun, them
- Them, they
- Them
- They, them, them
- Them, them
- They, their
- Them
- They, their, their
- their
- them
- them, their, them, their
- they, them