their house

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "their house" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It is a possessive phrase that indicates ownership by multiple people. You can use it when talking about a house that belongs to a group of people, such as a family, a married couple, or roommates. For example: - My friends invited me to their house for dinner. - John and Mary are proud owners of their new house. - The siblings inherited their parents' house. - My roommates are always throwing parties at their house. - They decided to sell their house and move to a bigger one.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Their house was called Sans Souci.

The New Yorker

House residents create their house identities.

Wikipedia

What's their house like?

The New York Times

Their house was destroyed.

The New York Times

Rent for their house: $115.

The New York Times

Their house has an indoor hot tub.

The New York Times

Yasmin and Tavito move into their house.

The New Yorker

Their house was unpainted & falling apart.

The New Yorker

An aggressive virtuosity became their house style.

The Economist

"They told us everything about their house.

The New Yorker

Mr and Mrs Holmes lost their house.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure that the pronoun "their" clearly refers to a specific group of people to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid mistaking "their" for "there" (a place) or "they're" (they are). "Their" indicates possession, as in "their house", while the others have different meanings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "their house" functions as a possessive noun phrase, where "their" is a possessive pronoun modifying the noun "house". It indicates ownership or association of the house with a group of people. This aligns with Ludwig AI's assessment that it is grammatically correct and possessive.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

49%

Wiki

17%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "their house" is a grammatically correct and frequently used possessive phrase. According to Ludwig, it is appropriate for indicating that a house belongs to a group of people. While it is most commonly found in news and media contexts, it can be used in various situations, ranging from formal to informal. Remember to avoid confusion with homophones like "there" and "they're", and consider using synonyms like "their home" or "their residence" for nuanced expression. As shown in the examples provided by Ludwig, "their house" is a versatile and valuable phrase for describing where people live.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

their residence

Replaces "house" with a more formal synonym, "residence".

their home

Substitutes "house" with "home", implying a more personal and emotional connection.

the family's house

Specifies the house belongs to a family.

the couple's house

Specifically indicates that the house belongs to a couple.

the place they live

A more descriptive alternative, focusing on the act of living in the house.

their dwelling

Uses "dwelling" instead of "house", providing a more archaic or formal tone.

their property

Emphasizes the ownership aspect of the house.

the address where they reside

A highly formal and precise alternative.

the building they inhabit

Focuses on the act of inhabiting the building.

the walls that enclose them

More metaphorical and evocative, emphasizing the shelter aspect.

FAQs

How do I use "their house" in a sentence?

You can use "their house" to indicate that a house belongs to a group of people. For example, "My friends invited me to "their house" for dinner."

What's a more formal alternative to "their house"?

A more formal alternative would be "their residence" or "their property", which emphasize the legal or official aspect of the dwelling.

Is it correct to say "there house" instead of "their house"?

No, "there house" is incorrect. "There" indicates a place, while "their" indicates possession. The correct phrase is ""their house"", indicating that the house belongs to them.

What is the difference between "their house" and "they're house"?

"Their house" indicates ownership by a group, whereas "they're house" is a grammatically incorrect contraction. The correct usage is always ""their house"" when referring to a house that belongs to them.