their nice

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "their nice" is not correct in written English.
It seems to be a typographical error or a misuse of the word "their," which should be "they're" (a contraction of "they are") if you intend to express that something is nice. Example: "I think they're nice people who always help others."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

All got their  nice hats on too.

Independent

"Now they'll have their nice field".

The New York Times - Sports

So far, credit derivatives have shown their nice side.

The Economist

Their nice doctors increased the dose of pain medication.

The New York Times - Health

"And they weren't willing to accept their nice, little excuses".

The New York Times

So were the Knicks as they headed home, their nice little adventure concluded.

The New York Times - Sports

"And I just love the people in their nice little costumes.

The New York Times

If they want the illusion of their nice French shelter, Sarkozy will lose".

The New Yorker

"Politicians, they are all the same, living in their nice, cushty houses.

The Guardian

Places like here the army calls 'settled communities', which is their nice way of saying, hillbillies.

The Guardian

I'm convinced Shakespeare put that in because his actors wanted to look after their nice clothes.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for grammatical correctness, verify the correct use of "their", "there", or "they're". "Their" indicates possession, "there" indicates a place, and "they're" is a contraction of "they are". If unsure, replace "their" with "they are" to check if the sentence still makes sense.

Common error

Avoid using "their" when you mean "they're". "Their" shows possession (e.g., "their car"), while "they're" is a contraction of "they are" (e.g., "they're nice people"). A common mistake is using "their" to describe a quality of people, when "they're" is the correct choice.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "their nice" functions as a modifier followed by an adjective, typically intending to describe a characteristic associated with a group. However, it is grammatically incorrect as it uses the possessive adjective "their" instead of the contraction "they're" (they are) when ascribing a quality.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

3%

Encyclopedias

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While the phrase "their nice" appears frequently across various online sources, including news articles and scientific publications, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing should typically be "they're nice", using the contraction of "they are" to describe a quality or attribute. Despite its common usage, especially in News & Media, it's essential to aim for grammatical correctness in writing. Remember to distinguish between "their" (possessive), "there" (location), and "they're" (they are) to avoid common errors.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

their pleasant

Replaces "nice" with a synonym that describes something agreeable or enjoyable.

their lovely

Substitutes "nice" with a word indicating beauty or charm.

their wonderful

Emphasizes a greater degree of positivity than "nice".

their delightful

Implies a sense of great pleasure or enjoyment associated with something.

the nice things they own

Rephrases to focus on possessions that are considered pleasant.

their enjoyable

Focuses on the quality of bringing enjoyment.

their agreeable

Highlights the quality of being pleasing or acceptable.

what they consider nice

Shifts focus to subjective perception of niceness.

their commendable

Highlights something deserving praise and approval.

they're nice

This is a grammatical corection for this phrase.

FAQs

When should I use "their" versus "they're"?

"Their" indicates possession (e.g., "their house"), while "they're" is a contraction of "they are" (e.g., "they're going to the party"). If you can replace the word with "they are" and the sentence still makes sense, use "they're".

What's a common mistake when using "their", "there", and "they're"?

A common mistake is using "their" or "there" when you actually mean "they're". Remember, "they're" is the contraction of "they are". For example, it's incorrect to write "their nice" when you mean "they're nice".

How can I correct the phrase "their nice" in a sentence?

The phrase "their nice" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is "they are nice" or, more commonly, "they're nice". This uses the contraction of "they are" to describe their quality.

What are some alternative phrases to "their nice" that are grammatically correct?

Depending on the intended meaning, you could use phrases like "they are pleasant", "they are lovely", or "they are wonderful" if you intend to describe the qualities of a group of people. If you want to mention people and say they are nice, then "they are nice people" is also an acceptable solution.