How to Remember Where / Were / We're

When revising/editing your writing, check each instance of Where, Were, or We’re and ask yourself if you're showing location, past tense, or contraction. Each word carries a hint about how it should be used.

Where:

Here shows location.
Where shows location.

Were:

Ere is a poetic preposition meaning before.
Were is the past tense of to be, showing what happened before the present moment.

We’re:

A contraction of we and are.
Think of the apostrophe as a little a.
We’re = We^are = We are.

How to remember: There / Their / They’re

When revising/editing your writing, check each instance of There, Their, or They’re and ask yourself if you're showing location, possession, or contraction. Each word carries a hint about how it should be used.

There:

Here shows location.
There shows location.

Their:

An heir possesses an inheritance.
Their shows possession.

They’re:

A contraction of they and are.
Think of the apostrophe as a little a.
They’re = They^are = They are.