GRAMMAR NOW!

This grammar program is about the right usage of THERE, THEIR and THEY'RE which might sound same and lead you to confusion. Don't forget to complete your homework until our last lesson in April 2010. This homework is compulsory for all my intermediate and advanced students. You are also going to learn many new words and phrases. If you cannot find some in your dictionary, share your question in our guestbook.


Fill each gap with there, their or they're:


1. Unable to tolerate the dust one moment longer, Elizabeth spent the afternoon cleaning the living room tables and shelves. Now __________ slippery with furniture polish, glowing in the sunlight that spills through the open window.

2. "Oh, no! _________ is broccoli on my plate!" screamed Noel before he fainted with a thud on the dining room floor.

3. Nothing makes Diane’s cat Big Toe Joe happier than a laundry basket full of fresh warm towels. _________ he will sleep, purring in contentment and shedding long white hair on the clean terry cloth.

4. Mrs. O'Shea spent the day steam cleaning the living room floor. Now her children can hardly find the kitchen without __________ trail of dirty footprints leading the way.

5. Behind the sofa _________ is a collection of desiccated broccoli spears that Simon, the family cocker spaniel, carries away for Noel, who cannot stomach the vegetable.

6. The knives in Roseanne's kitchen are encrusted with bits of brownie and smears of dried mustard. _________ is no way a doctor would ever consider operating with any instrument that Roseanne had washed!

7. Bentley, our neighbor's basset hound, has toenails that are so long that ________ curled like macaroni noodles at the ends of his paws.

8. Noel carefully sliced each Brussels sprout in half, carefully scrutinizing the heart of the little cabbage. He always worries that ________ might be a worm buried in the middle.

9. After a few ineffective swipes across the kitchen floor, Kristy returned the mop to the closet. ________ it would remain for another six months.

10. In a frenzy of packing, the Gonzalez family even boxed their poodle, Chiquita. _________ moving into a new home tomorrow, and everything must be ready to go.

11. Willard loves going food shopping late at night. The aisles are free of people, so ________ is no one to see him sneaking grapes in the produce section or filching cookies from the bakery.

12. Russell and his friend Ted dived into ________ car and sped out of the parking lot. Dripping milkshake, Billy soon followed, shaking his fist and swearing revenge at the fleeing car.

13. Lolita heaped her brother's plate with barbecue chicken, potato salad, and baked beans. _________ was so much food that Henry needed two hands to carry the plate to the table.

14. Eboni and Andrea can spend an entire paycheck during one trip to the mall. They eat at the food court, shop for clothes and makeup, and buy popcorn and movie tickets with ________ last few dollars.

15. Maria gasped in horror when she looked at her new leather furniture. ________ were scratches and punctures all over the armrests from the sharp claws of her cat Brandy.

16. After the long walk in the August heat, Norman's two dogs collapsed on the cool tiles of the kitchen floor, tongues rolling from _________ mouths in exhausted panting.

17. "Don't touch those cookies!" warned Mrs. Patterson. "__________ made with termites and honey for Freddie, my pet anteater."

18. Mom was furious when she arrived home from work. __________ were muddy paw prints on the new white sofa, a huge grape juice stain on the carpeting, and a message from the high school wanting to know why my little brother George wasn't in class.

19. The Mitchells cut __________ grass so infrequently that early in the morning, you can find wild rabbits feasting on the long green shoots.

20. Dusty and Chris came to the essay exam without __________ dictionaries. The disapproving look of Mrs. Mauzy, their teacher, haunted them for the entire test.

21. My dog Oreo loves to chase things, especially the lizards sunning themselves on the sidewalk; __________ not as dangerous as the two family cats who will stand their ground and swipe her with sharp claws.

22. Despite the complaints from his girlfriend Gloria, Frank continues to wear his old, dirty, smelly sneakers because __________ the most comfortable shoes that he owns.

23. Dallas and Kelly crammed until 4 a.m. for their final exam in accounting; __________ hoping for As on the test to bump their wretched averages up to Cs.

24. I'm starving! Are __________ any more leftover honey-roasted grasshoppers in the fridge?

25. Paulette and Judi tried to eat the cafeteria hamburgers, but the brown lettuce, cold meat, and stale buns were making __________ stomachs queasy.

26. Because my careless roommate Jennifer is always dripping grape juice, you will find purple spots here and __________ on the carpeting.

27. Julia has put her house up for sale because the neighbors are driving her crazy. They play loud music until 2 a.m., after which __________ German shepherd barks for another three hours.

28. Both of Clark’s grandfathers wear toupees because they don't want to blind any beautiful women with __________ shiny bald heads.

29. Derrick's coworkers at Bernie’s Burger Emporium never get hungry because __________ always popping onion rings into their mouths when the managers aren't looking.

30. The students put __________ heads on the desks and groaned, for Professor Tighe had just assigned another four chapters of Moby-Dick, a novel that they all found tedious to read.

31. Is __________ a possibility that we can abandon our plans to rake the yard and spend the day at the mall instead?

32. "Look over _________ !" shouted Lenny. In the direction he was pointing, we saw a funnel cloud descending from the sky and roaring in our direction.

33. Kay has a huge collection of DVDs, everything from "How To" titles to Mae West movies. __________ all lined up in alphabetical order, filling five bookcases in the living room.

34. Michael blasts hip hop music from his car stereo, annoying the drivers trapped beside him at traffic lights. __________ looks of disapproval don't register, however, as he grooves with the heavy bass that pounds through his open windows.

35. Sheba and Cindy Sue, the family cats, keep Jeanne from sleeping past 6 a.m. __________ meows of hunger can wake her from the deepest sleep.

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