Texas Court Reporter Practice Exam

Which form correctly completes the sentence: "(Their, There, They're) books are not (their, there, they're) on the desk, so (their, there, they're) obviously in class?"

1. Their/Their/They're

2. There/There/They're

3. They're/Their/Their

4. They're/There/They're

The correct answer is: Their/Their/They're

The correct choice for completing the sentence is referring to the distinctions among "their," "there," and "they're," which each have specific meanings. The first blank requires "their," which is a possessive pronoun indicating that the books belong to them. This shows ownership, which is essential in indicating that the books are associated with a group of people. The second blank also requires "their," as it retains the same meaning of possession, suggesting that the books, which are not on the desk, still belong to the same group. The last blank calls for "they're," which is a contraction for "they are." This fits well in the context of the sentence, as it implies that the books are in class because they are not found on the desk. Thus, using "their" for both of the first two instances correctly denotes possession while "they're" effectively conveys the separation of the books indicating where they are located. Each word function aligns with the meaning conveyed, thus making the option provided the best completion for the sentence.