Screenwriting Mistake #18: There / their / they're

The last few posts have been about fairly involved topics, so here's a simpler one: Don't make basic grammar mistakes. Here are the ones that I see all the time:

1. There / their / they're

- There: Indicates a location or the presence of something. "There are some excellent new restaurants downtown."

- Their: Third-person plural possessive. "I like their new puppy."

- They're: Contraction for "they are." "They're going to meet us at the game."

2. It's / its

- It's: Contraction for "it is." "It's starting to rain."

- Its: Possessive form of "it." "The thing I like most about this car is its gas mileage."

3. Lose / Loose

- Lose: To fail to win. "John practiced hard every day because he didn't want to lose another race."

- Loose: Not tight or not bound together. "I wear a medium size shirt, so this large one is too loose on me." Hey, it could be true!

4. You / your / you're

- You: Second-person pronoun, both singular and plural. Unless you live in the South, in which case "y'all" or "all y'all" would be the plural version. "You shouldn't be offended by this because I'm originally from New Orleans."

- Your: Second-person singular or plural possessive. See above for the "y'all's" and "all y'all's" exceptions. "Your excuse about being from New Orleans is pretty lame."

- You're: Contraction for "you are." "You're kidding yourself if you think that people from the South won't be offended by this post."