Yishun Primary 3 English tuition should help students choose between words that sound alike or look similar but perform different grammatical and meaning jobs: there/their/they’re, your/you’re, its/it’s, to/too/two.
This rebuilt legacy URL now owns one distinct P3 English job: sound-alike forms → sentence role → meaning → expansion/substitution test → correct spelling. Old broad promotional copy, obsolete location claims and stale contact details have been removed.
eduKateSG does not claim a current Yishun branch. Current centres are at 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761 and 8 Fourth Avenue, Singapore 268674. Selected Primary English classes run in focused 3-pax small groups, typically 1.5 hours.
The Direct Answer
Do not choose a homophone by sound alone. Ask what grammatical job and meaning the sentence needs.
If you can expand the word into its full meaning, many homophone errors disappear.
There
There often points to place:
“Put the bag over there.”
It can also appear in existential structures:
“There is a book on the table.”
Their
Their shows possession:
“The students packed their bags.”
Test:
Whose bags? The students’ bags.
They’re
They’re = they are.
“They’re waiting outside.”
Expansion test:
“They are waiting outside.”
If they are fits, they’re may be correct.
Worked Example: There/Their/They’re
“They’re putting their books over there.”
Three similar sounds, three different jobs.
Your
Your shows possession:
“Is this your pencil?”
You’re
You’re = you are.
“You’re early.”
Expansion:
“You are early.”
Worked Example: Your/You’re
“You’re holding your umbrella.”
The first is a contraction; the second is possessive.
Its
Its shows possession:
“The dog wagged its tail.”
No apostrophe.
It’s
It’s = it is or it has.
“It’s raining.” = It is raining.
“It’s been a long day.” = It has been a long day.
The Its/It’s Expansion Test
Sentence:
“The tree lost ___ leaves.”
Try:
“The tree lost it is leaves.” → impossible.
Correct:
“The tree lost its leaves.”
To
To can mark direction or appear before a base verb:
“We walked to school.”
“I want to read.”
Too
Too can mean also:
“I want to come too.”
or excessively:
“The bag is too heavy.”
Two
Two is the number 2:
“I have two books.”
Worked Example: To/Too/Two
“The two children walked to the library too.”
Who’s
Who’s = who is / who has:
“Who’s at the door?”
Whose
Whose asks or states ownership:
“Whose bag is this?”
Expansion test:
If who is does not fit, whose may be needed.
We’re
We’re = we are:
“We’re ready.”
Were
Were is a past form of be:
“They were ready yesterday.”
Where
Where asks or refers to place:
“Where are you going?”
Worked Example: We’re/Were/Where
“Where were you when we’re supposed to meet?”
This sentence is actually wrong because the time relationship is past.
Repair:
“Where were you when we were supposed to meet?”
The exercise shows that sound alone is not enough; tense and grammar matter.
Hear vs Here
Hear = perceive sound:
“I can hear music.”
Here = this place:
“Come here.”
Right vs Write
Right can mean correct or direction.
Write means produce written words.
“Please write the right answer.”
One/Won
One = number.
Won = past of win.
“Our team won by one point.”
The Grammar-Role Test
Before choosing the spelling, identify the slot:
- possessive determiner?
- contraction?
- place word?
- number?
- verb?
The correct form usually follows.
The Expansion Test
Use full forms:
- they’re → they are;
- you’re → you are;
- it’s → it is / it has;
- who’s → who is / who has;
- we’re → we are.
If the expanded phrase fits, the contraction is plausible.
The Possession Test
Ask:
Whose?
If the word shows ownership:
- their;
- your;
- its;
- whose.
The Place Test
If the meaning is location:
- there;
- here;
- where.
Worked Example: Editing
Draft:
“Your going to put you’re book over their.”
Repair:
“You’re going to put your book over there.”
Each correction comes from grammar, not memorised sound.
Worked Example: Its/It’s
Draft:
“Its cold, so the cat curled up in it’s bed.”
Repair:
“It’s cold, so the cat curled up in its bed.”
Homophones in Dictation
Hearing alone cannot distinguish the spelling.
Students should use the full sentence meaning to choose the written form.
Homophones in Composition
A final editing pass can target a short personal list:
- there/their/they’re;
- your/you’re;
- its/it’s;
- to/too/two.
Targeted checking is more effective than rereading vaguely for “mistakes”.
Homophones in Comprehension
Sometimes a pun depends on homophones. Students should be able to explain both meanings and why the sound similarity creates humour.
Confusable Words Are Not Always Homophones
Then/than do not sound exactly the same for all speakers but are often confused in writing.
Then = time/next.
Than = comparison.
“Mira is taller than Amir; then they line up.”
Affect/Effect Boundary
This pair is more advanced and can be introduced later:
affect often functions as verb; effect often as noun.
At P3, prioritise the high-frequency pairs students actually use.
P3 Context
MOE’s Primary English Language Syllabus 2020 integrates spelling, grammar, vocabulary and meaning. Homophone control improves editing because students learn to select spelling from sentence function rather than sound alone. Official reference: MOE English Language Syllabus 2020 Primary.
Common Homophone Failure Modes
| Symptom | Problem | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| they’re/their/there guessed by sound | Grammar ignored | Use role test |
| it’s used for possession | Apostrophe system confused | Expand it is/has |
| your/you’re mixed | Possession/contraction blurred | Expand you are |
| to/too/two mixed | Meaning not checked | Direction/also/number test |
| Editing rereads whole essay vaguely | Error search unfocused | Use personal confusable list |
Why Three Students Helps
One student reads the sentence aloud, one identifies the grammatical role and the third uses the expansion or possession test to choose the spelling.
When Yishun Primary 3 Families May Consider This Support
- There/their/they’re errors recur despite knowing the definitions.
- Its/it’s is unstable.
- Dictation is correct by sound but wrong in spelling.
- Editing needs a repeatable decision process.
What Progress Should Look Like
A stronger P3 learner can use sentence meaning and grammar to distinguish sound-alike forms, verify contractions through expansion and edit high-frequency confusables independently.
Independent location notice: eduKateSG does not claim a current Yishun branch. Current centres: 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761 and 8 Fourth Avenue, Singapore 268674. Contact +65 8823 1234.