Sometimes it can be difficult to identify when an apostrophe is needed or not, not to mention where it goes. Does it belong before or after the "s," and does the word get an added "s" at all? Sometimes people even overcompensate and put an apostrophe in an already possessive word.
I saw one such error on a sign advertising a brand of toothpaste. The sign read, "Dentists look after your teeth. Who looks after theirs'?" This is incorrect because personal pronouns such as theirs, hers, or his don't get apostrophes. They already indicate possessiveness, so additional indications like apostrophes are unnecessary. The correct way to write this would simply be, "Who looks after theirs?"
This may not seem like a big deal, but correctly using possessive apostrophes makes language more clear. Incorrectly used apostrophes can get confused with apostrophes making contractions, or make the quantity of the possessive noun unclear. (This usually happens because the writer doesn't know when to use "apostrophe s" as opposed to just an apostrophe.) It also looks a lot less professional to have your apostrophes all over the place, and you want people to take you seriously. So it's important to learn the rules and apply them to your writing!
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