some faculty... (some faculty members...)

"The dog is" looks trivial until you choose between is/are, its/their, or adjust awkward modifiers. Below are quick checks, many wrong/right pairs, rewrite templates, and real work/school/casual examples so you can fix sentences fast.

If your immediate question is "Is this correct?" or "How do I fix it?", use the quick check below, then jump to the rewrite templates and examples that match your context.

Quick correctness check

Use "The dog is ..." when the grammatical subject is one dog. Use "are" when the subject is plural. Match possessives (its vs their). Ignore interrupting phrases (e.g., "along with") when choosing is/are.

Singular subject → is (The dog is hungry).
Plural subject → are (The dogs are hungry).
Interrupting phrase doesn't change number: The dog, along with the puppies, is sleeping.
Possession: singular dog → its, not their (The dog is missing its tag).

Core rule: find the true subject and match the verb

Locate the head noun (the grammatical subject). If it's singular, use a singular verb; if plural, use a plural verb. Strip out parentheticals, prepositional phrases, and appositives before deciding.

Subject = head noun (dog vs dogs).
Ignore in-between phrases: "The dog, with the blue collar, is..."
Compound subjects joined by and need plural verbs (The dog and the cat are...).

Wrong: The dog are barking every morning.
Right: The dog is barking every morning.
Wrong: The dog, together with its puppies, are loud.
Right: The dog, together with its puppies, is loud.

Grammar details that commonly trip writers

Certain words and constructions hide the true subject: each, every, one of, collective nouns, and there + verb constructions. Decide whether the head word is singular or plural.

Each dog is → "each" is singular (Each dog is vaccinated).
One of the dogs is missing → subject is "one" (singular).
Collective nouns (American English): The team is meeting (team = singular).
There is/are: use there are with plural subjects (There are many dogs).

Wrong: One of the dogs are missing.
Right: One of the dogs is missing.
Wrong: There is many dogs in the yard.
Right: There are many dogs in the yard.

Examples: quick wrong → correct pairs (6 must-know fixes)

High-frequency fixes editors and students encounter.

Work - Wrong: The dog are scheduled for surgery at 2 p.m.Work -
Right: The dog is scheduled for surgery at 2 p.m.
School - Wrong: Each student must walk their dog before class.School -
Right: Each student must walk his or her dog before class.
Casual - Wrong: My neighbor's dog are always digging holes.Casual -
Right: My neighbor's dog is always digging holes.
Work - Wrong: The team of vets are examining the dog this morning.Work -
Right: The team of vets is examining the dog this morning.
Casual - Wrong: That dog is missing their collar again.Casual -
Right: That dog is missing its collar again.
School - Wrong: Each of the dogs are vaccinated before enrollment.School -
Right: Each of the dogs is vaccinated before enrollment.

Make quick fixes that boost clarity

Fixing agreement and possessive mistakes improves readability and professionalism. Focused passes on is/are and its/their yield immediate gains.

For a short document: search for " are " after singular nouns and " their " after singular nonhuman nouns, then apply the checklist below before accepting changes.

Real usage: short real-world sentences (work, school, casual)

Tone changes by context but the agreement rule stays the same. These short examples show typical errors and clear corrections you can reuse.

Work - Wrong: The dog on the client site are not allowed in the lab.Work -
Right: The dog on the client site is not allowed in the lab.
Work - Wrong: One of the samples are contaminated by the dog hair.Work -
Right: One of the samples is contaminated by dog hair.Alt: Dog hair contaminated one of the samples.
School - Wrong: The dog, along with the other specimen, are discussed in the lab report.School -
Right: The dog, along with the other specimen, is discussed in the lab report.
School - Wrong: The number of dogs are smaller than last year.School -
Right: The number of dogs is smaller than last year.
Casual - Wrong: The dog are so loud tonight - I can't sleep.Casual -
Right: The dog is so loud tonight - I can't sleep.Alt: Those dogs are so loud tonight - I can't sleep.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context usually makes the correct choice clear.

Rewrite help: three templates and six applied rewrites

Pick the template that matches your issue: verb mismatch, pronoun mismatch, or awkward structure. Then apply a rewrite.

Template A - Fix the verb: change are → is when the true subject is singular.
Template B - Fix the pronoun: replace their → its for singular nonhuman subjects (or reword).
Template C - Recast for clarity: swap passive or inverted forms for a clear subject + verb.

Rewrite:
Wrong: The dog are in the lobby. →
Correct: The dog is in the lobby.
Rewrite:
Wrong: The dog is missing their tag. →
Correct: The dog is missing its tag. (or: The dog's tag is missing.)
Rewrite:
Wrong: There is several dogs waiting. →
Correct: Several dogs are waiting.
Rewrite:
Wrong: The dog, as well as the puppies, are noisy. →
Correct: The dog, as well as the puppies, is noisy.
Rewrite:
Wrong: The dog's late to the meeting (ambiguous). →
Correct: The dog is late to the meeting.
Rewrite:
Wrong: One of the dog are sick. →
Correct: One of the dogs is sick.

How to self-edit fast: a five-step checklist

A compact routine you can use when proofreading a message or a document.

1) Underline the subject (head noun).
2) Ask: is it one or many? Decide singular or plural.
3) Remove parentheticals and prepositional phrases to read the core subject + verb.
4) Match possessives to that subject (its vs their).
5) Read aloud; if awkward, apply a rewrite template.

Usage: "The dog, together with two cats, are outside." → Underline 'The dog' → singular → change are → is: The dog, together with two cats, is outside.
Usage: "That dog is missing their leash." → subject is singular 'That dog' → change their → its: That dog is missing its leash.

Memory tricks, related pitfalls, hyphenation & spacing

Quick mental checks and small formatting rules help you spot the subject and avoid visual traps.

Mnemonic: Insert "one" before the subject-if it still makes sense, use is (one dog → The dog is).
Habit: Strip extras-read subject + verb + object to force agreement.
Hyphenation: Hyphens don't affect verb agreement, but they change parsing (dog-friendly clinic).
Apostrophes/spacing: Don't separate apostrophes from words (use the dog's, not the dog 's).

Memory: Remove extras: "The dog, with the blue collar, is hungry." → read "The dog is hungry."
Hyphen: Correct: The dog-friendly clinic opened yesterday.
Spacing - Wrong: The dog 's collar is red. → Right: The dog's collar is red.

Quick editing workflow and tool tips

For single sentences use rewrite templates and the checklist. For long documents, search/replace patterns plus a grammar checker speed up the process-then verify every flagged change manually.

Automated tools often suggest singular "they" for people; in formal writing stick to its for nonhuman singulars and review suggested tone changes.

Search for triggers: " are " after singular nouns or " their " after singular nonhuman nouns.
Run a grammar check, then apply the five-step checklist to each flagged sentence before accepting changes.
If unsure, recast: change to plural if the meaning allows (Those dogs are...) or use a neutral rewrite (The dog appears to be...).
Batch tip: Search for " their dog" or " their (noun)" and inspect whether the antecedent is singular; change to its where needed.

FAQ

Is "The dog is" always correct?

No. It is correct only when the grammatical subject is a single dog. If the subject is plural (The dogs) use are. Interrupting phrases do not change number.

Can I use "their" with a singular dog?

For nonhuman singulars use its in formal writing. Singular they/their is common for people when gender is unknown; avoid their for singular nonhuman referents in formal contexts.

Which is right: The dog is barking or The dogs is barking?

The dog is barking (singular). The dogs are barking (plural). Match is with singular and are with plural.

How do I fix agreement errors quickly in a long document?

Use the five-step checklist, search for flagged patterns, and run a grammar tool to highlight likely mismatches. Manually verify each suggestion for meaning and tone.

Is "The dog's" always a contraction of "The dog is"?

No. The dog's can be a contraction (The dog is) in casual writing or a possessive (the dog's leash). In formal writing prefer the full form or rephrase to avoid ambiguity.

Want to check a sentence right now?

If you still hesitate between is/are or its/their, paste a sentence into a grammar checker to highlight subject-verb mismatches and pronoun issues.

A grammar tool will suggest corrections and brief explanations-use those plus the rewrite templates above to choose the version that matches your tone.