Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Vocabulary Tips Is Data Singular or Plural
Vocabulary Tips Is Data Singular or Plural Vocabulary Tips: Is Data Singular or Plural? In the grammarian community, there are some who will tip over a table and storm out of the room if anyone dares to combine the word ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠with a singular verb in their presence: e.g., ââ¬Å"The data is conclusive: Many pedants have severe anger issues.â⬠Theyââ¬â¢d probably also object to the singular ââ¬Å"their.â⬠(Image: CURavensLog/YouTube) Are these people overreacting? Yes, of course they are. But do they have a point regardless? Should we be using ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠as a plural noun? And, if so, what is the singular version? Datum and Data Traditionally, ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠was a plural. The singular form (i.e., the word for a single fact or piece of information) was ââ¬Å"datum.â⬠As such, we might say something like the following: This datum is not significant in itself, but the combined data are hard to deny. In this sentence, ââ¬Å"datumâ⬠clearly refers to a single piece of information, with ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠reserved for a collection of facts. This is important when it comes to subject-verb agreement, so the singular ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is paired with the singular verb ââ¬Å"is,â⬠while ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is followed by the plural verb ââ¬Å"are.â⬠Data as a Mass Noun Over time, however, usage of ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠has changed. Thus, it is now commonly used as a mass noun (otherwise known as an uncountable or non-count noun). This means that although ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠still refers to a collection of facts, it is treated as singular for grammatical purposes: Information was collected from hundreds of respondents, so the data is very persuasive. Consequently, ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is now essentially a synonym for ââ¬Å"information,â⬠another mass noun that refers to a collection of facts or a large amount of evidence. ââ¬Å"Data isâ⬠or ââ¬Å"Data areâ⬠? Most of the time, even in academic writing, ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is now used as a mass noun, so it should be combined with singular verbs. This would mean that ââ¬Å"data isâ⬠is usually correct. However, in some fields ââ¬Å"data areâ⬠is still considered technically correct unless youââ¬â¢re referring to a single fact, in which case ââ¬Å"datumâ⬠should be used instead. As such, itââ¬â¢s a good idea to check your schoolââ¬â¢s style guide on this issue. If it doesnââ¬â¢t provide specific instructions, the singular ââ¬Å"dataâ⬠is probably fine. But you could always check with your professor to see if he or she has a preference if you want to be absolutely sure!
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