Data is/are.
Dear Professor Mean, Should I write "data is" or "data are"?
I've always been open minded and allow people to say either. But the
purists among us will insist that data is the plural of datum. These are the
people who took Latin in High School while you and I were taking Wood Shop.
If you're writing something that someone else will review, always use "data
are". It will make the purists happy and you won't hear any criticism from
the rest of us (the impurists?).
I have changed the format of these web pages to use "data are" because I
want the proof readers of these web pages to look for other things. If you do
find an inappropriate use of the word "data" though, feel free to email me
(my email link is at the bottom of every page).
Further reading
- Data "Are".
The Albatross Project, Wake Forest University. Accessed on 2003-11-26.
"A note on the word DATA, which means facts. But first,
a note on the word people, which means persons. This word is plural. It means
more than one person. Since it is plural, the following sentence would be
wrong: "Those people is nice." The sentence is wrong because people is plural,
and the verb that goes with people must agree in number with the noun people.
The word "are" does the job, like "Those people are nice."
www.wfu.edu/albatross/dataare.
- Data Is.
Glenn Vanderburg, O'Reilly Developer Weblogs. Accessed on 2003-11-26.
"I know that "data" is technically the plural of
"datum". But I find it jarring when I read that "the data are transmitted"
somewhere. In common usage (both speech and informal writing) that data "is
transmitted."" www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/2527
- Data
Is/Data Are. Article #334. Dan O'Neill. Accessed on 2003-11-26.
"Unlike the laws of science, the laws of language are
often subject to the will of the people. And while we cannot change carefully
tested scientific truths to fit the fashion, grammarian's rules, when they no
longer serve clarity or naturalness of expression, we can throw out the
window." Published in the Alaska Science Forum, August 24, 1979.
This column is provided as a public service by the Geophysical Institute,
University of Alaska Fairbanks, in cooperation with the UAF research
community. www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF3/334.html
- "Data
Is" vs. "Data Are". John Cullen. Accessed on 2003-11-26.
"For the non-specialist, so many of these issues seem
like nothing more than a difference of opinion. Even if there are gray areas,
it helps to at least understand the background to common grammar and usage
problems. "Data is" vs. "Data are" is one of those lightning rod flash points
that cause office bickering. Let's take a closer look." Published
July 1, 2001. www.sharpwriter.com/aaacontent/data_is.htm
This webpage was written by Steve
Simon on 2003-11-26, edited by Steve Simon, and was last modified on
2008-07-14. Send feedback to ssimon at cmh
dot edu or click on the email link at the top of the page.
Category: Ask Professor Mean,
Category: Writing research
papers
