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 â€Å"data† with a singular verb in their presence: e.g., â€Å"The data is conclusive: Many pedants have severe anger issues.† They’d probably also object to the singular â€Å"their.†(Image: CURavensLog/YouTube) Are these people overreacting? Yes, of course they are. But do they have a point regardless? Should we be using â€Å"data† as a plural noun? And, if so, what is the singular version? Datum and Data Traditionally, â€Å"data† was a plural. The singular form (i.e., the word for a single fact or piece of information) was â€Å"datum.† 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, â€Å"datum† clearly refers to a single piece of information, with â€Å"data† reserved for a collection of facts. This is important when it comes to subject-verb agreement, so the singular â€Å"data† is paired with the singular verb â€Å"is,† while â€Å"data† is followed by the plural verb â€Å"are.† Data as a Mass Noun Over time, however, usage of â€Å"data† 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 â€Å"data† 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, â€Å"data† is now essentially a synonym for â€Å"information,† another mass noun that refers to a collection of facts or a large amount of evidence. â€Å"Data is† or â€Å"Data are†? Most of the time, even in academic writing, â€Å"data† is now used as a mass noun, so it should be combined with singular verbs. This would mean that â€Å"data is† is usually correct. However, in some fields â€Å"data are† is still considered technically correct unless you’re referring to a single fact, in which case â€Å"datum† should be used instead. As such, it’s a good idea to check your school’s style guide on this issue. If it doesn’t provide specific instructions, the singular â€Å"data† 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!