This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. English
  3. Mathematics & Statistics

data is or data are

English translation: Either, but in this case "data are" would be more usual

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:data is or data are
Selected answer:Either, but in this case "data are" would be more usual
Entered by: Charles Davis

20:36 Oct 1, 2013
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Mathematics & Statistics
English term or phrase: data is or data are
Check that the data is within 50 Ω±2.5 Ω after acquiring it, and enter the value with maximum deviation at the predetermined location in the list,

data is or data are?

I am always trouble ...
yoshimi
Japan
Local time: 07:08
Either, but in this case "data are" would be more usual
Explanation:
I've been posting stuff in the discussion area which ought to be here.

This is a problem which still provokes disagreement. We had a question on it a few months ago, and the issues were pretty thoroughly discussed:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/English/general_conversation_greet...

"Data" is derived from a plural Latin noun, and until fairly recently the consensus was that it is plural in English. However, there is no doubt that it is commonly treated nowadays as a singular mass noun, and therefore usually takes a singular verb. Some people disagree with this and treat it as plural in all cases, but they are almost certainly in the minority.

However, in very formal writing, and especially in scientific contexts, it is more usually treated as plural.

Results for "data are" in scholarly publications since 2012:
http://scholar.google.es/scholar?as_sdt=1,5&q="data are"&hl=...

Results for "data is"
http://scholar.google.es/scholar?q="data is"&btnG=&hl=en&as_...

Note that in the second case, "data" is not always the subject of "is", and that there is a greater predominance of mathematical and scientific papers in the first set of results than in the second.

I think that the following, from the Online Oxford Dictionary (which lists "data" as a mass noun) sums up the situation well:

"In Latin, data is the plural of datum and, historically and in specialized scientific fields, it is also treated as a plural in English, taking a plural verb, as in the data were collected and classified. In modern non-scientific use, however, it is generally not treated as a plural. Instead, it is treated as a mass noun, similar to a word like information, which takes a singular verb. Sentences such as data was collected over a number of years are now widely accepted in standard English."
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/data?view=u...

Since yours is clearly a specialised scientific text, "data are" could clearly be used, and would probably be preferable, particularly since it is clearly that "data" refers here to a series of results and is therefore plural in sense.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-01 21:44:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It is perfectly normal in scholarly mathematical and scientific texts to use "datum" to refer to a single piece of information, and to treat "data" as the plural of "datum". In everyday contexts, however, this would be seen as very pedantic.
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 00:08
Grading comment
Thank you very much!! I could understand quite well.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +5Either, but in this case "data are" would be more usual
Charles Davis
5 -1data is
Michael Wise


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
data is


Explanation:
data is an uncountable or mass noun so singular verb

Michael Wise
Spain
Local time: 00:08
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  George Rabel
1 min
disagree  Charles Davis: Definitely not that simple. "Data" was until recently always treated as a plural noun (which of course it is, etymologically) and is still usually treated as plural in academic writing, which is the case here.
17 mins
disagree  Victoria Britten: As Charles explains in the discussion, the answer unfortunately isn't so clear-cut
51 mins
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
Either, but in this case "data are" would be more usual


Explanation:
I've been posting stuff in the discussion area which ought to be here.

This is a problem which still provokes disagreement. We had a question on it a few months ago, and the issues were pretty thoroughly discussed:
http://www.proz.com/kudoz/English/general_conversation_greet...

"Data" is derived from a plural Latin noun, and until fairly recently the consensus was that it is plural in English. However, there is no doubt that it is commonly treated nowadays as a singular mass noun, and therefore usually takes a singular verb. Some people disagree with this and treat it as plural in all cases, but they are almost certainly in the minority.

However, in very formal writing, and especially in scientific contexts, it is more usually treated as plural.

Results for "data are" in scholarly publications since 2012:
http://scholar.google.es/scholar?as_sdt=1,5&q="data are"&hl=...

Results for "data is"
http://scholar.google.es/scholar?q="data is"&btnG=&hl=en&as_...

Note that in the second case, "data" is not always the subject of "is", and that there is a greater predominance of mathematical and scientific papers in the first set of results than in the second.

I think that the following, from the Online Oxford Dictionary (which lists "data" as a mass noun) sums up the situation well:

"In Latin, data is the plural of datum and, historically and in specialized scientific fields, it is also treated as a plural in English, taking a plural verb, as in the data were collected and classified. In modern non-scientific use, however, it is generally not treated as a plural. Instead, it is treated as a mass noun, similar to a word like information, which takes a singular verb. Sentences such as data was collected over a number of years are now widely accepted in standard English."
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/data?view=u...

Since yours is clearly a specialised scientific text, "data are" could clearly be used, and would probably be preferable, particularly since it is clearly that "data" refers here to a series of results and is therefore plural in sense.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-01 21:44:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

It is perfectly normal in scholarly mathematical and scientific texts to use "datum" to refer to a single piece of information, and to treat "data" as the plural of "datum". In everyday contexts, however, this would be seen as very pedantic.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 00:08
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thank you very much!! I could understand quite well.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Victoria Britten: in this context, probably
17 mins
  -> Thanks, Victoria!
agree  dandamesh: I'm Italian, we know the difference between datum and data in scientific texts. I don't think media can be considered singular
8 hrs
  -> Thanks, dandamesh :) Logically the same applies to media as to data, but in practice media is regarded as plural and data usually as singular, though with exceptions, as noted.
agree  B D Finch: Comprehensive.
12 hrs
  -> Thanks, B D
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
16 hrs
  -> Thanks, Tina!
agree  dhsanjeev
1 day 22 hrs
  -> Thank you!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search