Data is or Data are?

Hawkeye OG

Formerly Hawkeye
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '21
Joined:
Mar 1, 2015
Posts:
33,107
Liked Posts:
39,752
who the fuck says 'the data are bad' ?

I've never heard this in my life.
 

Xuder O'Clam

CCS Donator
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '20
Joined:
Apr 22, 2015
Posts:
14,428
Liked Posts:
14,228
who the fuck says 'the data are bad' ?

I've never heard this in my life.

It is actually the correct English, but language changes, and using data as singular has become much more acceptable, and interchangeable. Similar to what happened with agendum, and agenda.
 

Ares

CCS Hall of Fame
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '19
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
41,532
Liked Posts:
39,754
It is actually the correct English, but language changes, and using data as singular has become much more acceptable, and interchangeable. Similar to what happened with agendum, and agenda.

Irregardless.

I need an expresso.
 

nvanprooyen

Moderator
Staff member
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '19
Joined:
Apr 4, 2011
Posts:
18,508
Liked Posts:
29,333
Location:
Volusia County, FL
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Bears
I work with people who say "The data are bad".

I consider data to be akin to something like water... it is aggregated into a single mass, data IS.... data sets are.

You wouldn't say "This water are cold!"

"This data are bad!"... vs "This data is bad".

Does anyone else say "data are" and if so, care to explain?
I know are is technically correct, but I refuse to say it because it sounds fucking weird.
 

Warrior Spirit

The Truth
Donator
Joined:
Sep 12, 2010
Posts:
41,600
Liked Posts:
13,631
Data is a plural word and thus, following the rules of grammar, it would be correct to say the data are. It has become acceptable and even the norm to say the "data is" because the word, itself, appears and sounds to be singular. So while it has become acceptable and sounds better to say the data is, it is literally incorrect grammar.
 

Xuder O'Clam

CCS Donator
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '20
Joined:
Apr 22, 2015
Posts:
14,428
Liked Posts:
14,228
Data is a plural word and thus, following the rules of grammar, it would be correct to say the data are. It has become acceptable and even the norm to say the "data is" because the word, itself, appears and sounds to be singular. So while it has become acceptable and sounds better to say the data is, it is literally incorrect grammar.

Now THAT was funny.
 

Ares

CCS Hall of Fame
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '19
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
41,532
Liked Posts:
39,754
Hold me close now, Tony Danza....
 

Xuder O'Clam

CCS Donator
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '20
Joined:
Apr 22, 2015
Posts:
14,428
Liked Posts:
14,228
the truth is funny to you? I think we've hit on your own major malfunction.

Learn to read a thread before attempting to be clever. Although this post was funny in an ironic way.
 

Top