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Usenet Posted 20 years ago
Usage
These data, those data
[nq:1]Data is both plural and singular.[/nq]
Data is plural. I know lots of people use it as though it were singular, but I'm not ready to roll over and wave my legs in the air on that point yet .
[nq:1]There is no such thing as data(s)[/nq]
There're certainly data I have a ton of them here! I agree that there are no such things as datas.
[nq:1]... and no literate phrase such as *those data(s).[/nq]
I would suggest that the phrase "those data" is certainly a valid and literate construction especially if you are referring to more than one set of data.
[nq:1]Naughty boys![/nq]
Please Miss! It weren't me it were Peter!
Cheers,
Daniel.
Daniel and I are in in serious disagreement here over the proper usage of data, so I made a new thread, no doubt due to light-headedness .
I have to mull over my case for singular, but still hold that if a speaker is going to say "these data" or "those data", it's non-standard.
I'll return with reinforcements shortly,
Joanne
PS: my spell-checker likes data's.
/
Data is plural. I know lots of people use it as though it were singular, but I'm not ready to roll over and wave my legs in the air on that point yet .
[nq:1]There is no such thing as data(s)[/nq]
There're certainly data I have a ton of them here! I agree that there are no such things as datas.
[nq:1]... and no literate phrase such as *those data(s).[/nq]
I would suggest that the phrase "those data" is certainly a valid and literate construction especially if you are referring to more than one set of data.
[nq:1]Naughty boys![/nq]
Please Miss! It weren't me it were Peter!
Cheers,
Daniel.
Daniel and I are in in serious disagreement here over the proper usage of data, so I made a new thread, no doubt due to light-headedness .
I have to mull over my case for singular, but still hold that if a speaker is going to say "these data" or "those data", it's non-standard.
I'll return with reinforcements shortly,
Joanne
PS: my spell-checker likes data's.
/
Top answer
[nq:1]Data is plural. "
- [nq:1]Data is plural.
- "
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132 Answers
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[nq:1]Data is plural. I have to mull over my case for singular, but still hold that if a speaker is going to say "these data" or "those data", it's non-standard.[/nq]
Well I'll accept brickbats if I deserve them but I will continue to refer to "this data is flawed..." Anyone I was in conversation with would not understand what I was talking about if I said "this datum..."
Well I'll accept brickbats if I deserve them but I will continue to refer to "this data is flawed..." Anyone I was in conversation with would not understand what I was talking about if I said "this datum..."
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[nq:1]Well I'll accept brickbats if I deserve them but I will continue to refer to "this data is flawed..." Anyone I was in conversation with would not understand what I was talking about if I said "this datum..."[/nq]
"Data" is clearly a word in transition, and will some day be as singular as "agenda" has become; but that day is not today or tomorrow or even next week.
For any usage in tr
"Data" is clearly a word in transition, and will some day be as singular as "agenda" has become; but that day is not today or tomorrow or even next week.
For any usage in tr
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One result of having been forced to study Latin from age 11 to 16, coupled with a fairly traditional English education, is that I feel uneasy with usages like "a media", "the data is...", "the stadiums are", etc. I have actually seen the pronouncements of a politician called "dictums". I expect that by the time I am dead everybody will be talking in text-speak anyway, so I try not to let it affect
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[nq:1]One result of having been forced to study Latin from age 11 to 16, coupled with a fairly traditional English ... am dead everybody will be talking in text-speak anyway, so I try not to let it affect me too much.[/nq]
Why are you complaining about English morphology being used in an English sentence on what are now English words?
johnF
Why are you complaining about English morphology being used in an English sentence on what are now English words?
johnF
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[nq:1](snip)[/nq]
[nq:2]It wasn't a "complaint".[/nq]
OK I take your point about old fogeys predicting grunt talk, but I can't help it if I feel uncomfortable about text-speak! What do you suggest I do?
[nq:2]Now ****** off.[/nq]
[nq:1]After careful consideration, I think I'll pass on that, but thanks for the gracious offer.[/nq]
On consideration, I'll apologise for that bit of
[nq:2]It wasn't a "complaint".[/nq]
OK I take your point about old fogeys predicting grunt talk, but I can't help it if I feel uncomfortable about text-speak! What do you suggest I do?
[nq:2]Now ****** off.[/nq]
[nq:1]After careful consideration, I think I'll pass on that, but thanks for the gracious offer.[/nq]
On consideration, I'll apologise for that bit of
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[nq:2]One result of having been forced to study Latin from ... I try not to let it affect me too much.[/nq]
[nq:1]Why are you complaining about English morphology being used in an English sentence on what are now English words?[/nq]
He explained it: upbringing.
Stephen
Lennox Head, Australia
[nq:1]Why are you complaining about English morphology being used in an English sentence on what are now English words?[/nq]
He explained it: upbringing.
Stephen
Lennox Head, Australia
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You're withdrawing BEFORE you..oh never mind.
Stephen
Lennox Head, Australia
Stephen
Lennox Head, Australia
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[nq:1]"Data" is clearly a word in transition, and will some day be as singular as "agenda" has become; but that day is not today or tomorrow or even next week.[/nq]
"Data" takes a singular verb in all of my conversations and writings. Few are as conservative as I am. "All right" is correct and "alright" is all wrong.
I suggest that the transition has progressed further than you think it ha
"Data" takes a singular verb in all of my conversations and writings. Few are as conservative as I am. "All right" is correct and "alright" is all wrong.
I suggest that the transition has progressed further than you think it ha
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[nq:2]Well I'll accept brickbats if I deserve them but I ... what I was talking about if I said "this datum..."[/nq]
[nq:1]"Data" is clearly a word in transition, and will some day be as singular as "agenda" has become; but that day is not today or tomorrow or even next week.[/nq]
Not in my vocabulary, in which 'agenda' is plural.
[nq:1]For any usage in transition, we have two choices:
[nq:1]"Data" is clearly a word in transition, and will some day be as singular as "agenda" has become; but that day is not today or tomorrow or even next week.[/nq]
Not in my vocabulary, in which 'agenda' is plural.
[nq:1]For any usage in transition, we have two choices:
00
[nq:2] "Data" is clearly a word in transition, and will ... day is not today or tomorrow or even next week.[/nq]
[nq:1]Not in my vocabulary, in which 'agenda' is plural.[/nq]
Hilarious. What's the singular?
[nq:2]For any usage in transition, we have two choices: if ... special brief, we can and should use the original form.[/nq]
[nq:1]There is no 'transition', there is only ignoran
[nq:1]Not in my vocabulary, in which 'agenda' is plural.[/nq]
Hilarious. What's the singular?
[nq:2]For any usage in transition, we have two choices: if ... special brief, we can and should use the original form.[/nq]
[nq:1]There is no 'transition', there is only ignoran
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