# EN: data - singular / plural



## mrog

We have a policy of strict anonymity and we will never correlate data in such a way that it would allow us or others to identify your responses.

Trad : Nous tenons à une pratique d’anonymat stricte et ne corrélerons jamais des données de telle façon qui permettra l’identification de vos réponses. 

Est-ce que données c'est toujours pluriel?


*Moderator note: *multiple threads merged to create this one


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## hunternet

no, then :

datum = donnée

data = données


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## anne-claire01

Comment peut-on savoir dans une phrase avec the data, s'il s'agit d'une donnée ou de plusieurs données ???

Ex :
Pressing the "Start" button twice will delete the data. If this is undesirable, switch off the Electronic Deflection-Data Device and upload the data on to a PC. 


Un grand merci d'avance !


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## Bella1

A mon avis, 'data' = toujours au pluriel


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## anne-claire01

Et alors au singulier, une donnée, on le dit comment ??


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## pyan

"A piece of data" can be used for the singular, or "an item of data" is possible.

Edit:  I have just looked up "data" in Collins Advanced Learners' dictionary, and it says data is "uncountable".  It gives the example of "the data is/are..."


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## harbottle

Hi, 

The singular form of data is "datum". That would be a piece or bit of data. In common use though it is very rarely used, and while it is technically more correct to say "the data are", it is more common to say "the data is". That usage seems to be reflected in the newer definition that pyan has found.


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## anne-claire01

Un grand merci à tous !! Et vous pensez que dans cette phrase :

There could, however, be an error in this data.

Data est aussi au pluriel ?? (en sachant qu'il y a pleins d'autres data avant dans le texte, qui semblent logiquement être au pluriel, je m'interroge à cause du THIS data ??).

Encore merci !


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## Padraig

There is a problem with the number of Anglophones who do not understand that _data_ is a plural, and some people are thrown off balance by seeing it treated as such. I fear that the recognition of its plural nature may soon be a lost cause.

Until it is lost (or won back), I think it best to duck the problem. In place of the passage you quote I might have written of _an error in this set of data._


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## UtilisaWR

Hello,

It's always a problem for me and I need to use it regularly.

In French we say for example *"Les données sont bonnes"*.
How could I translate it in English (American) *"Data are correct" */ *"Data is correct"*.

Thank you


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## SwissPete

Data :  pluriel.
Datum :  singulier.


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## lemuriens

The right way in English is to say "data" in the plural, but people say it in the singular too, especially in American English. In fact, it may even sound wrong to an American ear to say "*data are correct*".


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## Keith Bradford

SwissPete said:


> Data : pluriel.
> Datum : singulier.


 

This is absolutely true. Unfortunately, very few people learn Latin nowadays and so 99% of the population ignore the rule. In fact, nowadays it's mainly statisticians who use "data" as the plural, and most people will say:

SINGULAR : the data is correct / this data item is correct
PLURAL : the data is correct / all the items of data are correct
In short, it tends to behave like "equipment" and "information". One thing is certain: there is no plural form "datas".


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## UtilisaWR

For french speaking people it sounds more obvious to use it in plural also.

Could confirm that I could write (in a formal letter)?
- "Data are crucial for the management team"
- "Data are up to date"

Thanks


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## Keith Bradford

You would be one of the rare 1% who do that, but it is correct.  Perhaps "the data..."


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## sa_28

Which sentence is correct :

data IS correct or data ARE correct ?

Thks in advance


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## snarkhunter

If people were logical, it should be "data are", because it's a latin word (_datum_ in the singular, _data_ in the plural).

But fact is : it is actually used either way.


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## Duane Doberman

Bonjour,

In any formal writing, such as academic texts, 'data' is plural.  Although Snarkhunter is correct to say that the singular is 'datum', 'a piece of data' (singular) is perhaps slightly more common.

I hope that this helps


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## fanou63

I can't find out if the verb 'argue' needs an 'S' in this sentence :

"Most of the existing data argue(s) against this fact"

Can somebody help me ?

Thanks


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## XPditif

Hey fanou, et bienvenu sur le forum! 
Je pense que data est pluriel ici (le singulier étant datum), mais j'ai l'impression que les anglophones utilisent les deux formes (avec et sans -s)(google, resp. 48 000 vs 108 000). 
Tu peux donc choisir l'option que tu souhaites, 
en sachant que avec -s fait singulier, et donc donne l'impression d'un consensus, 
alors que sans -s fait pluriel, et donc donne l'impression que la quantité d'études qui confirme cela est importante.


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## fanou63

En effet, "data" est à prendre au pluriel. En fait je pensait que c'était un nom invariable, je n'avais jamais rencontré le mot "datum".

Du coup ce sera sans S pour moi alors.

Merci !


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## JessicaSchues

I would be inclined to put the "s". The word can be treated as a singular or plural (see below) so in your context, I would say singular. 

Data was originally the plural of the Latin word : datum, 'something (e.g., a piece of information) given.' Data is now used as a singular where it means 'information': : this data was prepared for the conference. It is used as a plural in technical contexts and when the collection of bits of information is stressed: : all recent data on hurricanes are being compared.


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## jann

Speaking from a US perspective:

Outside of the scientific community, "data" is almost invariably used in the singular, and most people, even educated people, would say that it sounded wrong to treat it as a plural.  But within the scientific community, many researchers view the singular as incorrect (in light of the Latin origins of the word); these scientists prefer the plural.  

No matter which form you choose, you will make someone unhappy (as you can see from the many posts above on this topic).  To ruffle the fewest feathers, consider your audience:  if it's the general public, probably use the singular... but if it's the academic/technical/scientific community, you may be better off using the plural.  And certainly if your audience includes classicists or Latin scholars, you'll want to use the plural!


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## geostan

Jann has given the best answer. That said, it bothers me to say_ the data is_, and even worse, to use an expression such as _a piece of data _or_ an item of data._ I'm afraid I'm just old school! [Sigh!]


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## Logorrhoeic

The word "datum" also has specific technical meanings in geodesy and engineering, relating to reference points, lines, or surfaces. 

It might perhaps be better to  say "item of data" in contexts where any confusion may be possible, unless referring to these specific meanings.


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## jann

Logorrhoeic said:


> The word "datum" also has specific technical meanings in geodesy and engineering, relating to reference points, lines, or surfaces.


 Indeed.


> It might perhaps be better to  say "item of data" in contexts where any confusion may be possible, unless referring to these specific meanings.


This is one option, but it doesn't strike me as the most natural one.  If I need to refer to a single "item" of information in a scientific/research context, I usually call it "a (data) point."  Since most scientific data can be represented in quantitative form, thus lending itself to graphical representation, this reference to a point on a graph works most of the time.  Otherwise, "a piece of information," "a result," etc... or a description of the nature of the information (e.g., "a response," "a survey," "a measurement," "an observation," etc.)


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## kiwichiq

As the others say above data is plural but in common written and spoken language it is referred to as singular.

I would say most people consider it a collective noun, a word that represents a group but is treated as singular, e.g. 'information'.


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