Data

[golfbettingsystem]

Data - singular or plural? Seen a lot more people recently using ‘data’ as a plural in conversation, i.e. ‘the data show...’ rather than ‘the data shows...’ - doesn’t sit right with me, what’s your view?

[allfreechips]

did you look it up and see what the data show(s)?

[allaboutthebets]

I just hear data in an American accent whenever I hear it

I would say data shows.

[GrantCurtis]

I think it’s correct either way. But I would say “the data shows” as well.

[golfbettingsystem]

did you look it up and see what the data show(s)?

...haha, very good

[golfbettingsystem]

I just hear data in an American accent whenever I hear it

I would say data shows.

Hearing it a lot as a plural on these daily Corona briefings, seems to be catching on yet I’m sure it was singular when I was at school!

[Slawete]

I'm not a native English speaker, but it took me 3 seconds to understand that the singular of Data is Datum.

[universal4]

I can't think of possible scenarios where the use of data is a single item, but a collection of data.

How could data be just 1 of anything?

Rick
Universal4

[TheGooner]

I think that "datum" is actually the singular form of "data" ... but it's not used much because as Universal says a single piece of data isn't much use.


However, common usage does seem to treat it as singular. eg. "The data is valid" (singular) instead of "the data are valid". (plural)
Just one of the many inconsistencies of English ...

[Pokerface]

I would go with "data shows" but could be wrong. Just googled it and still confused. LOL

[golfbettingsystem]

I would go with "data shows" but could be wrong. Just googled it and still confused. LOL

Perhaps it’s a scientific thing but I keep reading/hearing ‘these data’ instead of ‘this data’ in relation to Coronavirus - just doesn’t feel right, despite the technicalities that some have pointed out above. Perhaps I’ll have to get used to it and move on

[Nenad]

I would also go with "data shows" sounds much more correct...