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this is or these are?

English translation: These

07:55 Apr 19, 2002
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / General
English term or phrase: this is or these are?
Do I say:

this is our data

or

these are our data

Thankx in advance.
poulson
United Kingdom
Selected answer:These
Explanation:
I know I am not making this any easier. As a trained English teacher, the rules say >>'data' is plural<<. This is how it is used in Academia.

HOWEVER, having said that, most people in the techie world use data as a non-count noun - this data.

NOBODY uses datum as the singular. I sometimes get around this by saying pieces of data - but only when this is appropriate.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-19 08:22:47 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Susana, I would rephrase and say something like,

Here\'s our contact information.

Selected response from:

Cassandra Greer
Local time: 00:34
Grading comment
Thanks, once again. I really would love to give extra points but i pick Cassandra because of her prompt response, her explanations (later agreed by others) and her suggestion too.


Many thanks to all of you and...don't forget the idea of a forum theme for this sort of issues. There we could reassemble a great deal of information about this linguistic matters.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +2These
Cassandra Greer
5 +2Either, depending on the context
athena22
4 +2alternatives
AnneM (X)
5IS is good, ARE is better
KORNELIA ZWIÓR-HOŁENKO
5 -1it's a matter of context
Catherine Bolton
4 -2you can use either one.
Michael Deliso
5 -4This
Ligia Dias Costa


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -4
This


Explanation:
data is singular

Ligia Dias Costa
Portugal
Local time: 23:34
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Сергей Лузан
1 min
  -> thanks
agree  Klaus Dorn (X): yes, like fruit, food, etc.
8 mins
  -> thanks
disagree  Cassandra Greer: no, people, it is not singular
15 mins
  -> Agree with Anne
disagree  athena22: See note below
18 mins
  -> Agree with Anne
disagree  cathell: Data is plural; datum is the singular. You should say data are.
33 mins
  -> Agree with Anne
disagree  Fuad Yahya: As odd as it may sound (because of habit), "data" is plural and takes "these," popular acceptability notwithstanding.
2 hrs
disagree  AhmedAMS: It is plural, but it can be used with either singular or plural verb.
2 hrs
disagree  John Kinory (X): Well, it isn't.
2 hrs
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
These


Explanation:
I know I am not making this any easier. As a trained English teacher, the rules say >>'data' is plural<<. This is how it is used in Academia.

HOWEVER, having said that, most people in the techie world use data as a non-count noun - this data.

NOBODY uses datum as the singular. I sometimes get around this by saying pieces of data - but only when this is appropriate.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-19 08:22:47 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Susana, I would rephrase and say something like,

Here\'s our contact information.



Cassandra Greer
Local time: 00:34
Native speaker of: English
Grading comment
Thanks, once again. I really would love to give extra points but i pick Cassandra because of her prompt response, her explanations (later agreed by others) and her suggestion too.
<br>
Many thanks to all of you and...don't forget the idea of a forum theme for this sort of issues. There we could reassemble a great deal of information about this linguistic matters.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Chris Rowson (X): The use of "data is" has diffused from the IT world to everyday usage. I used to try for "data are", but I had to give it up a long time ago.
27 mins
  -> Thanks! I don't know if it is giving up but just going with the developement of the language and the needs that people have.
agree  John Kinory (X): Well, Chris, I have not given up and I have no intention of doing so.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks! I don't know if it is giving up but just going with the developement of the language and the needs that people have.
agree  AhmedAMS
10 days
  -> thanks!
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17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Either, depending on the context


Explanation:
Data is a borrowed word from Latin, where it is plural.
1) In common English parlance, it is now used in the singular, i.e., This is the data.

2)In scientific and IT contexts, it is still generally considered to be a plural collective noun, i.e., These are the data.

So, it is context-dependent at this point.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-19 08:16:44 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

We don\'t say datum at all!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-04-19 08:27:57 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

We don\'t say datum at all!

athena22
United States
Local time: 15:34
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lilian Vardanyan: I agree with athena22. There is a number of nouns in English that are used in plural or singular depending on the context. Another word is people. e.g. These people are very kind. The Armenian people is one of the ancients in the world.
1 hr
agree  AhmedAMS
2 hrs
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
IS is good, ARE is better


Explanation:
Cambridge Int'l Dctry of English: n [U + sing/pl v] (...) The data was/were collected for various researchers.

The BBI Combinatory Dctry: Purists insist on the "data are available" and consider "the data is available" to be incorrect.




    BBI, CIDE
KORNELIA ZWIÓR-HOŁENKO
Local time: 00:34
Native speaker of: Polish
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27 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
alternatives


Explanation:
I know it's not the answer to your question but seeing your context, I would maybe use contact details or information on our (company).

Datum is singular, data is plural as colleagues have pointed out but it is often used as an uncountable noun. Depending on the tone of the text, I often try to get around the 'jarring' problem by using alternative expressions. Often, information can be used for data, or details depending on the context. Another idea is to use a possessive adjective such as our/their to avoid having to say this/these but this obviously depends on the case.



AnneM (X)
Local time: 00:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chris Rowson (X): Yes, avoid the problem As Anne suggests. Data is mostly nowadays treated as singular, but in your expanded context it is awkward either way.
11 mins
  -> agree with your comment below
agree  AhmedAMS
2 hrs
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
it's a matter of context


Explanation:
\"data is\" - American English
\"data are\" - British English / scientific use in American English

According to Webster\'s New World Dictionary (American):
data (plural of DATUM: still often so used by scientists) / (now usually with singular verb)....

Although the Cambridge International Dictionary of English cites the following:

data
noun [U + sing/pl v]
information, esp. facts or numbers, collected for examination and consideration and used to help decision-making, or information in an electronic form that can be stored and processed by a computer
The data was/were collected by various researchers.
Now the data is being transferred from magnetic tape to hard disk.

I have found that medical/scientific texts by British and American writers alike use \"the data are\".
For example (site referenced below):
Data are provided in tabular form for locations in the United States and Canada.
In more commonplace American writing, it\'s \"the data is\". In GB, \"the data are\" is the rule.


    Reference: http://www.bester.com/satpasses.html
Catherine Bolton
Local time: 00:34
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Chris Rowson (X): No, we Brits mostly also say "data is". I studied Latin, and know what is going on here, but it sounds hopelessly pedantic in the IT world and in normal use to say "data are". I can´t speak for the scientific world.
6 mins
  -> My Brit friends say "the data are", and I can certainly vouch for "data are" in the medical field.
disagree  Cassandra Greer: I agree with Chris. I am US but all my GB friends say 'data is'
8 mins
agree  John Kinory (X): I am a Brit, but obviously I am not Cassandra's friend. I say'data are', always have, always will, and neither I nor my clients consider it pedantic.
9 hrs
  -> Glad SOMEONE agrees!
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39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -2
you can use either one.


Explanation:
data can be singular or plural it depends on the subject. S..you can say this or these data. If you have more than one data use these are...if it's only one data use this is....

Michael Deliso
Local time: 00:34
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Catherine Bolton: No such thing as "one data"! By definition, it's plural.
1 hr
disagree  John Kinory (X): Entirely agree with cbolton
8 hrs
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