# Yes, I know data is a plural word. But it sounds wrong. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964 "2007-06-29T19:44:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964/21 "2007-07-02T16:55:04Z")
[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne] **Office Space** huh? Sounds interesting. I might have to check it out. 😉 [/QUOTE] Yeah, do you have that…yeah, I’m going to have to take that stapler. Could you go ahead and move down to storage area B? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964/22 "2007-07-02T21:46:28Z")
[QUOTE=Emilio Lizardo] Sounds like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays. [/QUOTE] You’re jumping to conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![Public\_Animal\_No.9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Public\_Animal\_No.9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Public_Animal_No.9)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964/23 "2007-07-02T23:34:13Z")
I do a lot of technical writing, and to me, “the data is” or “the data shows” sounds wrong to me. The point of writing is to get the idea across, and often to get the idea across to people you don’t know. IMHO, it’s always better to write so that you sound like you know what you’re talking about, so that people who do know what you’re talking about will take the rest of what you’re trying to say more seriously. On the other hand, you don’t want to write something that makes 90% of your audience wonder what you said, or have to run for the dictionary to find out. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964/24 "2007-07-02T23:36:09Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] “Data” in English is generally singular outside of some scientists who labor under the misconception they are speaking Latin. Personally, I speak English, and those who insist on making it plural have an agenda. [/QUOTE] For an alternative view on this, see [AskOxford](http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutgrammar/data) . If “data” is singular, what is the plural? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964/25 "2007-07-03T01:12:07Z")
[QUOTE=Kiwi Fruit] If “data” is singular, what is the plural? [/QUOTE] Data. Datum = singular ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964/26 "2007-07-03T01:16:25Z")
[QUOTE=Kiwi Fruit] If “data” is singular, what is the plural? [/QUOTE] Your question is like asking, “If ‘milk’ is singular, what is the plural?” Mass nouns–chocolate, milk, gasoline, data–do not generally have plural forms. When data is treated as such, it should take the same type of verb–i.e., a singular verb. The milk is good, the gasoline is cheap, the data is interesting. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964/27 "2007-07-03T02:10:41Z")
[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne] **Office Space** huh? Sounds interesting. I might have to check it out. 😉 [/QUOTE] Say, that does sound interesting. So, do the characters work for a software company of some kind? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964/28 "2007-07-03T03:07:11Z")
Are you serious? lol @ initech. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-know-data-is-a-plural-word-but-it-sounds-wrong/409964.md?page=1)