Examples of how to use the word “data” in a sentence. How to connect “data” with other words to make correct English sentences.
data (n): information, especially facts or numbers, collected to be examined and considered and used to help decision-making, or information in an electronicform that can be stored and used by a computer
Use “data” in a sentence
| Here are the data you will need. |
| The job involves gathering and analysing data. |
| There is very little data available. |
| She was hired to do data entry. |
| You’ll need a password to access the database. |
| This data isn’t accurate at all.
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1. The retention of data in a storage device.
2. The data was/were collected by various researchers.
3. She still needs to analyse the data.
4. He copied the relevant data out of the encyclopaedia.
5. Collecting data is a painfully slow process.
6. The data are then fed into a computer.
7. Thank you for furnishing me with so many data.
8. Further analysis of the data is needed.
9. They have proprietary rights to the data.
10. The computer verified that/whether the data was loaded correctly.
11. The data is stored on the magnetic tape.
12. «Data» is the Latin plural form of «datum».
13. The research involves collecting data from two random samples.
14. The details about the data suffix the text.
15. No conversion from analogue to digital data is needed.
16. The sheer amount of data makes the mind boggle.
17. Computerized data bases are proliferating fast.
18. Data is transmitted via a modem link to the central office.
19. McCarthy was asked to analyse the data from the first phase of trials of the vaccine.
20. We have amassed the raw data and are about to begin analysing it.
21. They are collecting data.
22. Without more data we cannot make a meaningful comparison of the two systems.
23. You need a long series of data to be able to discern such a trend.
24. These data show that most cancers are detected as a result of clinical follow — up .
25. The data you have collected is not enough to be convincing.
26. The company’s role is to repurpose print data for use on the Web.
27. Roberts has spent much of his working life collating the data on which the study was based.
28. This theory needs to be backed up with solid empirical data/evidence.
29. Statistical anomalies can make it difficult to compare economic data from one year to the next.
30. Other recommendations relate to the details of how such data is stored.
More similar words: database, at all, fatal, not at all, candidate, update, to date, mandate, catalog, at a loss, at a time, at any rate, be good at, at any cost, up to date, predator, out of date, at any time, at all times, at all costs, date back to, accommodate, recommendation.
Now that we’re in the information age, data is everything. Or is it data are everything? Language is dynamic, and the singularity or plurality of a word changes over time.
Datum vs. data is a common conflict among style guides and dictionaries. Stick with me to learn when you should use data is or are, data was or were, and this data or these data.
Is Data Singular or Plural?
The usage of the word data should be plural, although it’s now acceptable as a singular noun. Style guides have different recommendations, like only using it as a singular mass noun in non-scientific contexts.
Is it Data Is or Data Are?
Data are is the right way to use the noun in a sentence because it’s in plural form. In the same way, when choosing between data was or were, the correct form is data were. Between this data or these data, it’s these data.
How to Correctly Use the Word Data
The dictionary entry from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary states that data is a piece of factual information used as a basis for discussion, reasoning, or calculation. It regards the noun as both singular and plural.
According to the Wall Street Journal, many standard dictionaries and books on language now accept data as singular and plural. The grammatical rules have evolved from using the singular Latin noun datum to using data for a collection of information.
That means these two examples can be correct:
- The data is in the flash drive. (Referring to a collection of information).
- The data are in the flash drive. (Referring to more than one datum).
Datum is a singular Latin noun that means a single piece of information–for example:
- Every datum lets you track the location of your item.
As time went by, data became a synonym for the word information. This instance made the word an acceptable form of the singular mass noun.
Guardian style guru David Marsh says it’s like the word agenda, which used to be plural for agendum. Now, agendum seems “hypercorrect” and “old-fashioned.”
However, some do not agree about data being an uncountable noun. Major style manuals like the Publication Manual are firm with sophisticated rules like datum as singular and data as plural.
Here are some examples:
- This datum is irrelevant to our primary intent.
- These data are irrelevant to our primary intent.
Some recommend using data as a plural noun in scientific fields and programming languages. Note that it’s critical to focus on individual pieces of information when you’re discussing a data set in science.
Meanwhile, language pedants think data as a singular noun should be left for everyday speech. But it sounds better and less “formal” among the natural languages–for example:
- Is that the data containing the demographic information of the residents?
- I conducted an informal Twitter poll, and the current data is predictable.
In short, the actual usage of data is or data or depends on which style guide you’re following or the field where you’re working. It remains a significant style issue that experts disagree on. So, it’s safe to say there’s no single proper usage of data.
It’s also helpful to remember that data set is made of two words, while database is only one word–for example:
- We need six more data sets to complete this matrix.
- The university is planning to produce a database of research articles.
Is Data Singular or Plural in AP Style?
AP Stylebook posted once on Twitter about the word data. According to them, “the word data typically takes singular verbs and pronouns when writing for general audiences, nonscientific writing, and data journalism contexts.”
In everyday usage, you can say, “the data is reasonable” or “the data we collected is not yet enough.” But the style guru continued, “In academic and scientific writing, plural verbs and nouns are preferred.”
In research or scientific fields, you should say data are instead of data is. For example, an academician could say, “the data gathered for this study represent the whole population.” Represent is in plural form because its subject, data, is treated as a plural, countable noun. You’ll often notice this with scientific writing as well as financial writing.
Is Data Plural or Singular in the UK?
The debate on datum vs. data is not affected by the geographical varieties of the English language. British usage also uses data as singular in newspapers and other non-scientific disciplines. But British Scientific publishers still prefer data as a plural noun.
Examples of “Data Is” in a Sentence
By the time the data is published, copycat investors would have made an annualised loss of almost 10 per cent. [Financial Times]
Obama’s campaign staff members said that all that data is not gathered to shape the message. [Washington Post]
Android phone location data is about to get a lot more accurate. Qualcomm will use a Trimble RTX-based correction service with Snapdragon chips. [Engadget]
“Data is power,” says Essex County pharmacist Tim Brady, but only when it’s taken with a grain of salt. [CTV News]
Examples of “Data Are” in a Sentence
Data are still being analyzed but will be ready to present at the conference. [Denver Post]
Money data are not everything. [Telegraph]
From a statistical point of view the data are related to a nonlinear mixed effects model involving repeated measures. [British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology]
We show that Howrey’s method for producing economic forecasts when data are subject to revision is easily generalized to handle the case where data are produced by a sophisticated statistical agency. [Journal of Business and Economic Statistics]
Because COVID-19 data were not yet provided on any public-health agency’s website, they looked elsewhere, including on Facebook and Twitter posts and in one-off news and media announcements. [Nature]
Data is Both Singular and Plural
The debate on data is or are, data was or were, and this data or these data is still ongoing. Differentiating between datum vs. data also remains tricky.
If you’re a scientific writer or just a language pedant, use datum for the singular form and data for the plural form. But if casual English is enough for you, use data as both singular and plural. Learn more confusing but straightforward words like compress vs. compress and record vs. record on our site! And let us know if you have additional questions.
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Summary
The word data is now generally treated as singular, much like the word information (all the data you need is on this drive). Its use as a plural word is now restricted mainly to academic and scientific writing (the data are inconclusive). When using this word, check whether you want to convey the sense of a plural noun (the data indicate that . . .) or a singular mass noun (the data has been downloaded).
Data: Singular or plural?
Data can be either singular or plural, though it is now more often used as a singular word. The word data came into English as the plural of the Latin word datum, which means “a single piece of information.” Over time, data became synonymous with “information”: it then became a singular word in its own right, no longer simply a plural.
Examples
- Singular: The data is unreliable.
- Singular: Our data indicates that dogs like ice-cream.
- Plural: The data are all from the same source.
- Plural: Our data indicate that cats like country music.
Although traditionalists prefer retaining the plural meaning of data, standard dictionaries agree that data can now be used as singular. Merriam-Webster lists data as a word that is “plural in form, but singular or plural in construction,” providing examples of both singular and plural usage. Oxford meanwhile simply lists data as a mass noun, noting that in technical fields, the word is still treated as plural. Cambridge also lists data as a noun that can be used with both singular and plural verbs.
Data as singular
Data is now generally considered singular and used to mean information. It is no longer used only as the plural of datum but stands on its own as a singular mass noun. It then agrees with singular verbs and pronouns.
Examples
- Data for this year is not available, but it is available for last year.
- Our data shows that incidents of violent crime have declined over the last decade.
When the word data is considered singular, it is used with determiners and quantifiers used with mass nouns (this, much, little).
Examples
- There is little data available for verification.
- Much of the data released is questionable.
Data as plural
In academic and scientific papers, data generally retains its meaning as the plural of datum. It is then used with plural verbs and pronouns.
Examples
- The data are ready to be presented in graphs and figures.
- Acme Inc.’s earnings data have just been released.
- After population data were collected, they were cross-referenced and published.
Note that when data is considered plural, it is used with plural determiners and quantifiers like these, many, and few.
Examples
- These data come from various sources.
- Only a few of the data published are as yet unverified.
Note
Interestingly, cardinal numbers are not used before data, even when it is a plural noun.
Examples
- Incorrect: Poco has updated four data in the file.
Correct: Poco has updated four points of data in the file. - Incorrect: Four hundred data are ready to be shown in graphs and figures.
Correct: Four hundred sets of data are ready to be shown in graphs and figures.
This behavior—the inability to take a number—is similar to that of mass nouns.
How to correctly use the word data
In speech and nonscientific writing, use data as singular rather than plural. In writing for a general audience, “data is” sounds more natural than “data are,” which can sound overly formal and pedantic.
Examples
- The data from his brain has been downloaded into a computer.
- When data is organized in tabular format, it can easily be analyzed.
- All the data that makes up a human life is now stored in the cloud.
Sometimes, you may want to convey the sense of a plural word. Using data as a plural noun can help suggest discreteness. This can be useful in scientific writing, where it is important to focus on the individual pieces of information that make up a data set.
Examples
- The data indicate that the fiscal measures implemented by various states are working.
discrete pieces of data from different states
- Genetic data are linkable to individual participants, thus raising concerns of privacy.
- The data used in this study have been collected through various methodologies.
Caution
Data may be singular or plural (the data is/are . . .), but the word datas does not exist.
Chicago, AP, APA style
Many major style manuals now allow for data to be used as a singular noun. The Chicago Manual of Style considers it acceptable to use data as singular, admitting that treating the word as plural can sound pedantic. It does recommend using data as a plural word in the sciences.
The AP Stylebook also suggests using data as singular when writing for a general audience, but still recommends using it as plural in academic texts.
In contrast, the APA Publication Manual recommends restricting data to plural usage. This advice is consistent with the general recommendation to treat data as plural in academic writing, given that APA style is preferred in the social sciences.
Examples from published content
Here are some examples from published content that illustrate how data is generally considered singular.
Examples
He says the data is likely being used for further malicious hacking campaigns.
— “How your personal
data is
being scraped from social media,” BBC News (2021)
Companies say the data is shared only with vetted partners.
— “Twelve Million Phones, One Dataset, Zero Privacy,” New York Times (2019)
Real-world driving data from connected cars is both a treasure trove and a mine-field for auto insurers.
What type of data is available on Data.nasa.gov?
In academic writing, the word data is often treated as plural, not only because it sounds more formal but also to convey a sense of plurality: to emphasize the individual pieces of information that comprise a data set.
Examples
Available meteorological data include wind speed and direction. . . . These data are available from the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute.
Vector data are composed of points, polylines, and polygons.
Metadata, a word that refers to data about other data, is also used as both singular and plural, though it is most often used as a singular mass noun. Like the word data (from which metadata was derived), metadata is generally treated as plural only in formal texts, such as scientific and academic papers.
Examples
- Singular: The metadata changes whenever the data is changed.
- Singular: Metadata is often useful for accounting and forensic purposes.
- Plural: Metadata are incredibly useful for providing context to a set of data.
- Plural: Metadata provide information not provided by the data itself.
As with data, metadata is more often used as singular than plural. Check whether you want to convey the meaning of a singular entity (a single set of metadata) or a plural word (the various pieces of information that make up the metadata). Also note that using metadata as plural can sound stuffy and pedantic in everyday usage.
Here are some examples from published content that show how metadata can be used as both singular and plural.
Examples
- Singular:
Metadata is implacable, unreasoning, unironic.
- Singular:
But metadata is not the only thing hidden in your photos.
- Singular:
Descriptive metadata provides information about the intellectual content of a digital object.
- Plural:
Metadata are included to provide context or extended information that is outside of the scope of data itself, for example, author information, or time stamps beyond those on the local file system.
Other Latin plurals
Latin plurals generally retain their plural behavior in English: radius/radii, bacterium/bacteria, phylum/phyla. Two notable exceptions (other than data) are agenda and media.
Agenda started out as the plural of the Latin agendum. Today in English, it is used as a singular word instead.
Examples
- What is/
arePoco’s agenda for today’s meeting? - Farley’s agenda is/
areto make the world a better place.
Agenda even has its own English plural: agendas.
Examples
- The NGOs all had their own agendas.
- Our methods were the same, though our agendas were different.
Media, as many know, is the plural of medium. But when used to refer to mass communication, it may be considered either singular or plural.
Examples
- The media has found its scapegoat.
- New media have significantly affected twenty-first-century politics.
also
Many words that come to English from other languages retain their singular and plural identities. For example, the Greek criteria is the plural of the singular criterion: one criterion, many criteria. Through usage, however, data, agenda, and media, now have their own singular identities.
This is intended as a clarification of the «correctness» of using data as a mass noun, for those strict-minded sticklers (there’s plenty of them) who might be unconvinced by Kosmonaut’s «languages borrow words and do whatever they want with them»:
1 — «Datum» and «data (plural)» are historically correct, so «data (mass noun)» must be wrong. How can «data» have a mass noun form as well as a singular and plural?
You’d never say «Oh, I spilled rice on the floor. Wait, it’s okay, I only
spilled 4 rices». There’s a separate noun phrase for the singular and
plural («grains of rice»).
Consider potato. It has a singular form, meaning one distinct root vegetable, a plural form, meaning multiple distinct root vegetables, and a mass form, meaning an amount of foodstuff made from potatoes. Imagine a dinner table, where each diner has a baked potato on their plate (singular), and everyone is sharing a platter of roast potatoes (plural) and a bowl of mashed potato (mass) (hopefully among other things…). If you ask someone to «pass the potato», they’ll understand that you mean the bowl of mass mash, not the tray of plural potatoes or the singular potato on their plate.
2 — There can be such a thing as «a datum» in a way which is not true
for «a water». Imagine someone looking at a database full of data and
saying, «There is so much data in this, I can’t see where to start».
Surely this is like standing in a migration of birds and saying «There
is so much bird in the sky, I can’t see the sun…»? Since data can be
countable, surely «data» can’t be primarily a mass noun?
Data is not necessarily countable. Data in a neat Excel sheet might have countable cells, but what about the data that is lost when photo editors talk about «data loss» when increasing the contrast of a digital photo made of binary machine code data? There’s no clear way of defining where one datum starts and the next one stops — would a datum in this context be a bit, a byte, or the data defining one pixel? Such a line would be arbitrary, like looking for units of rice in a processed flat rice cracker. It’s an amount measured in units of mass — 67kb of data in a jpg, 2 grams of rice in a rice cracker.
Even seemingly trivial cases aren’t so trivial. What’s one datum in a modern relational database? One value, one row? What about where there are table joins and foreign keys? Is a structural definition a datum? You can create a convention-specific definition, but it’s not a universal definition like one bird.
3 — Following that pattern, shouldn’t the mass noun of data be datum
(the singular), like how the mass noun of potatoes is potato?
No. It’s rare, but not completely unique, for a count noun to develop from a plural, in cases where the singular over time becomes less and less universally meaningful. «Physics» used to mean the set of countable, defined, distinct natural sciences — until the field developed such that it became clear that the lines between one physic and another wasn’t as sharp or universal as previously thought.
You could answer «What’s happening at CERN?» with «A lot of physics», but you wouldn’t expect the reply «How many?». This is because there’s no longer a clear established universal dividing line between one physic and another. Your answer would interpret the question as, «How much?» and would be a measurement of amount: «Enough to occupy 4,000 physicists». In the same way, you could answer «What does this supercomputer store?» with «A lot of data», but the reply «How many?» would incorrectly assume that all data has one clear common countable unit and that there is a clear universal dividing line between one datum and another across all contexts. Even if this data did happen to have a consistent countable convention, replying «7 million data» would be ambiguous unless the asker already knew this convention. A more useful answer would be to interpret it as «How much?» and give an answer in terms of a measurement of amount: «Nearly 220 petabytes».