Is "data" singular or plural?

1. Grammar Girl’s Quick and Grammar Girl’s Quick and
Dirty Tips for Better WritingDirty Tips for Better Writing
Is “data” singular or plural?Is “data” singular or plural?

2. Is “data” singular or plural?Is “data” singular or plural?
The short answer is both.

3. Count Nouns vs. Mass NounsCount Nouns vs. Mass Nouns
Count nouns are used for objects that can be counted.
•Count nouns can be singular or plural.
If a count noun is the subject of a sentence, the verb
must agree with the noun in number.
•Example 1: “The last apple is on the bottom shelf.”
(apple = S, is = S)
Example 2: “The eggs are fresh.” (eggs = P, are = P)

4. Count Nouns vs. Mass NounsCount Nouns vs. Mass Nouns
Mass nouns are used for objects that cannot be counted.
Mass nouns always take a singular verb.
•Example 1: “The iced tea is already sweetened.” (is = S)
Example 2: “They say bacon is bad for you, but I love
it.” (is = S)

5. Count Nouns vs. Mass NounsCount Nouns vs. Mass Nouns
•Ask yourself, “How many or how much?”
•If the answer is “how many,” use a count noun.
•If the answer is “how much,” use a mass noun.
•We use fewer with count nouns.
•We use less with mass nouns.

6. Is “data” singular or plural?Is “data” singular or plural?
•Correct: “Much of this data is useless, because of its lack
of specifics.” (is = S, its = S)
Incorrect: “Much of this data are useless, because of its
lack of specifics.” (much = mass nouns, this = S, are = P,
its = S)
•Corrected: “Many of these data are useless, because of their
lack of specifics.” (many = count nouns, these = P, are =
P, their = P)

7. Is “data” singular or plural?Is “data” singular or plural?
•If you want to use data as a singular mass noun, you should be
able to replace it with the word “information.”
Example: “Much of this information is useless, because of its lack
of specifics.” (much = mass nouns, this = S, information = S, is =
S, its = S)
•If you want to use data as a plural count noun, you should be
able to replace it with the word “facts.”
Example: “Many of these facts are useless, because of their lack of
specifics.” (many = count nouns, these = P, facts = P, are = P,
their = P)