Is "data" plural or singular, or both? Is it ok to say: "The data are being read by the computer..."?

Question

Using "are" after data sounds funny, but is it grammatically correct? thanks very much for your responses.

the best answer I received provides a link to a dictionary, the text of which is provided below. The word "data" is a pretty tricky word.

–noun 1. a pl. of datum.
2. (used with a plural verb) individual facts, statistics, or items of information: These data represent the results of our analyses. Data are entered by terminal for immediate processing by the computer.
3. (used with a singular verb) a body of facts; information: Additional data is available from the president of the firm.

—Usage note Data is a plural of datum, which is originally a Latin noun meaning “something given.” Today, data is used in English both as a plural noun meaning “facts or pieces of information” (These data are described more fully elsewhere) and as a singular mass noun meaning “information”: Not much data is available on flood control in Brazil. It is almost always treated as a plural in scientific and academic writing. In other types of writing it is either singular or plural.

Answer 1

"Data" is plural. "These data are being read by the computer."

But somewhere in the recesses of my brain I remember a rule that pleural nouns acting as a unit may take a singular verb.

Answer 2

Yes, "data are" is grammatically correct, "data" is actually plural. The singular form is "datum".

Answer 3

Data usually is a culmination of stuff so it's plural even if it "the data is being read by the computer." It's a set of statistics..

Answer 4

Data is plural of datum.

The data IS being read by the computer

Answer 5

That's incorrect.Here are your choices:
1.The data is being read.
2.The data was read.
"data" refers to a group of information. Even if there are several groups, you still call it "data".
If there is more than one group of data then you should say: "The groups of data are being read."
Or, "The groups of data were read."

Answer 6

The data IS being read.

Answer 7

It depends on whether you are talking about individual facts or a collection of information.

~

Answer 8

It's both. The proper grammar is "The Data is being read by so and so." It's like the word "sheep" and "bass"

Answer 9

i think you would just say "the data is being read by the computer" and that would be correct. im no english major but "are" definitely sounds wrong. haha

Answer 10

data is both and it should be the data is being read by the computer............ I think