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If the word "data" in its context may be replaced with the word "information", then it is being used as a "collective noun" and may be treated a singular. If i
by jmulho 13y ago
If the word "data" in its context may be replaced with the word "information", then it is being used as a "collective noun" and may be treated a singular. If it would be better replaced with "the individual items of information that we have collected", then it should be treated as plural. Which seems right in this case, "Information shows that Google cars...", or "The individual items of information that we have collected show that Google cars..."?
- _delirium 13y agoI would read it more like the former, that "data we have collected" is similar to "information we have collected". Alternately, data is also often a synonym for "set of observations" or similar, a shorthand term for "data set", etymology notwithstanding. A common exchange: "Can you send us the fracking data?" "Sure, once I get approval I'll send it over." If you instead said "send them over" in this context it would suggest, at least in typical usage I'm familiar with, that there were not only multiple data points, but multiple data sets being set over.