Comments on: Rules Do Change

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 25 May 2011 00:16:52 +0000

Thank you for your comment. It was not my intention to encourage beginning sentences with coordinating conjunctions in an academic paper. I was only acknowledging the acceptability of doing so in American English.

By: heather daniels

heather daniels — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:58:24 +0000

While I disagree with much of the advice given above, (such as starting sentences with coordinating conjunctions is advisable in an academic paper), I have to agree that data can and should be considered singular. In English is possible to have singular nouns which sometimes represent a collective, as in the words class, research, etc. Also, it is normal for a loanword from a foreign language to eventually behave according to the rules of the language which has borrowed it. There is no reason for this word to behave according to the rules of Latin just because it came from Latin. If the sciences want to hold on to “datum” let them do so; outside of the sciences, data should be acceptable.

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:50:56 +0000

Good for you for knowing the difference between “datum” and “data.”

By: Vay

Vay — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:06:11 +0000

Sorry to correct you but ‘Datum’ IS still used.
As a science student, every single lecturer I have had so far is annoyed by the misuse of the word ‘Data’ as a singular form, as ‘datum’ is the singular form and is still in use.

By: Greg Calvert

Greg Calvert — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:37:59 +0000

Some of these rules are merely interpretations and beliefs of rules. Remember that English is not math. Coordinating conjunctions (such as and, but, or, etc.), in my OPINION, should not be used at the beginning of sentences. Save that for the sports writers. As for the two spaces, keep up the traditional interpretation; two spaces much more clearly indicate a new sentence to the reader.

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 17 May 2007 23:11:38 +0000

“Data was” or “Data were” are both correct. In the old days, “datum” was the singular form of “data” but now “data” is used as both a singular and plural.

By: Pam Kiefert

Pam Kiefert — Thu, 17 May 2007 14:55:44 +0000

Which is correct….data was used or data were used?

By: ravi bedi

ravi bedi — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:42:32 +0000

Thanks Jane. I had always used ‘days’.

The second one refers to the second sentence used by Tom.

By: Jane

Jane — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:07:00 +0000

It’s “Grandma’s day,” not “Grandma’s days” because this is an expression or idiom in the language.
I’m not sure what you are referring to in your second comment, Ravi.

By: ravi bedi

ravi bedi — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 03:23:17 +0000

Will I be wrong in suggesting the following changes in the texts used above:

1. Grandma’s days…instead of Grandma’s day.
2. And I’m guessing if it’s all right…