On Tue 20 May 2014 at 17:03:16 +0100, Lisi Reisz wrote:>From our correspondent in London, UK.
> On Tuesday 20 May 2014 16:00:42 Ken Heard wrote:
> > Please note everybody that the word "data" is plural. The beginning
> > of the last line quoted above should consequently read "all the
> > scientific data *are* backed up." Other posts in this thread make the
> > same error. The singular of data is datum.
>
> This is of course, gramatically correct. But I would argue that, although in
> formal writing it should certainly be treated as a plural, in colloquial
> speech it no longer is. I would also argue that emails are colloquial speech
> not formal writing.
Yesterday representatives of the Trade Union Congress, the Mother Union,
the Charity Commission and the Royal Society of Pedants met to discuss
issues of common concern. In a press release a spokesperson said:
"In tweny years there may be less people whose data is not in our
records. Our important criteria is to plan for the future. If we are
unable to make a sound judgement then the dice is cast."
Pick the bones out of that.
Roll on colloquial speech, particularly in the media!
Archive: [🔎] 20140520181905.GH17353@copernicus.demon.co.uk" target="_blank">https://lists.debian.org/[🔎] 20140520181905.GH17353@copernicus.demon.co.uk
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