Data means facts, numbers and information that people collect, store and analyse. It is not a calendar date: that is date, and the day you were born is your date of birth. Data has no form with -s and is not used with a: some data, a lot of data.
data: will you get the meaning right?
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collect/analyse/store + data; data on/about + topic; personal data; the data shows/show; the date of + event (not data)
- Our team collects data on how customers use the app every week.
- For my thesis, I analysed data from a survey of three hundred students.
- Never share your personal data with websites you don't trust.
What changed
First versionPlease write your data of birth at the top of the form.
RevisionPlease write your date of birth at the top of the form.
Data and date look alike, and in several languages the word for a calendar date is data. But in English data means facts and figures, so data of birth sounds like “the information of birth”. The day, month and year are a date: date of birth, the date of the meeting.
The verb after data can be singular, which is usual in everyday English: The data shows a clear trend. In scientific writing data is often treated as plural: The data show a clear trend. Both are correct, but datas is a mistake.
Your turn
The ___ of the conference has moved from 12 May to 19 May, so please update your calendar.
Show the answer
date — The conference has moved from one day to another, so this is about a date. Data means figures and information, not a day in the calendar.
Write about the data you collect or use at work or in your studies. Say what kind of data it is and why you need it.
At work I collect data on customer complaints every month, because it shows us which products need to be improved.
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