When you write about research, statistics, or information, you may wonder whether “these data” is grammatically correct. The phrase can look unusual because modern English often treats data as a singular mass noun. Yet “these data” is completely grammatical when you use data as a plural noun.
The confusion comes from the word’s history. In traditional grammar, datum is singular and data is plural. Under that system, you would write “these data are” because these and are both signal a plural subject. However, contemporary English also commonly treats data as a mass noun, particularly in business, technology, and everyday communication.
That means you’ll encounter both “these data are” and “this data is” in reputable English. The better choice depends on how you’re treating the word, your audience, and the style expected in your writing. Scientific and academic writing often preserves the plural construction, while general English frequently uses singular data.
Quick Answer: Is It Correct to Say “These Data”?
Yes, “these data” is grammatically correct. It treats data as a plural noun and traditionally means multiple facts, measurements, observations, or pieces of information.
For example:
These data are consistent with the results of the previous experiment.
Here, these is plural, data functions as a plural noun, and are agrees with the plural subject.
However, “this data is” is also accepted in modern English when data functions as a singular mass noun:
This data is useful for understanding customer behavior.
The important point is consistency. If you choose the plural construction, write “these data are.” If you treat data as singular, write “this data is.”
What Does “These Data” Mean?
“These data” refers to a particular group of facts, measurements, observations, records, or other pieces of collected information.
The word these is a plural demonstrative. It points to multiple things that are relatively close in the discussion or physical context.
Traditionally, data is the plural form of datum, a Latin-derived noun meaning an individual fact or piece of information. Therefore, the traditional grammatical structure looks like this:
| Singular | Plural |
| this datum | these data |
| that datum | those data |
| the datum is | the data are |
For example:
This datum is important to the analysis.
These data are important to the analysis.
In modern English, though, datum rarely appears in ordinary conversation. Writers usually say “a piece of data” instead.
What Does “Data” Mean in Modern English?
Today, data can describe a collection of information considered as a whole.
For example, a company might collect customer data containing millions of individual records. Although the dataset contains countless individual values, a writer may refer to the entire collection as one body of information.
That usage explains sentences such as:
This data is stored on a secure server.
This sentence treats data as a mass noun, much like information.
Is “These Data” Grammatically Correct?
Yes. “These data” is grammatically correct when you treat data as plural.
The traditional plural construction remains especially common in scientific, academic, and research writing.
Consider:
These data demonstrate a significant difference between the two groups.
The structure is straightforward:
these + data + demonstrate
All three elements work together as plural forms.
By contrast:
These data demonstrates a significant difference.
This sentence mixes a plural subject with a singular verb. Under plural treatment, “these data demonstrate” is the appropriate construction.
The same principle applies to are, were, have, and other plural forms.
| Plural construction | Singular construction |
| These data are reliable. | This data is reliable. |
| These data were collected yesterday. | This data was collected yesterday. |
| These data show a trend. | This data shows a trend. |
| These data have limitations. | This data has limitations. |
The crucial rule is simple: the demonstrative, noun, and verb should agree with the grammatical treatment you choose.
Why Is “These Data” Grammatically Correct?
The answer becomes clearer when you look at both the history of the word and modern English usage.
Data Is Traditionally the Plural of Datum
The singular datum comes from Latin datum, meaning something given or a given fact. Its plural form is data.
English inherited this distinction through scientific and scholarly vocabulary.
So under the traditional system:
One datum → multiple data
That produces:
This datum is significant.
and:
These data are significant.
You can find this plural treatment throughout formal scientific writing.
Modern English Treats Data as a Mass Noun
Language doesn’t remain frozen in place. Over time, speakers began using data as a mass noun.
Think about the word information.
You normally say:
This information is useful.
You don’t usually say:
“These informations are useful.”
Modern speakers often conceptualize data in a similar way.
A dataset can represent one broad collection of information even though it contains thousands or millions of individual values.
That semantic shift has made “this data is” widespread.
“These Data” vs. “This Data”
The difference between these expressions comes down to how you treat the noun data.
| Expression | Grammatical treatment | Example |
| These data | Plural | These data are compelling. |
| This data | Singular mass noun | This data is compelling. |
| These data are | Plural | These data are from three studies. |
| This data is | Singular | This data is from three studies. |
| These data is | Mixed agreement | Generally avoid |
| This data are | Mixed agreement | Generally avoid |
Neither grammatical system needs to be treated as a universal law for every variety of English.
Instead, consider the context and audience.
If you’re writing a peer-reviewed research paper, plural data may better match the conventions of your field. If you’re writing a business report for a general audience, singular data may sound more natural.
“These Data Are” vs. “These Data Is”
This is where many writers stumble.
If data functions as plural, use are:
These data are statistically significant.
Don’t write:
These data is statistically significant.
Why? Because the sentence starts with a plural demonstrative and noun but switches to a singular verb.
It’s similar to saying:
These results is important.
That clearly sounds wrong because these results requires are.
The same logic applies to plural data.
Correct Examples
These data are consistent with our original hypothesis.
These data were collected over a six-month period.
These data show a substantial increase in sales.
These data have several important limitations.
Incorrect Under the Plural Construction
❌ These data is consistent with our hypothesis.
❌ These data was collected over six months.
❌ These data shows an increase in sales.
❌ These data has several limitations.
If you want singular agreement, change the demonstrative too:
This data is consistent with our hypothesis.
That keeps the entire construction internally consistent.
When Should You Use “These Data”?
“These data” works especially well when you’re discussing multiple observations, measurements, results, or distinct sets of information.
Scientific writing is one of the clearest examples.
Scientific Writing
Researchers often discuss data as individual observations or measurements.
For example:
These data are consistent with the proposed model.
These data were obtained from 250 participants.
These data support the conclusion that temperature affected the reaction rate.
The plural construction can emphasize that the analysis involves multiple observations or measurements, rather than one undifferentiated mass of information.
Academic Writing
Academic writers frequently use plural data, particularly in disciplines with strong statistical or research traditions.
For example:
These data indicate that income inequality increased during the study period.
These data provide evidence for a relationship between the two variables.
Before submitting academic work, however, check the publication or institution’s style requirements. Some journals and disciplines strongly prefer data are, while others accept or favor data is.
Referring to Multiple Datasets
Plural treatment also becomes especially intuitive when you’re comparing separate datasets.
For example:
These data are drawn from three independent surveys.
Here, the writer isn’t necessarily focusing on each individual number. The plural construction highlights multiple bodies of collected information.
Another example:
These data were collected in 2022, 2024, and 2026.
The plural form can help distinguish several data collections within the same discussion.
When Is “This Data” More Natural?
“This data” often sounds more natural when you mean one body or collection of information.
This usage appears frequently in business, technology, analytics, marketing, and everyday professional communication.
For example:
This data is useful for identifying customer trends.
This data shows where visitors leave the website.
This data is stored in our cloud database.
This data helps the company forecast demand.
In these sentences, the writer isn’t focusing on individual observations. Instead, data functions as a broad mass of information.
This treatment has become common enough that major dictionaries document it as an established usage rather than treating every singular use as an error.
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary entry for data provides further information about its singular and plural usage:
Data — Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Common Mistakes With “These Data”
Understanding the common errors makes the rule much easier to remember.
“These Data Is”
This construction combines plural these with singular is.
❌ These data is useful.
If data is plural, write:
✅ These data are useful.
If you’re treating data as a singular mass noun, write:
✅ This data is useful.
The problem isn’t necessarily data itself. The problem comes from mixing the two grammatical systems.
“This Data Are”
The opposite mistake occurs when a writer uses singular this with plural are.
❌ This data are reliable.
Choose one system:
✅ This data is reliable.
or:
✅ These data are reliable.
Assuming Data Must Always Be Plural
The old rule “data is always plural” oversimplifies modern English.
In formal scientific contexts, plural treatment remains important. Yet everyday English has embraced singular data for decades.
Treating every singular use as automatically wrong ignores how the word actually functions in contemporary English.
Switching Between “Data Is” and “Data Are”
Consistency matters, particularly in formal writing.
Imagine a research report that says:
“The data are reliable. This data is available in the appendix. These data shows a clear pattern.”
The reader has to keep adjusting to different grammatical treatments.
A cleaner approach is to choose the convention appropriate for your context and maintain it consistently.
“These Data” in Different Types of Writing
The preferred construction can vary considerably by context.
| Type of writing | Common tendency | Example |
| Scientific research | Plural | These data are significant. |
| Academic research | Often plural | These data support the hypothesis. |
| Statistics | Often plural | These data indicate a correlation. |
| Business reports | Often singular | This data is valuable. |
| Marketing | Often singular | This data shows customer preferences. |
| Technology | Often singular | This data is stored securely. |
| Everyday conversation | Usually singular | This data is interesting. |
| Formal journalism | Mixed | Depends on publication style |
These tendencies aren’t absolute rules. Industry conventions and editorial style guides can override general usage preferences.
For instance, a scientific journal may insist on data are throughout an article. A technology company may routinely use data is in its documentation.
How to Choose Between “These Data” and “This Data”
You can make the decision quickly by asking what you mean.
If you’re treating data as multiple facts or observations, use:
These data are…
If you’re treating data as one body of information, use:
This data is…
There’s another useful test.
Ask yourself whether replacing data with information would preserve your meaning.
This data is useful.
becomes:
This information is useful.
That sounds perfectly natural because information is a mass noun.
However:
These data are useful.
can emphasize a collection of individual findings, observations, or measurements.
A Practical Decision Table
| What you mean | Better choice |
| Multiple observations | These data are |
| Several measurements | These data are |
| Multiple research datasets | These data are |
| One unified information source | This data is |
| General business information | This data is |
| A database or data collection | This data is |
| Formal scientific writing | Often these data are |
| Casual professional communication | Often this data is |
Examples of “These Data” in Sentences
The following examples show how plural data works across different fields.
Research
These data are consistent with the results reported in earlier studies.
Economics
These data show that household spending increased during the final quarter.
Medicine
These data provide evidence of differences between the treatment groups.
Education
These data were collected from 18 schools across the district.
Environmental Science
These data indicate that average temperatures have risen over the observation period.
Business
These data are derived from five independent sales reports.
Notice the pattern. These data behaves like any other plural noun phrase.
Examples of “This Data” in Sentences
Singular data works naturally when the information functions as one collective body.
Business Analytics
This data is helping the company identify its most profitable customers.
Technology
This data is encrypted before it leaves the device.
Marketing
This data shows which advertising channels generate the most conversions.
Website Analytics
This data is useful for understanding how visitors navigate the site.
General Communication
This data is enough to support the initial conclusion.
In each case, the writer views the data as a single information resource.
“These Data” vs. “Those Data”
The words these and those both work with plural data.
The difference concerns the relationship between the information and the speaker’s context.
These data usually points to information currently under discussion or relatively close in context.
These data are from the experiment we completed last month.
Those data can point toward information discussed earlier or viewed as more distant.
Those data were collected during the previous phase of the study.
The same distinction appears with ordinary nouns:
These results vs. those results
These findings vs. those findings
These measurements vs. those measurements
So there’s nothing unusual about these data from a demonstrative perspective.
“These Data” vs. “This Information”
Sometimes the easiest way to avoid unnecessary grammatical debate is to choose a more precise noun.
Compare:
These data are useful for the analysis.
with:
This information is useful for the analysis.
Both can work, but they aren’t always identical.
Data often suggests recorded measurements, values, observations, or structured inputs.
Information has a broader meaning. It can refer to facts, knowledge, details, or communicated material without implying a structured dataset.
Other alternatives can offer even greater precision:
| Instead of “data” | Possible meaning |
| Findings | Results discovered through research |
| Results | Outcomes of an experiment or analysis |
| Figures | Numerical information |
| Statistics | Quantitative measurements or summaries |
| Measurements | Recorded physical or numerical values |
| Observations | Things noticed or recorded during research |
| Records | Stored individual entries |
| Information | General facts or knowledge |
For example, instead of writing:
These data are surprising.
you might write:
These findings are surprising.
That’s often more precise because findings tells the reader what the numbers represent.
What Is the Singular Form of Data?
Traditionally, the singular form of data is datum.
One datum
Several data
However, datum can sound highly formal in ordinary English.
Most people would naturally say:
one piece of data
rather than:
one datum
For example:
The researcher recorded one piece of data from each participant.
This construction is clear and natural.
You may still encounter datum in technical contexts, especially when discussing individual values or measurements. But there’s no need to force the word into everyday writing.
Read More: Is It Correct to Say “These Data”? Meaning, and Proper Usage
Case Study: Choosing the Right Construction
Imagine a university researcher has collected temperature readings from 500 sensors.
A formal research paper might say:
These data are consistent with the predicted temperature pattern.
The plural construction works well because the sentence discusses multiple recorded measurements.
Now imagine a software company explaining its analytics dashboard to customers.
It might write:
This data is used to personalize your dashboard.
Here, data refers to a unified collection processed by the system. Singular treatment sounds natural for the intended audience.
Neither sentence requires the writer to declare the other construction “wrong.” The context changes the most natural grammatical choice.
What Do Style Guides Say About “Data”?
Style preferences can differ across disciplines.
Some scientific and academic environments retain the traditional plural treatment. Other publications accept singular data because it has become standard in broader English.
That’s why researchers should check the specific style guide or journal instructions before submitting formal work.
A useful principle is:
Follow the convention of your field before following a rigid grammar rule.
For formal academic writing, consistency matters just as much as the choice itself.
If a journal consistently uses data are, follow that convention. If its published articles regularly use data is, singular treatment may be acceptable within that publication’s style.
Is “These Data” More Formal Than “This Data”?
Generally, “these data” can sound more formal and academic, particularly because plural data remains common in scientific writing.
Compare:
These data demonstrate a significant relationship.
with:
This data shows a significant relationship.
The first sentence has a more traditional research-paper flavor. The second sounds more conversational and contemporary.
That doesn’t automatically make one superior.
Formal doesn’t always mean better. Your goal should be grammatical consistency, precision, and suitability for the audience.
FAQs
Is “these data” grammatically correct?
Yes. “These data” is grammatically correct when data functions as a plural noun. In that construction, use plural verbs such as are, were, show, and have.
Should I say “these data are” or “these data is”?
Use “these data are” if you’re treating data as plural. “These data is” mixes plural and singular agreement and should generally be avoided.
Is “this data” also correct?
Yes. Modern English commonly treats data as a singular mass noun. In that construction, “this data is” is grammatically consistent and widely used.
Is data singular or plural?
Data can function as either plural or singular in modern English. Traditional grammar treats it as the plural of datum, while contemporary usage frequently treats it as a singular mass noun.
What is the singular form of data?
The traditional singular form is datum. In ordinary English, however, “a piece of data” usually sounds more natural than datum.
Should I use “these data” in academic writing?
You often can, especially in scientific and research contexts. However, check your institution, journal, or style guide because conventions differ between disciplines and publications.
Is “these data” more formal than “this data”?
It often sounds more formal or academic because plural data remains common in scholarly writing. However, “this data” isn’t inherently unprofessional or incorrect when singular treatment fits the context.
Conclusion
So, is it correct to say “these data”? Absolutely. The phrase is grammatically correct when data functions as a plural noun, particularly when you’re discussing multiple observations, measurements, findings, or datasets. The traditional construction is straightforward: these data are. Modern English, however, also commonly treats data as a singular mass noun, producing this data is. Both patterns appear in established English usage. For scientific or academic writing, “these data are” often remains the safest choice when your field follows traditional plural treatment. In business, technology, and everyday communication, “this data is” may sound more natural.
