TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

data was vs data were

Both 'data was' and 'data were' can be correct depending on the context. 'Data was' is used when referring to data as a singular entity, while 'data were' is used when referring to data as a plural entity. The choice between 'was' and 'were' depends on whether you consider data to be a singular or plural noun.

Last updated: March 15, 2024 • 1825 views

data was

This phrase is correct when referring to data as a singular entity.

Use 'data was' when treating data as a singular noun, such as when discussing a single set of data or information.

Examples:

The data was analyzed thoroughly.
The data was collected from various sources.
The data was presented in a clear format.

Show examples from the web [+]

Just wondering whether to use "data" as a singular or plural in a journal article ( i.e. data was collected or data were collected)....would ...
The data was analysed after it was collected. Both usages exist today, but often the distinction will be made based on whether you are treating data as a count or ...
Apr 17, 2013 ... Data was/were analyzed using a two-way mixed-design ANOVA. See example: Data were analyzed using a two-way mixed-design ANOVA.
... like information, which takes a singular verb. Sentences such as data was collected over a number of years are now widely accepted in standard English.

Alternatives:

The information was
The dataset was
The statistics were

data were

This phrase is correct when referring to data as a plural entity.

Use 'data were' when treating data as a plural noun, such as when discussing multiple sets of data or pieces of information.

Examples:

The data were compared to previous findings.
The data were collected over several months.
The data were analyzed using advanced techniques.

Show examples from the web [+]

Just wondering whether to use "data" as a singular or plural in a journal article ( i.e. data was collected or data were collected)....would ...
Jul 16, 2010 ... Sentences such as data was (as well as data were ) collected over a number of years are now widely accepted in standard English. The official ...
Apr 17, 2013 ... 1. Data was/were analyzed using a two-way mixed-design ANOVA. See example : Data were analyzed using a two-way mixed-design ANOVA.
The data were analysed after they were collected. rather than. The data was analysed after it was collected. Both usages exist today, but often the distinction will ...

Alternatives:

The pieces of data were
The sets of data were
The information was

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!