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conulyShe's quite right, of course, and one day I'll write out a short and not at all comprehensive list of them for your amusement.
Today, though, I'll restrict myself to two, and I'll explain why when I'm done.
1. Data is a mass noun and not a count noun.
2. The "less or fewer" distinction is not a rule of traditional grammar, and whoever told you that lied to you. It's a made up zombie rule (technical term!) literally invented by some dude in the 1700s and ignored by careful, educated writers and speakers ever since.
If you're wondering why I picked those two, here's why:
If you combine them, you run the risk of referring to something or other having fewer data, and that's just... that's just wrong. It's just wrong. I'm sorry, I can't be descriptivist about this, I think it was in The New Yorker or something and it's wrong. It's all wrong.
You can't say "fewer data" and shame on you if you do it anyway.
Today, though, I'll restrict myself to two, and I'll explain why when I'm done.
1. Data is a mass noun and not a count noun.
2. The "less or fewer" distinction is not a rule of traditional grammar, and whoever told you that lied to you. It's a made up zombie rule (technical term!) literally invented by some dude in the 1700s and ignored by careful, educated writers and speakers ever since.
If you're wondering why I picked those two, here's why:
If you combine them, you run the risk of referring to something or other having fewer data, and that's just... that's just wrong. It's just wrong. I'm sorry, I can't be descriptivist about this, I think it was in The New Yorker or something and it's wrong. It's all wrong.
You can't say "fewer data" and shame on you if you do it anyway.
no subject
Date: 2023-02-02 06:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-02-03 03:46 am (UTC)