Plural of the word - INFORMATION

Is there the word "informations"???

[Red5]

Originally Posted by Vivian

Is there the word "informations"???

Although the philosopher Francis Bacon referred to ‘immediate informations of the sense’, common usage always employs the collective plural form ‘information’.

The word informations is almost never used, and is regarded as incorrect.

I hope this helps - if you have any further questions, please feel free to ask them here.



Regards,

[MikeNewYork]

I agree with Red. "Information" is an uncountable noun. It is normally not pluralized and is not used with an indefinite article.

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by Vivian

Is there the word "informations"???

There is no plural in contemporary English. The only example I have found in a search of databses was from the writer Jonathan Swift, who lived a few hundred years ago and died mad.

Originally Posted by MikeNewYork

I agree with Red. "Information" is an uncountable noun. It is normally not pluralized and is not used with an indefinite article.

Will general misuse transform 'data' into an uncountable noun while 'datum' slips through the floorboards?

[MikeNewYork]

Ozron wrote:

[/quote]Will general misuse transform 'data' into an uncountable noun while 'datum' slips through the floorboards?

That's a great question. I think that is already happening. Scientists still use data as a plural noun. They are focused on data as a series of observations, values, figures, etc. You will hear "These data are very convincing." Others, particularly those in the computer and other information fields, use data as a singular mass noun. In those areas, data refers to a mass of information.

[Tdol]

I think data already has slipped through, except in certain areas such as science. :D

[misterventuno]

That's a great question. I think that is already happening. Scientists still use data as a plural noun. They are focused on data as a series of observations, values, figures, etc. You will hear "These data are very convincing." Others, particularly those in the computer and other information fields, use data as a singular mass noun. In those areas, data refers to a mass of information.

I hope i didn't misunderstood the meaning of the message (I'm not an expert liguist), but both the words,datum and data, are latin words and, precisely. datum is the singular and data the plural. I belive they should be used as the original manners

[Avalon]

I was just telling my class before coming back home that if they wish to pluralize the information they should say PIECES or BITS of information...the same goes for EQUIPMENT (commonly pluralized in other languages), LUGGAGE/BAGGAGE,BREAD, ADVICE etc...

[wcoronel]

Hello. First-time poster. Pleased to be here.

I have a question about the usage of "information" in the following:

1) This information is correct.
2) That information is correct.
3) These information is correct.
4) Those information is correct.

I was told that 1 & 2 are the only correct ways to talk about "information" -- as well as other mass nouns, such as "furniture" and "data."

When I asked my friends why 3 & 4 were incorrect, they just said that it "sounds wrong."

"These/those data..." also sounded incorrrect to them. They feel that since "information" and "data" are already plural, they just need either "this" or "that."

Are they right? I am very adamant about thinking that "These/Those information..." is grammatically correct.