The use of 'are' when it should be 'is.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets annoyed! With data I tend to say something like 'the data shows....' but in writing I would probably write 'the data show.....' Similarly agenda. And as for the government 'are' or the family 'are' grrrrrrr. 'I ain't done nuffink' is another one. When I was working in the Courts I'd point out that they were admitting guilt then!!!!! The grammar was lost on them but did I feel better? Absolutely .

The government (sing) are…
Manchester United (sing) are…
England (sing) are…
Neither of them (sing) are…

I hate it.

Whereas data and agenda, for that matter, have pretty much transmogrified into English words and singular ones, to boot. Few would now talk about a datum or agendum.

That said, I hate hearing octopi as a plural of octopus. If you're going to be a pedant about it – the plural would surely be octopodes – but octopus, too, has become an English (singular) word, so I reckon octopuses is perefetcly acceptable and generally better.

I'm going to the positive pedantry thread and avoid being a cross-patch today.

I really dislike the word absolutely when it is used for yes. My family don't seem to use it but my three year old granddaughter must hear it somewhere. I asked her if she wanted spaghetti for lunch and she said 'not weely.' I then asked her if she would like some cheese and she said 'absolutely.'

I put my hands up to this, it is not intentional, I know it is wrong, but do make the mistake. Thank goodness for my grammar checker!

I THINK you say the data is, as it is a collection.

Ha ha! This is a real guid yin for the pedants' corner! But do you say the data are or the data is.

The correct answer is that you re-phrase and avoid saying either.