a distinctive data

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a distinctive data" is not correct in standard English usage.
The word "data" is typically treated as a plural noun, so it should be "distinctive data" without the article "a." Example: "The research team collected distinctive data that highlighted the differences between the two groups."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Notably, among all of these analyses, a distinctive data trend associated with a single species (Allocasuarina littoralis, black sheoak) prompted separate analyses (as above) of its canopy density and proportional abundance.

Ecological Processes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

CAMERA's fundamental task is to create a rich, distinctive data repository and bioinformatics tool resource that overcomes the unique challenges of metagenomics such as complexity, heterogeneity, and fragmented data.

Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics

Well, in a nutshell, Facebook has stored a treasure trove of distinctive data that, if fully utilized, could put Google out of business.

TechCrunch

To develop the model tree, a total of 1912 distinctive data records were collected from internationally published literature.

Construction and Building Materials

Another important observation is that Facebook has most features, especially concerning the distinctive data types, i.e., entrusted/incidental data and contextual data.

EURASIP Journal on Information Security

Our distinctive data reserve plenty of reasons to use the standard criteria for metabolic syndrome in Koreans.

Diabetes Care

Normalisation of data showed symmetrical distribution, suggesting the similarity of the relative abundance of most proteins in both samples; however, clearly distinctive data points representing potentially unique or differentially abundant proteins were obvious.

BMC Cancer

In Sts, the most distinctive data set, the ranking orders of gene set are highly correlated between eGSA and IGA, suggesting that eGSA has comparable detection power to that of IGA in homogeneous samples.

BMC Genomics

However, when expression patterns were monitored in other rice varieties showing compatible or incompatible interaction (HR-) with GMB1, we did not observe a distinctive expression profile (data not shown).

Rice

A distinctive contribution of the data collection approach we are proposing is its potential compatibility with alternative data collection methods, such as automated calls through interactive voice response systems, telephone interviews by clerical staff, or online assessments.

BMC Health Services Research

A distinctive advantage of these data is that they cover a significant number of countries in Continental Europe.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referring to data as a collection of facts or information, avoid using the indefinite article "a". Instead, use adjectives like "unique", "specific", or "distinctive" directly before "data".

Common error

Avoid using "a" before "distinctive data". Since "data" is generally considered plural, the correct form is simply "distinctive data".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a distinctive data" functions as a noun phrase where "distinctive" is an adjective modifying "data". However, as noted by Ludwig, the inclusion of the article "a" is grammatically incorrect when "data" is treated as a plural or mass noun.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a distinctive data" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI points out, "data" is typically treated as a plural or mass noun, making the article "a" inappropriate. Instead, it is recommended to use "distinctive data" without the article. While examples exist, this construction should be avoided in favor of more grammatically sound alternatives such as "unique data" or "specific data". The analysis reveals that usage spans across science and news media, but adherence to grammatical standards is crucial for clear communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unique dataset

Replaces the adjective and noun with a single word while maintaining the meaning of being uncommon or one-of-a-kind.

distinctive set of data

Emphasizes the group or collection aspect of the data, highlighting its unique characteristics.

remarkable data

Highlights the noteworthiness or impressiveness of the data.

uncommon data

Focuses on the rareness or infrequency of the data.

special data

Suggests the data has particular importance or a specific purpose.

specific data

Emphasizes the data's precise or particular nature.

exceptional data

Highlights the data's superior quality or unusual nature.

noteworthy data

Similar to 'remarkable' but slightly less emphatic, still indicating the data is worth paying attention to.

characteristic data

Indicates the data is typical or representative of something, implying a unique fingerprint.

particular data

Focuses on the data being specific and distinguished from others.

FAQs

How can I use "distinctive data" in a sentence?

You can use "distinctive data" in a sentence like this: "The analysis revealed "distinctive data" that supported the hypothesis."

What is a more grammatically correct way to phrase "a distinctive data"?

Since "data" is generally treated as a plural noun, you should omit the article "a". Use ""distinctive data"" instead.

What can I say instead of "a distinctive data" to emphasize uniqueness?

You can use alternatives such as "unique data", "remarkable data", or "exceptional data" depending on the context.

Is "data" singular or plural, and how does it affect my writing?

While "data" originates as the plural of "datum", it's often used as a mass noun (uncountable) in modern English, especially in non-technical contexts. Therefore, it is best to use ""distinctive data"" without the article "a".