I heard an interesting utterance yesterday on the radio. The person speaking, an MD, was taking about "that data which have", using singular that (instead of "those"), but plural have (instead of had).

a. those data which have
b. that data which has
c. that data which have

In my mind, this is a kind of hypercorrection gone wrong and is therefore similar to "between you and I" and such like.

I agree. The fight to keep data as a plural and datum as a singular was lost a very long time ago and anyone who insists on it nowadays is being ridiculously pedantic.

For British usage, though I believe US usage differs, I'd say the same holds true of anyone who insists that if I throw away one of my two dice what I have left is one die.

zmjezhd's point is more than that. The example sentence is thoroughly ungrammatical, whatever you treat 'data' or 'dice' as. If 'data' is singular you have to say 'that data is/has', and if it's plural you have to say 'those data are/have'. Likewise 'this dice is/has' or 'these dice are/have'. Mix and match with singular agreement on one side and plural agreement on the other is impossible.

For most people, 'data' and 'dice' just are singular nouns ('data' being a mass noun so having no plural, and 'dice' having a zero plural like 'sheep', 'aircraft'). So they should take singular agreement all the way along: This dice is old and has had its spots worn off.

You do get a mixed effect, however, with corporate nouns ('team', 'company', 'government' etc.). Usage varies a lot dialectally, but when agreement switches it always switches from singular near the word to plural at a distance: The company is going to go bankrupt and have informed their creditors.

But this isn't analogous to the 'data' example, for the following reason. In Britain we happily and routinely start using plural from the verb on ('The company have gone bankrupt'), but we can't use a plural determiner (*these company, *those team), and if there's one there that almost forces the verb to be singular too: This company has gone bankrupt; but ?*This company have gone bankrupt.

True. That's what happens after a tiring day when you post without reading properly.

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The fight to keep data as a plural and datum as a singular was lost a very long time ago and anyone who insists on it nowadays is being ridiculously pedantic.

For British usage, though I believe US usage differs, I'd say the same holds true of anyone who insists that if I throw away one of my two dice what I have left is one die.

I guess I'm a ridiculous pedant, then.

"The dice is cast." "Like You Like It" Yes, there's still reason for a dose of pedantry!

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For British usage, though I believe US usage differs, I'd say the same holds true of anyone who insists that if I throw away one of my two dice what I have left is one die.

Yes, we still say 'die.' However, most people in the U.S. say "data" and not "datum." I also never hear "agendum."

I think there is a fine line between a good speaker and one who is pedantic. I must say, this board has confused me more than anything. I can understand that the rules are changing, but it is hard to know what is acceptable and what isn't! Plus, even on this little board people don't agree what is acceptable and what isn't. I do think we all agree, though, that in zmj's example you should at least use the correct form of the verb with the sentence! A physician should surely know better.

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you should at least use the correct form of the verb with the sentence! A physician should surely know better.

But, he did use the "correct" form of the verb. It was his demonstrative pronoun that was wonky.

If you read communications from the Office of the Data Protection Registrar you will fine that he and his minions use data as a plural: "The data are collected..."

But I fear that even they are fighting a losing battle as are those for us who prepare agenda, rather than agendas.