grammar - Why is the sentence "Statistics 'is' often misleading" incorrect?


Why is the sentence "Statistics is often misleading" incorrect?


I know that statistics can be singular but also plural. Should I use singular in this case?



Answer



Statistics, when used as a singular noun, refers to a field of study:



Statistics


noun


[treated as singular]


the practice or science of collecting and analysing numerical data in large quantities, especially for the purpose of inferring proportions in a whole from those in a representative sample.



It would be incorrect to say that an entire field of study can be misleading. That would be like saying that Calculus is misleading, or Geology or something.


Statistics can also be used as the plural form of statistic. Any statistic could be misleading if presented in the right (wrong) way. Therefore, the correct form of the sentence is



Statistics are often misleading



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