(An) information – is there an article?

The word “information” is an uncountable noun (also called mass noun) in English, just like “smoke” or “rice”. This means that it is treated as a certain kind of “substance” or “matter”, not as an object.

As a result, it does not make sense to say “an information”. You should say, for example:

That's interesting information.

That's an interesting information.

If you want to stress that you are talking about a specific “unit” of information, you can use the word “piece” (just like you would use the word “cup” for rice):

This piece of information is very helpful.

Since it's uncountable, “information” does not have a plural form and is combined with “little” and “much” rather than “few” and “many”:

I have little information about the subject.

I have few informations about the subject.

How much information has been lost?

How many informations have been lost?

When you want to express that you have a small amount of information, the most natural way is to use “some information”. Saying “a little information” is possible but much less common:

I've found some information about him.

I've found a little information about him.

A few more examples:

...

This is not all! Sign up to see the rest of this text and become part of our community of language learners.

...

The rest of this article is available only to logged-in users. By signing up, you'll gain access to a vast library of content.



5 “News is” or “news are” – singular or plural?

Comments

Jakub 212d

The English word “data” is also interesting, because it can be used both in the singular and the plural. The singular functions exactly like the word “information”, i.e. it is uncountable.

 Ron1 1d

Data IS plural. Always. It is the plural of datum, which in Latin means 'a thing given' . At the gymnasium, a type of high school teaching the Latin and Greek (classical ) languages, we learned (learnt?) that words like data, which, in the meaning of pieces of information, that are used in plural only, are of the class  of 'plurale tantum' or 'plural only'. Its plural is 'pluralia tantum' to make things even more complex. I must admit that mastering these languages is of limited use, beyond these "my two cents" contributions. The consistent mistake of treating 'data 'as a singular has made it accepted as such, a singular. Still sounds odd to me, everytime I hear or read it. In Europe and especially in academia the treatment of data as a plural is still preferred: "These data are incorrect" And now I'll go outside and have  _A_  smoke!  Countable!  🙂 (just kidding, of course I don't smoke)

Show more or write a comment

1.	Introduction
2.	“Lie in bed” or “lay in bed”
3.	“Information is” vs. “informations are” – plural or singular
4.	(An) information – is there an article?
5.	“News is” or “news are” – problematic words ending with an “s”
6.	So, thus, therefore, and hence
7.	“At school” vs. “in school”
8.	“In office” vs. “in the office” vs. “at the office”
9.	“Help do” vs. “help to do” vs. “help doing”
10.	“In the picture” vs. “on the picture”
11.	“Half five”, “half seven”, “half ten” etc. in British English
12.	“Prefer to” or “prefer over”
13.	“Arrive to” vs. “arrive in” vs. “arrive at”
14.	Each other's vs. each others'
15.	Difference between “cemetery” and “graveyard”

1.	Introduction
2.	“Lie in bed” or “lay in bed”
3.	“Information is” vs. “informations are” – plural or singular
4.	(An) information – is there an article?
5.	“News is” or “news are” – problematic words ending with an “s”
6.	So, thus, therefore, and hence
7.	“At school” vs. “in school”
8.	“In office” vs. “in the office” vs. “at the office”
9.	“Help do” vs. “help to do” vs. “help doing”
10.	“In the picture” vs. “on the picture”
11.	“Half five”, “half seven”, “half ten” etc. in British English
12.	“Prefer to” or “prefer over”
13.	“Arrive to” vs. “arrive in” vs. “arrive at”
14.	Each other's vs. each others'
15.	Difference between “cemetery” and “graveyard”

4 (An) information – is there an article?