Fact versus OpinionKaren Silvestri, Instructor

FACTS

FACTS are statements that can be verified.

They are objective (they contain information but do not tell what the writer thinks or believes about the topic or issue.

EXAMPLE OF A FACT

My car payments are $250 a month.

This is a fact. It can be proven by looking at your car payment statement.

EXAMPLE OF A FACT

In Washington State drivers must stop for pedestrians and bicyclists at crosswalks and intersections.

This is a fact. You can check this in the Washington State Drivers’ Guide.

OPINIONS

OPINIONS are statements that express a writer’s feelings, attitudes, or beliefs.

They are neither true nor false.

They are one person’s view about a topic or an issue.

EXAMPLE OF AN OPINION

My car payments are too expensive.

This is an opinion.

Others may disagree with you.

EXAMPLE OF AN OPINION

The slaughter of baby seals for their pelts should be outlawed.

This is an opinion.

Hunters who make their living selling pelts would disagree.

Directions: indicate whether each of the following statements is a fact (F) or an opinion (O).

1. Alligators provide no physical care for their young.

2. Humans should be concerned about the use of pesticides that kill insects at the bottom of the food chain.

3. There are 28 more humans living on the earth now than there were ten seconds ago.

4. We must bear greater responsibility for the environment than our ancestors did.

5. Dogs make the best pets because they can be trained to obey. Solar energy is available wherever sunlight reaches the earth.

6. Between 1850 and 1900 the death rate in Europe decreased due to industrial growth and advances in medicine.

RECOGNIZING JUDGMENT WORDS

badgood

worthwhilewonderful

frighteningworsebetter

worthlesslovelyworstbest

disgustingamazing

Directions: Choose the judgment word or phrase that suggests the statement is an opinion.

1. Purchasing a brand new car is a terrible waste of money.

2. Many wonderful vegetarian cookbooks are available in bookstores.

3. Of all the film versions of Victor Hugo’s novel Les Miserables, the 1935 version starring Charles Laughton is the best.

4. The introductory biology textbook comes with and amazing CD-ROM.

5. Volunteers for Habitat for Humanity are engaged in a worthwhile activity.

MIXING FACT AND OPINION

Sometimes writers mix fact and opinion within a piece of writing.

Cutting taxes was one of the best decisions President Bush has made during his presidency. Many Americans are pleased to find more money in their pockets after taxes. However, the legislation will expire in ten years unless laws are passed to make the cuts permanent. Unless made permanent, the tax rates will return to their Clinton-era levels in 2011. A return to the previous high levels will no doubt anger most Americans who have become accustomed to lower taxes.

Which sentences are statements of OPINION?

EVALUATING FACT AND OPINION

Use a reliable source: encyclopedia, dictionary, almanacs, textbooks, scholarly journals.

Less reliable sources include: Internet, personal web sites, letters to the editor, popular magazines.

Find current sources. Information changes quickly; make sure it is current.

Look at primary sources when possible. For example, most American demographic information originally comes from the U.S. Census.

You can evaluate how well a writer supports or justifies his or her opinions.

They may offer reasons that are back up their opinion

School uniforms should not be required because they are expensive and some parents cannot afford them.

They may offer personal experience that supports their opinion.

They may offer statistics (facts) to back up their opinion.

They may offer examples of their opinion.

AN INFORMED OPINION

The opinion of experts is known as informed opinion.

The surgeon general is regarded as an authority on the health of Americans, and his/her opinion on this subject is more trustworthy than that of casual observers or nonprofessionals

SPOTTING WORDS THAT SIGNAL AN OPINION

apparently

this suggests

in my view

one explanation is

Presumably

possibly

it is likely that

according to

in my opinion

it is believed

seemingly

Directions: In each statement, choose the word or phrase that suggests that the author is offering an informed opinion.

1. It seems clear that parents who would bring a young child to an R-rated movie are putting their own interests ahead of what’s best for their child.

2. Voters rejected the proposed rapid transit system connecting the southern and northern suburbs, possibly because of racial issues.

3. According to the city superintendent of schools, school uniforms lead to improved behavior and fewer disruptions in the classroom.

4. One explanation for low attendance at professional sporting events is the high price of tickets.

5. It is believed that most people practice some form of recycling in their daily lives.