Distinguishing Between
FACT AND OPINION
What are the differences?
OPINIONS
An opinion is a statement that cannot
be proved or checked
It tells what someone thinks, feels, or
believes
Clue words for opinion statements are:
think, feel, believe, seem
always, never, all, none, most, least,
best, greatest, worst
WHAT IS AN OPINION?
• An opinion is a personal view.
• It is the view somebody takes about an issue,
especially when it is based solely on personal
judgment.
• It can also be an expert assessment of
something (e.g. I told the doctor I wanted a
second opinion).
• It can also be the view or views held by most
people or by a large number of people.
Lets Look at Some
Examples of Opinions
Here are some of the same topics that we saw as facts.
Can you figure out how they were changed to opinions?
John F. Kennedy was an excellent President.
Apparently, the adult human body has more bones
than necessary.
It is likely that the US suicideAllrate
of these words
will decrease
are hints that
soon.
there is an
It is unfair for the legal drinking age to
opinion be 21.
present.
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Types of Opinions
There are Several Types of
Opinions:
Hypothesis Statements
Theory Statements
Assumptive Statements
Value Statements
Exaggerated Statements
Lets Take a Quick Look at all of
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Types of Opinions:
Statements of Hypothesis
A Hypothesis is an assumption made in
an attempt to explain an observation.
Though an Observation is a Fact, a
For Example, Hypothesis is anonOpinion.
if I were to elaborate a previous observation and
say:
Some flowers are larger than others
because they are in more fertile soil.
This hypothesis would have to be further investigated
and scientifically proven to be considered a fact.
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Types of Opinions:
Statements of Theory
A theory is an opinion that is a
widely believed explanation for a
group of observations. Here are two
well known examples:
The Theory of Relativity.
The Evolutionary Theory.
Though many scientists believe that these theories are
true, we still consider them to be opinions rather than
facts because they have not been proven.
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Types of Opinions:
Statements of Assumption
An assumptive statement is an
opinion that is an improvable
Ifprediction.
Hillary ClintonHere
ran forare three she
President examples
would
definitely win.
The war in Iraq will eventually cost the US all of
its allies.
When that new movie comes out it will definitely
be at the top of the charts!
Though these are stated as though they are true, they
are only
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Types of Opinions:
Statements of Value
A value statement is any claim that is
based on someone's beliefs. Here are
three examples
Colin Powell is an excellent candidate for president.
The use of animals in lab testing is cruel and must
be stopped.
The Bahamas is the most beautiful place on Earth.
Value Statements are often opinions attempting to sway the
reader
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Types of Opinions:
Statements of
Exaggeration
An exaggerated statement is one that
embellishes the facts, often to sway
the reader. Here are two examples
There were millions of people rioting on
the streets of down town Cincinnati.
The president has not made one good
decision since he has been in office!
Writers often use exaggeration to make their point more clear.
They
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to continue}
Opinions: Words To Look Out
For
There are Certain Words that will Warn You that
You are Being Given an Opinion and
Not a Fact!
Maybe Successful
Perhaps Necessary
Best / Worst Apparently
Experts Agree Probably
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Getting the Facts About
Opinions
An opinion is not necessarily wrong, it is merely
not a provable fact.
For example:
“Bridgett is a very beautiful young lady.”
Even if everyone agreed with this statement, it is still
an opinion because it is not provable. Beauty is
relative.
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OPINION EXAMPLES:
WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT AN
OPINION STATEMENT?
I think that Colorado is the best state in
which to live.
Chocolate cake is the most delicious kind of
dessert.
Nearly 65% of our teens are over-weight.
Taylor Swift is the greatest singer ever!
HINTS FOR DECIDING IF A
STATEMENT IS A FACT OR
OPINION
To recognize an OPINION:
Read each answer choice and ask
yourself “Does this statement tell what
someone thinks, feels, or believes?”
Look in the answer choice for clue
words that signal an opinion
What is a fact?
A fact is something that is known to be
true.
It is something that is based on the truth
and can be backed up.
Something that can be shown to be
true, to exist, or to have happened.
FACTS
Facts are statements that can be checked or
proved
We can check facts by conducting some sort
of experiment, observation, or by
verifying (checking) the fact with a source
document
Facts often contain numbers, dates, or ages
Facts might include specific information
about a person, place or thing
Let’s Get The Facts
Straight!
A fact is something that can be proven
by a reliable authority such
as: Proven
A Statistics
scientific law
history book
Governmental
Measurements
law
Mathematics An observation
Note : None of these authorities are fool proof, but information that they
provide is considered to be fact.
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Lets Look at Some
Examples of Facts
Reliable
Facts Must Have
Authority
a
John F. Kennedy was History Book
President 1961-1963
The adult human body Science
has 206 bones
56% of US gun Deaths Statistic
are suicides
21 is the legal drinking Governmental
age in Cincinnati, OH Law
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More Examples of
Facts
What About Observations?
Observations are facts because they can be
proven by the senses.
Fact How it is
Some flowers are YouProvable
can bring in
larger than others. flowers of various
sizes
The shirt is green. You can bring in the
shirt so that the color
can be seen
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Getting the Facts on Facts
Some facts change over time.
For example:
It was once considered to be a fact that the world was flat.
We believed that those traveling too far in either direction
could literally fall off!
Because new things are being discovered everyday, reliable
authorities are sometimes forced to alter what we all once
considered
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be facts.
HINTS FOR DECIDING IF A
STATEMENT IS FACT OR OPINION
To recognize a FACT:
Read each answer choice and ask yourself:
“Can this statement be proved?”
Example: Which of these is a fact?
A. We live in the best apartment in the city.
B. I believe that summer is the best season.
C. I think that spaghetti is a delicious meal.
D. The Poughkeepsie Journal is a newspaper.
Let’s Get The Facts
Straight!
There is a difference between
FACT and OPINION.
Facts are statements that can be proven.
Opinions can not be proven. They are based
on someone's thoughts, their feelings and their
understanding.
Though you may be able to use facts to add
credibility to an opinion, it is still an opinion!
Though an opinion may be widely accepted, that
does not make it a fact.
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FACT AND OPINION.
Definite facts do not often appear in
written texts, even those labelled ‘non-
fiction’. Look at this simple advertisement
for a credit card.
More than just a bank.
Everyone needs to escape
sometimes, and with a
Nat West credit card, the
world’s your oyster. It’s
accepted at over 14
million outlets
worldwide, which makes
it the ideal getaway card..
For details, call
0800 616 848 or pop into
your local branch.
FACT AND OPINION.
The only facts in it are the
(approximate) number of outlets
and the phone number. All the
rest is opinion (even ‘your local More than just a bank.
branch’ might be a long way to Everyone needs to escape
sometimes, and with a
people who live in the country). Nat West credit card, the
world’s your oyster. It’s
This is designed to make the accepted at over 14
million outlets
reader think that it is important worldwide, which makes
to own one of these cards. it the ideal getaway card..
For details, call
0800 616 848 or pop into
your local branch.
Keeping Your Facts
Straight
Do you think that you can separate facts from opinions?
The next slide will have five
statements. Decide whether each
statement is a fact,
fact or an opinion.
opinion
Write down you answers on a separate
sheet of paper.
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Keeping Your Facts
Straight
Separate the facts from the opinions.
The best way to choose a spouse is based on brains, not
beauty.
The car probably stopped running because it ran out of gas.
The Learning Center is in the Educational Services
Building.
If I were to go on to receive my Bachelors, I would not be
successful.
There are 121 prescription drugs that come from plants.
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
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Keeping Your Facts
Straight
How well did you do?
The car The Learning
probably Center is in the
stopped running Educational
because it ran Services
out of gas. Building. -
If I were to go
-Opinion: hypothesis
The
Fact best way to
on to receive my choose a spouse
Bachelors, I is based on
would not be brains, not
successful. beauty. -
-Opinion: Opinion: value
There
Assumption
are 121 prescription drugs that
statement
come from plants.
-Fact
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FACT AND OPINION.
Can you give facts and opinions?
1. Write down two facts about a pop group.
2. Write down two opinions about a pop group.
3. Write down two facts about school.
4. Write down two opinions about school.
5. Write down two facts about your favourite food.
6. Write down two opinions about your favourite food.
7. Give one opinion and one fact about someone that
matters to you.
FACT AND OPINION.
Read the following passage:
I’ve got a new car. It is blue. I think it is fantastic! It goes
very fast and makes me feel special. People will think I’m
really cool driving this car. I worked hard and saved up a lot
of money to buy it.
1. Write down three facts about the car.
2. Write down two of the owner’s opinion
about the car.
FACT AND OPINION.
Read this passage:
I don’t like Madonna (born Madonna Louise Ciccone, who was the third of
six children in a Catholic family). I think she is ugly. She may be the most
famous female pop star in the world and have sold more records than any
other woman, but that doesn’t make her special. She studied dance at the
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, but she is not a good dancer. Her
album, Like A Prayer (1989) was so bad most people hated it. I think she
should give up singing and making albums and look after her four children.
Lourdes, Rocco, David and Mercy .
1.Write down three of the speaker’s opinions about
Madonna.
2.Write down three facts mentioned about Madonna.
FACT AND OPINION.
In an exam you may not be asked to identify fact and
opinion directly, instead you might be asked to describe
what a text tells you about something, and then to
explain what the author feels about it. In other words
first the state facts, then consider the opinions.
NEW SAUNTON
For example, if a house
advertisement claims that the
residence has ‘a large south-facing
£245,000
garden’ , it is reasonable to Magnificently situated individual
assume that it will (more or less) detached house.
face south. Whether it is large Large south-facing garden.
or not is more likely Central heating, Four bedrooms
Two receptions, Bathroom, shower
to be a matter of room, cloak room
opinion. Detached garden, approx 1 acre.
When you’re writing….
Remember:
Facts are often used
to support opinions
Good opinions are
based on facts, but
they are still opinions
