Fact and Opinion

1. FACT AND OPINION By N. Valdelomar

2. Fact [fakt], n. 1. thing
known to be true or to
have really happened
Opinion [ə pin’yən], n.
1. what one thinks;
belief not so strong as
knowledge

3. FACTS
FACTS are objective, concrete pieces of information that do
not tell what the writer thinks or believes about the topic.
They can be found in official publications such as
encyclopedias or legal records.
Objective facts are what researchers seek in
laboratories or through controlled studies.
Facts are usually expressed in figures or quantities,
weights and measures. They state reality.

4. EXAMPLES
• Cartago was founded in 1574
• Flowering plants that are native to
the South include purple
coneflower and rose verbena.
• In 1970, over 30,000 children
were enrolled in day-care
programs in Miami-Dade County.
• The core of a pencil is made of
graphite and clay, not lead.

5. Questions to Identify Facts:
1. Can the statement be proved
or demonstrated to be true?
2. Can the statement be
observed in practice or
operation?
3. Can you see it happen?
4. Can the statement be verified
by witnesses, manuscripts, or
documents?

6. To sum up,
facts…
Can be verified in reference books,
official records, and so forth.
Are expressed in concrete language
or specific numbers.
Once verified, are generally agreed
upon by people.
Are objective.
State reality.

7. OPINIONS
OPINIONS are based on subjective judgement
and personal values rather than on information
that can be verified.
It’s a belief that someone holds without
complete proof or positive knowledge that it’s
correct.
Even experts who have studied the same issue
carefully often have very different opinions
about an issue.

8. Opinions are often disputed, and in
many cases involve abstract concepts and
complex and moral issues such as right
or wrong, fairness and loyalty.
Abstract concepts, because they are not
easily understood, can never be defined
to everyones’ satisfaction.

9. EXAMPLES
•Purchasing a brand-new car is a
terrible waste of money.
•For fall color, the deep red of
the Virginia willow makes a
spectacular show in the native
Southern garden.
•Volunteers for Habitat for
Humanity are engaged in a
worthwhile activity.

10. • To check for opinions, ask
yourself,
“Does this tell a thought or feeling?”
“Would the statement be true all the
time?”
• Look for clue words such as
feel, believe, always, never, none,
most, least, best, and worst, bad,
favorite, interesting, should,
probably, smart, etc.

11. Sometimes you may feel tempted to
accept an opinion without examining
it because it agrees with your own.
This is not a good reason for
accepting an opinion. You should
consider its logic and the effects it
might have if you accept it as a good
idea.

12. Types of Opinions:
1. Positions on controversial
issues
2. Predictions about things
in the future
3. Evaluations of people,
places, and things

13. Informed
Opinions
The opinions of experts are known as informed
opinions. As experts in their field, they may make
observations and offer comments that are not strictly
factual. Instead, they are based on years of study,
research, and experience.
Example: Chimps are in massive danger of
extinction from dwindling habitats. (Jane Goodall,
primate expert and ethologist)
Questions to Identify Informed Speakers:
1. Does the speaker have a current and relevant
background to the topic under discussion?
2. Is the speaker generally respected within the
field?
3. Does the speaker carefully signal, via judgment
words, to identify when they are presenting
opinions vs. facts?

14. To sum up, opinions…
• Are often expressed with biased
words—expressing opinions,
judgments, interpretations, and
comparisons.
• Are often expressed by adjectives
• Often involve evaluations.

15. Identify Facts and Opinions
______ 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 10 seconds ago.
______ 4. We must bear greater responsibility for the
environment than our ancestors did.
______ 5. Nuclear power is the only viable solution to
our dwindling natural resources.

16. Identify Facts and Opinions
___F___ 1. Alligators provide no physical care for their
young.
___O___ 2. Humans should be concerned about the
use of pesticides that kill insects at the bottom of the
food chain.
___F___ 3. There are 28 more humans living on the
Earth now than there were 10 seconds ago.
___O___ 4. We must bear greater responsibility for the
environment than our ancestors did.
___O___ 5. Nuclear power is the only viable solution to
our dwindling natural resources.

17. Identifying facts and opinions in texts
The U.S. government has ruled that the First Amendment doesn't give
journalists the right to protect their sources. Nevertheless, press
organizations have managed to convince legislators in thirty states and
the District of Columbia to pass shield laws that afford the media varying
degrees of protection against being forced to disclose information about
their sources.
These laws vary greatly from state to state. In many states without
shield laws, state courts have recognized some form of qualified
privilege. In others, the state constitution may include "free press"
provisions, which are similar to the First Amendment and offer qualified
protection. There are several states, such as Hawaii and Wyoming,
where no privilege to protect unpublished sources or information has
been recognized by the courts or the legislature.
(Joseph Turow, Media Today, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003, p. 106)
a. fact
b. opinion
c. mix of fact and opinion

18. Identifying facts and opinions in texts
At the time when few Americans could separate fact from fantasy, the Hiss
and Rosenberg cases tarnished liberalism and fueled other loyalty
investigations. Only a conspiracy, it seemed, could explain U.S. weakness and
Soviet might. Frustrated by their unexpected failure to win the White House in
1948, Republicans eagerly exploited the country's fearful mood and abandoned
restraint in accusing the "Commiecrats" of selling out America.
No individual would inflict as many wounds on the Democrats as Republican
senator Joseph R. McCarthy of Wisconsin. Falsely claiming to be a wounded
war hero, "Tail-Gunner Joe" won a Senate seat in the 1946 Republican landslide
and promptly gained a reputation for lying and heavy drinking. His political future
in jeopardy, McCarthy decided to imitate Republicans like Richard Nixon who
had gained popularity by accusing Democrats of being "soft on communism."
(Paul S. Boyer et al., The Enduring Vision, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004, p. 838)
a. fact
b. opinion
c. mix of fact and opinion

19. Information and exercises taken from
https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/_documents/academics/suppor
t/learning-centers/writing-reading-learning-ctr-rockville/student-
resources-tech/fact-vs-opinion.pdf
http://www.laflemm.com/RfT/FactVsOpinionEx.html
http://www.auburn.edu/~murraba/fact.html