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

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

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.

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

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!

When you’re writing…. Remember:

Facts are often used to support opinions

Good opinions are based on facts, but they are still opinions