Determining Facts vs. Opinion in a Text

Determining Facts vs. Opinion in a Text

This lesson will explain how to distinguish between fact and opinion. We'll define the two terms, learn how to determine whether a statement is a fact or an opinion, and practice this skill.

Fact or Opinion?

'There!' your friend announced, jabbing her finger into her book. 'Now that's a fact!' You look over her shoulder to see what she's pointing at and snort. 'That's no fact,' you reply. 'It's just the author's opinion.' Your friend glares at you, 'No way! It's right there in print. See? Dogs do make better pets than cats!' You groan. 'Just because it's written in a book, doesn't make it a fact,' you inform your friend.

Who's right, you or your friend? You are - and this lesson will explain why.

Let's begin by defining fact vs. opinion.

A fact is a provable statement. It can be shown to be true or false without any doubt, usually through some indisputable evidence, like a measurement or an observation. For instance, it is a proven fact that the Civil War occurred from 1861-1865. You can look it up in any history book and find the same dates.

An opinion, on the other hand, expresses a personal belief, idea, or feeling that is not provable. Often, authors present good evidence to support their opinions, and you may even be convinced that they are true, but you still can't prove it definitively. You might think, for example, that Robert E. Lee was the greatest general in the Civil War, and you might present some good reasons to defend your idea, but you can't prove it beyond a doubt. Someone else might say the same about Ulysses S. Grant and also offer convincing evidence in support.

Determining Fact vs. Opinion

Based on these definitions, you can ask yourself two questions to help you determine whether a statement is a fact or an opinion:

1. Can the statement be proven true or false?
2. Does this statement express an author's personal belief, idea, or feeling about a topic?

Let's return to your friend's statement from earlier, 'Dogs make better pets than cats,' and put your critical thinking skills to work. Can this statement be proven true or false? How would you do that? If you surveyed every pet owner in the country you would get lots of different answers. Some people might even say pigs make better pets than either cats or dogs! You might try to conduct a scientific study to answer the question, but you would have to define what makes a better pet and show that cats or dogs always exhibit those characteristics. It would simply be impossible. The statement is not a fact.

Now let's look at the second question. Does this statement express a personal belief, idea, or feeling? Yes, it does. The author might have a favorite pet dog, be allergic to cats, or just like dogs more. He might even have some good reasons why he thinks this way, but his statement is still an opinion.

More Practice

Let's practice distinguishing between fact and opinion with a few more statements. Remember to use the two questions:

• George Washington was the first president of the United States.

That's a fact! You can look up the answer in a history book or encyclopedia.

• George Washington was an honorable man, and the best president this country has ever had.

This is an opinion that can't be proven. The author might have good reasons for saying so, but someone else might think Abraham Lincoln would be a better choice. There's no way to interview either of the authors to find out for sure.

1. Siberian tigers can weigh over 700 pounds and reach lengths of more 10 feet from nose to tail.

That's a fact! You can look it up in many reputable sources because scientists have actually measured tigers.

2. Siberian tigers are the most beautiful animals in the world.

Even though you might agree, other people might not. Perhaps someone likes giraffes better or maybe elephants. There is no way to measure or prove this statement. Therefore, it is an opinion.

Lesson Summary

Let's review. A fact is a provable statement that can be shown to be true or false without any doubt. An opinion expresses a personal belief, idea, or feeling and is not provable.

Based on these definitions, you can ask yourself two questions to help you determine whether a statement is a fact or an opinion:

1. Is this statement provable either true or false? If so, it is a fact.
2. Does this statement express an author's personal belief, idea, or feeling about a topic? If so, it is an opinion.