ING114_28_FACTS OR ASSUMPTIONS

FACTS OR ASSUMPTIONS

by Angelica Rubín

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN FACTS AND ASSUMPTIONS

​Fact - the assertion or statement of a thing done or existing; Assumption - the act of taking for granted, or supposing a thing without proof; Observation - the act or the faculty of observing or taking notice; the act of seeing, or of fixing the mind upon, anything. Hypothesis - something not proved, but assumed for the purpose of argument, or to account for a fact or an occurrence

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​R&W PAGE 138

​Here is an example:

​My client was 20 minutes late - a directly observed event - fact; I feel disappointed - a statement about your own feelings and thoughts - fact; He looked calm and relaxed when he came in - a comment about another person - observation; He is being passive-aggressive towards me - a remark about other people's alleged feelings - assumption; He does not trust my therapeutic skills- a combination of an assumption and an observations - hypothesis.

Multiple Choice

Read National hero again. Which of these sentences are assumptions and

which are facts? How do you know? Discuss your answers with a partner.

1 Scott didn’t plan to race to the South Pole.

• FACT

• ASSUMPTION

Multiple Choice

Read National hero again. Which of these sentences are assumptions and

which are facts? How do you know? Discuss your answers with a partner.

2 Scott did not plan the trip well.

• FACT

• ASSUMPTION

Multiple Choice

Read National hero again. Which of these sentences are assumptions and

which are facts? How do you know? Discuss your answers with a partner.

3 Robert Peary and Frederick Cook didn’t reach the North Pole.

• FACT

• ASSUMPTION

Multiple Choice

Read National hero again. Which of these sentences are assumptions and

which are facts? How do you know? Discuss your answers with a partner.

4 The failure of Scott’s expedition was due to bad luck.

• FACT

• ASSUMPTION

Multiple Choice

Read National hero again. Which of these sentences are assumptions and

which are facts? How do you know? Discuss your answers with a partner.

5 Scott’s expedition brought back many items for scientists to study.

• FACT

• ASSUMPTION

Multiple Choice

Read National hero again. Which of these sentences are assumptions and

which are facts? How do you know? Discuss your answers with a partner.

6 Scott’s scientific aims stopped him being the first to the South Pole.

• FACT

• ASSUMPTION

Poll

E Critical thinking

1 Do you agree that Scott was a hero? Why / why not?

• Scott was probably considered a hero because …

• I disagree. I don’t think he was a hero because …

​Why do you think the expedition and its discoveries were thought to be

so important?

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The expedition was probably so important because …