Facts & Opinions - TRS501 - Interclass

Fact & Opinion

1. The cheetah is the animal capable of the
fastest speeds on land.

2. It seems to me that Spanish is an easier
language to learn than English.

Which is a fact and which is an opinion?

Fact & Opinion

1. The cheetah is the animal capable of the fastest
speeds on land.

=> fact

Fact: something that is:
+ generally accepted as true
+ known to have happened or to exist
+ can be proven true or false

Fact & Opinion

2. It seems to me that Spanish is an easier
language to learn than English.

=> opinion

Opinion:
+ expresses the speaker’s feelings, attitudes,
or beliefs

Why shouldwe distinguish Factsfrom Opinions?

The Tim Hortons chain of doughnut and coffee shops was founded
in 1964 by former hockey player Tim Horton. Before going into
business, Tim Horton had played hockey for the Toronto Maple
Leafs. Tim Horton died in a car accident in 1974.

=> fact
=> biographical data that can be confirmed by various sources.

Why should we distinguish Facts from Opinions?

●Often you will see information presented as fact, but you may
wonder whether it is true or whether there is any evidence.

1. With twice as many outlets as McDonald’s, Tim Hortons is the
leading fast-food outlet in Canada.
2. Tim Hortons coffee is the most popular brand in Canada.

=> these statements may or may not be true.
=> you should check to see whether the author has enough evidence
to support his or her statement.

Why should we distinguish Facts from Opinions?

●Does the author present any statistical evidence?

●Could the author be biased in some way?

Always ask yourself:

●How do I know?

●What evidence is the author giving me to make me believe this?

Think about where you found your information.

●Can you trust the article?

●Is your source peer-reviewed? Or is your information from a non-academic source,
such as a magazine or website?

●If your source is a website, consider who is responsible for the website. Is it
reliable?

=> If you are in doubt, double-check your information by searching for it in an
academic publication.

Why should we distinguish Facts from Opinions?

The following sentences all express opinions.

●I think Tim Horton was a great business leader.

●The coffee at Tim Hortons is better than the coffee at many more
expensive places.

●Tim Hortons should focus more on healthy foods and less on
sugary doughnuts.

●If Tim Hortons expanded more in Europe, the company could be
very successful.

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FACTS

EXAMPLES

Objective language

Factual (objective): The Kryts language of Azerbaijan is not widely
spoken.
Non-factual (subjective): The Kryts language of Azerbaijan is
strange and mysterious.

Neutral verbs

Factual: English is descended from an ancient language called
Proto-Indo-European.
Less factual: English might be descended/could possibly have
been descended from an ancient language called
Proto-Indo-European.

Proved and
demonstrated

The experiment has demonstrated…
According to the findings, it is clear that…
The results confirm…
The data firmly indicates…
Researchers have recently discovered…

OPINIONS

EXAMPLES

Obvious signals

In my opinion,...
I think,...
In Moldenstein’s (1844) view…

Use subjective
(qualitative) adjectives and
adverbs.

Adjectives: good, brilliant, important, weak
Adverbs: disturbingly, helpfully, cleanly, well

Use verbs that indicate
subjective relationships

The New York Yankees crushed the Detroit Tigers.
The government claims…
Chan (2011) argues that…
It is generally agreed that…
Most experts suspect…

Context:
Fact: Amounts of lead (Pb) as small as 6 micrograms are enough to cause brain damage.
Opinion: Government regulations are not enough to protect us from lead (Pb) poisoning.

Multiple Choice

Colleges and universities rely on tuition fees to fund teaching and research.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

Diamonds are the hardest substance on Earth.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

International students should not pay higher tuition fees than domestic students.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

McDonalds sells more hamburgers than any other restaurant chain in the world.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

According to the survey, 32% of voters make up their minds in the half hour before they actually vote.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

In my opinion, the Internet is forcing us to change our daily habits.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

The data firmly indicates that the waters are derived from deep within the earth.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

The television show The Simpsons is just not as funny as it used to be.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

Governments have not done enough to limit the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

• Fact

• Opinion