Fact and Opinion 3

การที่จะระบุหรือแยกแยะได้ว่าอะไรคือข้อเท็จจริง (fact) อะไรคือความคิดเห็น (opinion)  หรือจินตนาการ  (imagination)  ของผู้เขียนจากข้อความ  ที่อ่านให้เห็นอย่างชัดเจนนั้นมักจะทำไม่ค่อยจะได้ง่าย ๆ  มีข้อสังเกตพอสรุปได้ดังนี้

          ข้อเท็จจริง  (fact) เป็นสิ่งที่สามารถตรวจสอบหรือพิสูจน์หาความจริงได้ เช่น จากการสังเกตโดยตรงจากพฤติกรรมของบุคคลต่างๆ จากการตรวจสอบหลักฐานทางประวัติศาสตร์หรือจากผลข้อมูลทางวิทยาศาสตร์

          ความคิดเห็น (opinions) มักจะเป็นประโยคจึงแสดงถึงความเชื่อ การตัดสินใจหรือความรู้สึกของบุคคลที่มีต่อสิ่งต่าง ๆ ซึ่งบางครั้งความคิดเห็นจะสามารถยกออกได้ง่าย เนื่องจากจะมีคำที่มาขยายประโยคเช่น as an opinion feel, according to the author, consider, assume, judge and in my opinion

• ข้อเท็จจริง  (fact)

• ความคิดเห็น (opinions)

ตัวอย่าง เช่น

1) The Daily Informer officially announces its support of Rosa Miranda for governor.2) Her record as major during the past four years has been excellent. 3) She has shown determination, good judgment, and a concern for people. 4) Last year she backed a bill for additional health services. 5) This state needs a governor who will take a stand on the issues. 6) Rosa Miranda has shown this courage by always speaking her mind.

Which Statements are

    Fact: 

• 1, 4

• 2,5

• 3,5

ตัวอย่าง เช่น

1) The Daily Informer officially announces its support of Rosa Miranda for governor.2) Her record as major during the past four years has been excellent. 3) She has shown determination, good judgment, and a concern for people. 4) Last year she backed a bill for additional health services. 5) This state needs a governor who will take a stand on the issues. 6) Rosa Miranda has shown this courage by always speaking her mind.

Which Statements are

       Opinion:

• 1, 2,4

• 2,3,5,6

• 3,5

It was almost Halloween, and Maria still hadn’t thought of a costume. Her sister Louisa was going as a hot dog, and Maria thought that was the best idea ever. Louisa always took Maria trick-or-treating, and they always had costumes that went together. But this year, Louisa had been too busy with her friends to help Maria with a costume. Maria didn’t know what to do. Maria was looking in some magazines for costume ideas when her mom asked her to go with her to the grocery store. At the store, in the Halloween candy aisle, Maria saw a tall, pointed red hat that gave her a great idea. The hat only cost two dollars, so Maria’s mom bought it for her. Maria skipped all the way to the car. She had a costume! She was going to be…KETCHUP!

1. Maria thought Louisa’s costume was great.         

• fact                

• opinion

It was almost Halloween, and Maria still hadn’t thought of a costume. Her sister Louisa was going as a hot dog, and Maria thought that was the best idea ever. Louisa always took Maria trick-or-treating, and they always had costumes that went together. But this year, Louisa had been too busy with her friends to help Maria with a costume. Maria didn’t know what to do. Maria was looking in some magazines for costume ideas when her mom asked her to go with her to the grocery store. At the store, in the Halloween candy aisle, Maria saw a tall, pointed red hat that gave her a great idea. The hat only cost two dollars, so Maria’s mom bought it for her. Maria skipped all the way to the car. She had a costume! She was going to be…KETCHUP!

2. Louisa’s costume was a hot dog.                               

• fact                

• opinion

It was almost Halloween, and Maria still hadn’t thought of a costume. Her sister Louisa was going as a hot dog, and Maria thought that was the best idea ever. Louisa always took Maria trick-or-treating, and they always had costumes that went together. But this year, Louisa had been too busy with her friends to help Maria with a costume. Maria didn’t know what to do. Maria was looking in some magazines for costume ideas when her mom asked her to go with her to the grocery store. At the store, in the Halloween candy aisle, Maria saw a tall, pointed red hat that gave her a great idea. The hat only cost two dollars, so Maria’s mom bought it for her. Maria skipped all the way to the car. She had a costume! She was going to be…KETCHUP!

3. Louisa had been too busy to help Maria.                        

• fact                

• opinion

It was almost Halloween, and Maria still hadn’t thought of a costume. Her sister Louisa was going as a hot dog, and Maria thought that was the best idea ever. Louisa always took Maria trick-or-treating, and they always had costumes that went together. But this year, Louisa had been too busy with her friends to help Maria with a costume. Maria didn’t know what to do. Maria was looking in some magazines for costume ideas when her mom asked her to go with her to the grocery store. At the store, in the Halloween candy aisle, Maria saw a tall, pointed red hat that gave her a great idea. The hat only cost two dollars, so Maria’s mom bought it for her. Maria skipped all the way to the car. She had a costume! She was going to be…KETCHUP!

4. Maria was happy about her costume idea.         

• fact                

• opinion

It was almost Halloween, and Maria still hadn’t thought of a costume. Her sister Louisa was going as a hot dog, and Maria thought that was the best idea ever. Louisa always took Maria trick-or-treating, and they always had costumes that went together. But this year, Louisa had been too busy with her friends to help Maria with a costume. Maria didn’t know what to do. Maria was looking in some magazines for costume ideas when her mom asked her to go with her to the grocery store. At the store, in the Halloween candy aisle, Maria saw a tall, pointed red hat that gave her a great idea. The hat only cost two dollars, so Maria’s mom bought it for her. Maria skipped all the way to the car. She had a costume! She was going to be…KETCHUP!

5. The red hat cost two dollars.                                               

• fact                

• opinion

Jack lives in a small town in Australia. The closest big city is an hour’s

drive away. Jack looks forward to going to the city because when they drive

through the countryside they almost always see kangaroos. Sometimes

they even see a baby kangaroo riding in its mother’s pouch.

            Jack knows all about kangaroos. A baby is called a joey, a mother is

called a doe, and a father is called a boomer. A group of kangaroos is

called a mob.

            Once, Jack saw a kangaroo jump about three times its height. It was

an amazing sight! He knows that when kangaroos are hopping along at

high speed, they can go as fast as 40 miles per hour.

            Jack also knows that even though kangaroos are fun to look at, you

wouldn’t want to try to pet one. If a kangaroo thinks it is in danger, it just

might lean back on its big tail and kick you with its back feet.

6. Jack lives an hour’s drive away from the city.     

• fact                

• opinion

Jack lives in a small town in Australia. The closest big city is an hour’s

drive away. Jack looks forward to going to the city because when they drive

through the countryside they almost always see kangaroos. Sometimes

they even see a baby kangaroo riding in its mother’s pouch.

            Jack knows all about kangaroos. A baby is called a joey, a mother is

called a doe, and a father is called a boomer. A group of kangaroos is

called a mob.

            Once, Jack saw a kangaroo jump about three times its height. It was

an amazing sight! He knows that when kangaroos are hopping along at

high speed, they can go as fast as 40 miles per hour.

            Jack also knows that even though kangaroos are fun to look at, you

wouldn’t want to try to pet one. If a kangaroo thinks it is in danger, it just

might lean back on its big tail and kick you with its back feet.

7. Jack likes when his family drives to the city.

• fact                

• opinion