Differentiating Fact from Opinion

1. Differentiating Fact from Opinion

2. A Fact is…. • An event or thing known to have happened or existed • A truth verifiable (can prove it) from experience or observation • Are scientific hypotheses (theories) facts?

3. Examples of Facts • The moon orbits the Earth. • The Earth is round. • My favorite color is blue.

4. An Opinion is… • A personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty.

5. Examples of Opinions • Economics is an interesting course. • Climate change is as dangerous as some suggest. • Winning the war in_________ is possible. • The United States should be participating in the rebuilding of _______.

6. Political Ads…. • X voted for spending $10 million on the stimulus. • Y voted for the government take-over of health care. • Z should listen to women voters and do the right thing.

7. Easy….right?? • In academic writing, though, authors often make their opinions sound like fact (since they are writing in the third person). • They are STILL opinions, though!

8. Even though there are nay-sayers, global warming is a truly essential topic for the next Congressional session. • Clearly, the war in Iraq is worth fighting and worth winning. If the United States removes its troops now, the war would stand in the loss column.

9. Wal-Mart exhibits unfair labor practices in connection with its relationships with unions. • Obama-care will ruin our nation and send our national deficit spiraling out of control.

10. Why Does This Help When Reading? • When reading… • Detect the author’s opinion on a topic • Keep it separate from the facts that he or she is reporting on.

11. When Writing • Be sure to employ the strong writing tactics of making your own opinions sound like facts. • That will make your own writing more believable. • Andrew Carnegie was a robber-baron, not a philanthropist. • Women should have equal access to voting.

12. Good readers….. • Read actively to seek the FACTS in a text. • Read actively to seek the OPNIONS in a text.