1.4 Facts and opinions
1.4.1 Fact or opinion? (1)
Some of the texts you read at university will be factual, others will be more opinion-based and some will be a mixture of facts and opinions. An important aspect of critical reading is to be able to distinguish between facts and opinions because opinions are not reliable unless supported by references to other writers, research or evidence.
A fact is something that everyone knows is true – there is no argument. On the other hand, an opinion is a viewpoint that other people might not share; they might argue about it.
The next activity helps you to discriminate between facts and opinions in Text 3.
Activity 4 Part 1
Task 1
Read the following statements. Which are facts and which are opinions? Choose Fact or Opinion for each statement.
1. Water boils at 100 °C.
a.
Fact
b.
Opinion
The correct answer is a.
2. Overweight people are lazy.
a.
Fact
b.
Opinion
The correct answer is b.
3. The Earth is a sphere.
a.
Fact
b.
Opinion
The correct answer is a.
4. It snows a lot in Canada in the winter.
a.
Fact
b.
Opinion
The correct answer is a.
5. A vegan diet will damage your health.
a.
Fact
b.
Opinion
The correct answer is b.