4

L • E • S • S • O • N

DISTINGUISHING
BETWEEN FACT
AND OPINION

LESSON SUMMARY
One of the most important signs of a good reader is the abil-
ity to distinguish between fact and opinion. This lesson will
show you how facts are different from opinions and why this
difference matters.

A
s you know from your own experience, sometimes it’s really
important to know when someone is telling you what they
think, not what they know. For example, let’s say your friend
wants you to come over, but you’d planned to work on your
book report.
“Don’t worry,” your friend says. “Mr. Billings is really laid back. He
won’t care if you hand it in late.”
You could be in big trouble if you assume that your friend is offering
a fact and not just his opinion.

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 –8TH GRADE READING COMPREHENSION SUCCESS–

DEFINING FACT AND OPINION ASKING QUESTIONS

A good test for whether something is fact or opinion,
Before we go any further, let’s define these two impor- then, is to ask yourself two questions:
tant terms.
Facts are: ■ Can this statement be debated?
■ things known for certain to have happened. ■ Is this something known to be true?
■ things known for certain to be true.

■ things known for certain to exist. If you can answer “Yes” to the first question, it’s
probably an opinion. If you can answer “Yes” to the sec-
Opinions, on the other hand, are: ond question, it’s probably a fact. For example, look at
■ things believed to have happened. the following sentence:
■ things believed to be true.

■ things believed to exist. Our school’s policy is that you must have a C
average in order to participate in school sports.
The key difference between fact and opinion lies
in the difference between knowing and believing. Opin- Does this topic sentence express a fact or an opin-
ions may be based on facts, but they are still what peo- ion? Well, is it debatable? Can someone disagree? Prob-
ple think and believe, not what they know. Opinions are ably not. It’s a matter of fact, something that could be
debatable; two different people could have two differ- proven by a quick visit to the principal or the athletic
ent opinions about the matter. Facts, however, are not department. On the other hand, look at the following
debatable. Two different people would have a hard time claim. (Read it carefully; it’s different from the previous
debating a fact. They might not agree on how to inter- example though it looks the same.)
pret the facts, but they would have to agree on the facts
themselves. Our school should have a policy that you must have
Consider this example: “Basketball is more excit- at least a C average to participate in school sports.
ing than football.” This statement is debatable. You
could argue that football is more exciting than basket- Now, is this something known to be true, or is this
ball, or that they’re both equally exciting, or even that something debatable? Clearly, different people can have
they’re both dreadfully boring. All of these statements different opinions on this issue. It’s an opinion.
are opinions. But “Basketball is a team sport” is not
debatable; it’s impossible to disagree with this statement. LOOKING FOR CLUES
It’s something known to be true. Thus, it’s a fact. Writers often provide clues when they are
expressing a fact or an opinion. Look at
the following passage, for example:

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 –DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION–

I think school days should be extended until There are other signal words, too. Opinions are
4:00. Many children go home after school to an often stated using words like “should,” “ought,” or “had
empty house. These “latchkey children” are better,” as in the following examples:
often alone for hours until their parents come
home from work. In fact, a recent survey in our ■ We should apologize for being rude.
school district found that more than 50% of ■ He ought to return those library books right
fourth graders are home alone for two or more away.
hours a day. ■ I had better get to school before I’m late.

Of these four sentences, three express facts and one Words that show judgment or evaluation, like
expresses an opinion. Can you tell which one is the opin- “good,”“bad,”“interesting,”and “important,”usually sig-
ion? It should be pretty easy to spot; after all, the sen- nal an opinion, too. Here are some examples:
tence begins with “I think.”Of the other three sentences,
one offers a clear clue that it is a fact. Like the opinion, ■ She is a great teacher.
it begins with a signal phrase: “In fact.” ■ This was the most significant development in
the history of science.
■ It was a fascinating film.

Words and Phrases that Often Signal Opinions

bad disappointing good important I think should

best excellent great insignificant ought terrible

boring fascinating had better interesting remarkable worst

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 –8TH GRADE READING COMPREHENSION SUCCESS–

EXERCISE 1 and opinion together in the same sentence. One of the

Questions topic sentences from Lesson 2 is a good example:
Determine whether the following sentences express a fact
or an opinion. Write F for fact or O for opinion before Wilma Rudolph, the crippled child who became
each sentence. an Olympic running champion, is an inspiration
for us all.
____ 1. People should spend less time on the
Internet and more time with one another. The first part of the sentence, “Wilma Rudolph, the
____ 2. The Internet allows people to communi- crippled child who became an Olympic running cham-
cate with friends and strangers all around pion,” is a fact. Rudolph was crippled by polio as a child,
the world. and she did win medals in the 1956 and 1960 Olympics.
But the second part of the sentence—that she “is an inspi-
____ 3. There ought to be better rules for protect- ration for us all”—is an opinion. It’s probably not an
ing children on the Internet. opinion that many people would disagree with, but
____ 4. The Internet is an amazing research tool. someone could argue that Rudolph is not an inspiration.
Thus, it’s an opinion. Here’s another example:
____ 5. Billie Jean King is a good role model.

____ 6. Many children look up to top entertainers Winston was an absolute genius, but he died
and athletes as role models. without any recognition or reward for his
accomplishments.
____ 7. Only a handful of entertainers and athletes
are good role models. Here, the first part of the sentence expresses an
____ 8. Many professional athletes earn millions opinion, while the second part expresses a fact.
of dollars each year.
FACT AND OPINION WORKING TOGETHER
____ 9. Many professional athletes are grossly People have opinions about everything and anything.
overpaid. But some opinions are more reasonable than others. A
reasonable opinion is one that is supported by relevant
facts. That’s what most writing is all about. Writers make
WHEN FACTS AND OPINIONS claims about their subjects, and those claims are often
ARE MIXED TOGETHER opinions. Then they offer facts to support those opin-
ions. The Wilma Rudolph passage is a perfect example.
It’s usually easy to determine whether something is fact The writer begins by offering her opinion—that Rudolph
or opinion when it stands alone as in the sentences is an inspiration. Then she lists the facts of Rudolph’s
above. But what about when you’re looking at a whole life as evidence that Rudolph is an amazing woman.
paragraph or a whole page? Unless you’re reading a sci- Good writers offer support for their opinions because
entific or technical manual, you’ll usually find a combi- they know that opinions are debatable. They know readers
nation of facts and opinions. In fact, you’ll often find fact will want to see whywriters think what they do.Most of their

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evidence will come in the form of facts. Of course, this does- unsupported opinions. The opinions are debatable
n’t mean that readers will agree with the writer’s opinion. because they state what the author thinks is true, not
But an opinion supported by facts is much stronger than what the author knows to be true.
an opinion that stands alone or that is supported only by
other opinions. For example, read the two paragraphs
below. In one, the writer supports her opinion with facts. IDENTIFYING SPECIFIC
In the other, she does not. Which paragraph is stronger? FACTS AND DETAILS

Many people are scared of snakes, but they In your classes and on your tests, you’ll often be expected
shouldn’t be. Snakes have an unfair reputation to identify and recall specific facts and details from what
as dangerous animals. People think snakes are you read. For the passage about snakes, for example, you
poisonous, have big fangs, and have slimy skin. might be asked a question like the following:
They shouldn’t feel that way about snakes. Snakes
ought to have a better reputation because they How many species of snakes are there worldwide?
make great pets and are some of the most inter- a. between 1,000 and 2,000
esting creatures around. The people who are b. less than 100
scared of snakes had better learn more about c. less than 25,000
these reptiles. Snakes aren’t dangerous at all. d. more than 2,500

Many people are scared of snakes, but most There are several numbers in this passage, and if
snakes aren’t as dangerous as people think they you didn’t read carefully, you could easily choose the
are. There are more than 2,500 different species wrong answer. The correct answer is (d), more than
of snakes around the world, and only a small per- 2,500. This fact is clearly stated in the second sentence.
centage of those species are poisonous. Only a How do you identify specific facts and details quickly
few species have venom strong enough to actu- and accurately, especially when you’re reading a passage
ally kill a human being. Statistically, snakes bite that’s several paragraphs long? You can’t be expected to
only 1,000–2,000 people in the United States remember every detail. But you can be expected to know
each year, and only ten of those bites (that’s less where and how to find specific facts and details.
than 1%!) result in death. If you think about it, For example, in the question just mentioned, the
lots of other animals are far more dangerous than key word that will help you find the exact information
snakes. In fact, in this country, more people die you need is “species.”If you scan the second snakes para-
from dog bites each year than from snakes. graph for numbers, you can quickly identify the correct
answer by finding the sentence with both a number and
Why is the second paragraph so much better than the word “species.”
the first? Because the second paragraph offers you more In addition, you can use the structure of the
than just opinions. It offers opinions supported by spe- paragraph to help you find your answer. If you read care-
cific facts and examples. The first paragraph, on the other fully, you probably noticed that the paragraph talked
hand, opens with a fact but then offers several more first about species, then venom, and then bites. Thus

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 –8TH GRADE READING COMPREHENSION SUCCESS–

you can use your understanding of the structure to guide man who submitted the winning design, Eero
you to the correct answer. (This paragraph follows a pat- Saarinen, later became a famous architect. In
tern that you’ll learn more about in the next section: designing the Arch, Saarinen wanted to “create
moving from general to specific information.) a monument which would have lasting signifi-
cance and would be a landmark of our time.”
The Gateway Arch is a masterpiece of engi-
To find specific facts and details, you can use neering, a monument even taller than the Great
two guidelines: Pyramid in Egypt. In its own way, the Arch is at least
as majestic as the Great Pyramid. The Gateway is
1. Look for key words in the question that you shaped as an inverted catenary curve, the same
can locate in the passage. shape that a heavy chain will form if suspended
2. Think about the structure of the passage between two points. Covered with a sleek skin of
and where that information is likely to be stainless steel, the Arch often reflects dazzling
located. bursts of sunlight. In a beautiful display of sym-
metry, the height of the arch is the same as the dis-
tance between the legs at ground level.
EXERCISE 2
This exercise, which features a longer passage, will give Questions
you a chance to practice all of the skills you learned in Read the following questions. Circle the letter of the
this lesson. Read the passage carefully (don’t forget your answer you think is correct.
active reading strategies) and then answer the questions
1. “The skyline of St. Louis, Missouri, is fairly
that follow.
unremarkable” is
a. a fact.
The Gateway Arch b. an opinion.
The skyline of St. Louis, Missouri, is fairly unre-
markable, with one huge exception—the Gate- 2. Saarinen’s winning design was
way Arch, which stands on the banks of the Mis- a. modeled after other U.S. monuments.
sissippi. Part of the Jefferson National Expansion b. unlike any other monument.
Memorial, the Arch is an amazing structure built c. part of a series of monuments.
d. less expensive to construct than other monu-
to honor St. Louis’ role as the gateway to the West.
ments.
In 1947 a group of interested citizens known
as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial 3. The sentence “The Gateway Arch is a masterpiece
Association held a nationwide competition to of engineering, a monument even taller than the
select a design for a new monument that would Great Pyramid in Egypt” follows which pattern?
celebrate the growth of the United States. Other a. fact/fact
U.S. monuments are spires, statues, or imposing b. fact/opinion
buildings, but the winner of this contest was a plan c. opinion/fact
for a completely different type of structure. The d. opinion/opinion

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4. The Gateway Arch is shaped like LESSON SUMMARY

a. a rainbow.
b. a rectangle. Facts are things that are known to be true. Opinions, on
c. a pyramid. the other hand, are things that are believed to be true.
d. a square. To distinguish between fact and opinion, determine
whether the claim is debatable or not. If it is debatable,
it is probably an opinion. Good writers often support
their opinions with facts; this makes their opinions
more reasonable. To identify specific facts in a passage,
use key words and structure as your guides.

Skill Building until Next Time

1. Listen to what people say today. For example, make a list of statements that are made on a local
or national news program. Do the reporters state facts or opinions? When they state opinions,
do they support them?
2. Practice turning facts into opinions and opinions into facts. For example, turn the fact “Today is
Wednesday” into an opinion, such as “Wednesday is the best day of the week.” (Then you could
support that opinion by offering support: “Wednesday is the best day of the week because that’s
when I have music lessons.”)

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