Grade 11

English A
Lesson 2: Comprehension
Skill Building: Distinguishing Fact from Opinion
Objective: For students to be able to distinguish facts from
opinions

2020-09-10 Ms. R. Sanchara

 Fact and opinion
• In many pieces of writing, evidence is presented as facts.
• These facts or pieces of evidence can be tested for their truth.
• They can be verified.
For example, you can observe an incident as an eyewitness and report the actual
occurrence.
• An opinion is a feeling, a belief, or a judgement about something.
• An opinion may not necessarily be true. However, it can be supported by facts.

It is always important to distinguish a fact from an opinion

Distinguishing fact from opinion
You may verify facts through

a. Documentary evidence (books, magazine, journals)

b. Expert opinion

c. Personal observation

d. Research
Here is a list of words and phrases which indicate that a
statement is likely to be an opinion:

• Believe • Think • It is likely/unlikely

• Probably • May • It seems as though
• Possibly
• Chances are • It appears that
• Apparently
• In the writer’s • Should
• Indications are
opinion
• Judgement or view
Example: Statements of fact
Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids, found in abundance in fish like
tuna, salmon and sardines, can help lower the risk of heart disease, ease the
pain of arthritis, reduce asthma complications and is essential in the growth
and development of young children. Research conducted at Oxford
University tested40 school children with dyslexia and other learning problems
and found that eating fish oils improved their ability to concentrate and made
them significantly more well-behaved.
Comment:
This paragraph contains only statements of cats based on research.
Omega-3 is found in fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines. It reduces health
risks. It improves children’s concentration and general behaviour.
 Example: Statements of opinion
After many years of intense effort to protect the environment, it is strikingly
clear that very little progress has been made. It seems obvious that the sense
of unease has become greater over a fairly long period of time. the most
recent alarms by conservationists suggest that the world is in extreme peril.
They project that the earth will become warmer, the polar caps will melt, sea
levels will rise and fertile areas of land may become deserts. For the average
person, it is difficult to understand what may really happen, and why.
Comment:
In this paragraph, opinion words are used. The statements are not supported
by evidence. Words and expressions such as strikingly, fairly, sense of unease,
little effort, extreme, may, seems all indicate the writer’s personal view.