English A

Ms. Mathura
Fact and Opinion
• A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false.
• An opinion is an expression of a person’s feelings that cannot
be proven. Opinions can be based on facts or emotions and
sometimes they are meant to deliberately mislead others.
• Therefore, it is important to be aware of the author’s purpose
and choice of language. Sometimes, the author lets the facts
speak for themselves.
Examples
• The following is an example of a fact:
• With fewer cars on the road, there would be less air pollution
and traffic noise; therefore, the use of mass transportation
should be encouraged.
Example 2
• Sometimes the author may use descriptive language to appeal
to your emotions and sway your thinking. The following is an
example of an opinion:
• Do you like looking at a smoggy view from a congested
highway? How do you feel about fighting road hugs and
bumper to bumper traffic everyday? Mass transportation is
the solution to all these problems
Fact and Opinion Continued
• Emotional language is neither right nor wrong, but the way in
which it is used can be positive or negative; it is up to you to
make reasonable judgment about the material you are reading
and to draw your own conclusion
• Therefore, when you read, it is important to judge facts and
opinions carefully in order to come to the right conclusion. Ask
yourself, “are the facts reliable?” or “are the opinions based
on the facts?”
Signal Words for Facts
• FACT
• ● The annual report confirms…
• ● Scientists have recently discovered…
• ● According to the results of the tests…
• ● The investigation demonstrated…

• A writer may use factual statements to support his or her

opinions. Opinion statements may occur even in what seems
to be strictly factual material. A reader should look for words
that are clues to statements of opinion.
Signal Words for Opinions
• OPINION
• ● He claimed that…
• ● It is the officer’s view that…
• ● The report argues that…
• ● Many scientists suspect that…

• As we can see from the above examples, the language used to

introduce a statement can be helpful in indicating whether it is
being framed as a fact or an opinion.
• It is important for students to understand too that things are
not always as they appear to be. At times, writers, whether
consciously or not, will frame opinion as fact and vice versa.
This is why it is important that students develop a clear
understanding of what constitutes fact and opinion and are
afforded ample opportunities to practice distinguishing
between the two.
‘Context’
• Context is the circumstances surrounding an event, statement, or
idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood. Facts and
opinions must be placed in context to draw conclusions from.

• For example, a young boy who tells his mother “I ate a truckload of
sweets at the party last night” needs to be placed in the context of
his age, and audience.

• We can confidently infer he never actually ate a real truckload of

sweets, but we can reasonably appreciate he ate a lot of them and
wanted to emphasise that point.

• His mother might ask a clarifying question to turn that opinion into
a hard fact.
Identifying Bias
• One reason it is so important for our students to learn to
differentiate between fact and opinion is that this ability is a
stepping stone to detecting bias in a text. Students begin to
evaluate a text for bias by first identifying how much of the text is
fact-based and how much is based on opinion.

• Once this is done, students must then analyse whether the

opinions expressed in the text are biased by considering whether
the writer has:

•● Provided incomplete information

• ● Intentionally ignored or left out information to persuade the

reader

• ● Allowed their own personal experiences to cloud any sense of

objectivity.
Exercise
Subject Verb Agreement
• If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too.
Example: She writes every day.
• They write every day.
Exception: When using the singular "they," use plural verb
forms.

• Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their

job. They are currently in a managerial role at the
organization.
• If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Example: They write every day.
• When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more
nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.
Example: The doctoral student and the committee
members write every day.
• Example: The percentage of employees who called in sick and the
number of employees who left their jobs within 2
years are reflective of the level of job satisfaction.

• When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs
throughout the sentence must agree with the subject.
Example: Interviews are one way to collect data
and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of
participants.
• Example: An assumption is something that is generally accepted as
true and is an important consideration when conducting a doctoral
study.
• When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb,
remember that the verb still agrees with the subject, not the
noun or pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the
sentence.
• Example: The student, as well as the committee
members, is excited.
• Example: The student with all the master’s degrees is very
motivated.
• Example: Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage
classroom participation include using small groups and
clarifying expectations.
• When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected
by "or" or "nor," use a singular verb.
• Example: The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal
before proceeding.

• When a compound subject contains both a singular and a

plural noun or pronoun joined by "or" or "nor," the verb
should agree with the part of the subject that is closest to the
verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.
• Example: The student or the committee members write every
day.
• Example: The committee members or the
student writes every day.
• The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either," "neither,"
"everyone," "everybody," "anyone," "anybody," "nobody,"
"somebody," "someone," and "no one" are singular and
require a singular verb. Example: Each of the
participants was willing to be recorded.
• Example: Neither alternative hypothesis was accepted.
• Example: I will offer a $5 gift card
to everybody who participates in the study.
• Example: No one was available to meet with me at the
preferred times.
•
• Noncount nouns take a singular verb. Example: Education is the
key to success.
• Example: Diabetes affects many people around the world.
• Example: The information obtained from the business
owners was relevant to include in the study.
• Example: The research I found on the topic was limited.

• Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds,

surroundings, proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a plural
form and take a plural verb. Example: The earnings for this
quarter exceed expectations.
• Example: The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless
population in the city.
• Example: Locally produced goods have the advantage of shorter
supply chains
• In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the
subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not the subject, the
verb agrees with what follows the verb.
Example: There is little administrative support.
• Example: There are many factors affecting teacher retention.

• Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person
but are considered singular and take a singular verb. Some
examples are "group," "team," "committee," "family," and
"class.“ Example: The group meets every week.
• Example: The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.