Fact or Opinion?
Much of what you read in newspapers or magazines is a mix of factual information and the opinions of the author. Often the opinions are disguised as fact, to make the author's argument seem more believable. For example:

"Registration and control of firearms in Canada is not supported by the Canadian public, and will not lead to a decrease in gun-related crime."

The statement in red is a fact.
(Notice, though, that even 'facts' can be misleading if not explained. What does 'supported' mean? The implication is that most people don't support gun control, but the actual figures indicate about a 50-50 split.)

The statement in blue is an opinion.
It is obviously a conclusion, since we don't know what is going to happen.

There is nothing wrong with mixing opinions and fact together in an argument, of course ... it's done all the time. What is important is that the reader be able to distinguish the fact from the opinion, in order to make a sound judgment about the information they are receiving!

The exercise on this page will help you to recognize facts and distinguish them from opinions. First: some definitions.

A statement of fact expresses only what actually happened, or what could be proven by objective data.

A statement of opinion expresses an attitude toward something – it makes a judgment, view, or conclusion, or gives an opinion that cannot be proven true or false.

Study the following groups of statements. In each case, identify the underlined portion as fact or opinion.
  1. More and more women are deciding to give birth to their children at home. A hospital, after all, is not the best place for a baby to be born.

    Fact or opinion?    1.


  2. More and more women are deciding to give birth to their children at home. A hospital, after all, is not the best place for a baby to be born.

    Fact or opinion?    2.


  3. B. J. Vukovich, author of Claws, the best-written novel of the disaster genre, will speak at tonight’s “How I Became An Author” meeting.

    Fact or opinion?    3.


  4. Philip Luttgen, satirical columnist for the Daily Views, will give a rebuttal entitled “What Is An Author?”

    Fact or opinion?    4.


  5. The national coal strike, now into its seventh week, has caused untold hardships on the miners, their families, and the rest of the winter-weary nation.

    Fact or opinion?    5.


  6. Janet Guthrie, world famous auto racer, was the least nervous driver at the Indy 500.

    Fact or opinion?    6.


  7. Once the cavity reaches the dentin (the hard, dense, bone-like material that composes the principal mass of the tooth), it must be cleaned and filled. Some researchers, however, are beginning to question whether periodic cleaning and checking of the enamel (the calcareous substance that forms a thin layer capping the teeth) plays a significant role in preventing tooth decay.

    Fact or opinion?    7.


  8. Once the cavity reaches the dentin (the hard, dense, bone-like material that composes the principal mass of the tooth), it must be cleaned and filled. Some researchers, however, are beginning to question whether periodic cleaning and checking of the enamel (the calcareous substance that forms a thin layer capping the teeth) plays a significant role in preventing tooth decay.

    Fact or opinion?    8.


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  1. Fact
  2. Opinion
  3. Opinion
  4. Fact
  5. Fact
  6. Opinion
  7. Fact
  8. Fact

How did you do? Do you understand why the answers are this way? Watch for examples of opinion masquerading as fact, in newspapers and magazines. Sometimes even in high school textbooks!


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