Spotting Facts and Opinions
Tell the difference between a statement of fact (something anyone can check) and a statement of opinion (what someone thinks or feels), and start noticing which is which in simple books, adverts and conversations
What a learner can do afterwards
- Sort simple statements into facts and opinions (e.g. 'spiders have eight legs' vs 'spiders are scary')
- Explain how a fact could be checked (e.g. by counting, looking in a book, or asking an expert)
- Use opinion words to signal their own view (e.g. 'I think', 'my favourite')
1 · Read
A fact is something you can check and show to be true. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels, and other people might feel differently. 'Spiders have eight legs' is a fact, you can count the legs. 'Spiders are scary' is an opinion, some people think spiders are cute instead.
Mia reads two sentences in her book: 'The moon orbits the earth' and 'The moon looks beautiful tonight.' The first sentence is a fact, she could check it in a science book. The second is an opinion, not everyone thinks the moon looks beautiful.
To test whether something is a fact, ask what you would do to check it. Could you count it, measure it, look it up, or ask someone who knows? If there is a way to check, it is a fact. If there is no way to check, because the sentence is about how someone feels, it is an opinion. This checking test is the one that decides, so try it on every sentence.
An advert says, 'This cereal is the best breakfast ever!' That is an opinion, it is trying to convince you. But 'This cereal has 12 grams of sugar' is a fact you could check on the box.
Sometimes one sentence holds both. Look at 'Our class has 30 children, and it is the friendliest class in school.' You can count the children, so that part is a fact. Nobody can measure friendliest, so that part is an opinion. When a sentence is long, split it and test each part on its own. Numbers need care too. 'Five is the best number' has a number in it, but it still tells you what someone feels, so it is an opinion.
Opinions often come with clue words like 'I think', 'I believe', or 'my favourite'. These words tell you someone is sharing feelings, not a fact anyone could check. The checking test still comes first though. Someone can start with 'I think' and still say something you could go and check.
Facts can be checked and proven, opinions are what someone thinks, and clue words like 'I think' help you spot them. Some sentences hold both, so test each part on its own.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
This opens up
Where this leads
24 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.