DISTINGUISHING FACTS FROM OPINIONS

❖ FACTS: Statements that can be proven.

➔ History books, Statistics, Proven Scientific Law, Measurements, Governmental Law, Mathematics,
Observations. (not foolproof but their information is considered a fact)

❖ OPINIONS: Cannot be proven and are based on someone’s thoughts, their feelings and their
understanding. Though you may be able to use facts to add credibility to an opinion, it is still an opinion.
Even if it is widely accepted, that does not make it a fact. An opinion is not necessarily wrong, it is merely
not a provable fact.

❖ OBSERVATIONS: Facts because they can be proven by senses.

❖ Some facts change overtime - Because new things are being discovered every day, reliable authorities are
sometimes forced to alter what we all once considered to be facts.

TYPES OF OPINIONS:
❖ HYPOTHESIS STATEMENTS: An assumption made in an attempt to explain an observation.

❖ THEORY STATEMENTS: An opinion that is a widely believed explanation for a group of observations.
(The Theory of Relativity and The Evolutionary Theory)

❖ ASSUMPTIVE STATEMENTS: An opinion that is an improvable prediction.

➢ Though these are stated as though they are true, they are only assumptive opinions

❖ VALUE STATEMENTS: Any claim that is based on someone’s beliefs.

➢ Value Statements are often opinions attempting to sway the reader to a certain belief.
 ❖ EXAGGERATED STATEMENTS: Embellished the facts, often to sway the reader. Writers often use
exaggeration to make their point more clear.

STRUCTURES OF MODIFICATION
NOUNS AS HEADS

❖ A structure that consists of two elements, head and modifier. A modifier serves to broaden, qualify, change,
describe, or in some way affect the meaning of the head.
➢ Meet me at the railway station.
➢ This is a red ball.

ADJECTIVE MODIFYING NOUN:

1. The old clock hung upon the wall.
2. A white horse galloped across the lush, green grass.
3. Have you met our three handsome boys?

ADVERB MODIFYING NOUN:

1. I saw the man downstairs.
2. I cannot understand the example above.
3. Almost everyone brought a bottle to the party.

VERB MODIFYING NOUN:

1. I know the gentleman reading.
2. A man swearing loudly crashed into the crying child.
3. The woman singing the song owes me money.

NOUN MODIFYING NOUN:

1. Company profits
2. Government administration
3. Drug research

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE MODIFYING NOUN:

1. He arrived in time.
2. The cat in the middle is the cutest.
3. I always buy my milk from the convenience store on Main Street.
 STRUCTURES OF MODIFICATION
VERB AS HEADS
❖ Verbs have a function repeatedly as the head. There are five parts of speech, including the verb itself, that can
modify the verb.

ADVERB MODIFYING VERB:

All of the adverb kinds can modify the verb. The position may be after or before the verb; or between the verb
auxiliaries.
1. The girls ran quickly but happily through the puddle.
2. Go to the administration office first and then come to class.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES MODIFYING VERB:

1. To find the person who stole the last cookie, look behind you.
2. Harry drank his Butterbeer with fervor.

VERBS MODIFYING VERB:

The verb modifier can be present participle or infinitive form.
1. He loves to live.
2. He studies to succeed.

NOUN MODIFYING VERB:

The position is after the verb and this noun has a noun determiner because the noun after verb also can be an object
of the verb. If the noun can be changed by it or them, the noun must be an object not a modifier
1. We are renovating the old farm buildings.
2. They spent the weekends doing the flower bed.

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
❖ A genre in writing that requires the writer to investigate a topic is an argumentative essay. Allows the
writer to collect, generate, and evaluate evidence. Requires heavy phrases and dialogue.
❖ CHARACTERISTICS: should include persuasiveness and logical reasoning.
➢ Must present and explain the issue.
➢ Give reasons and support to prove its points.
➢ It should prove that opposing arguments are wrong.
 PARTS OF AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY:
1. INTRODUCTION: The problem and the background information must be presented here. A thesis
statement is present.

2. BODY: The reasons and its supporting details/evidence should be presented by each paragraph here.
Supporting evidence may come from primary or secondary resources. (State personal experiences, quotes
and other claims.)

3. CONCLUSION: The main claim should be restated in the conclusion. Includes at least two or three general
statements to summarize the arguments.

❖ An argumentative essay is a genre in writing that makes a clear assertion or argument about some issue.
To write an argument essay, it is vital to remember that an argument is different from a regular, emotional
argument. Persuasive technique is needed to make the reader agree with your thesis statement.

THE DO’S THE DON’TS

✔ Follow your teacher’s guidelines.
✔ Introduce your topic clearly.
✔ Write a strong thesis statement.
✔ Give importance to referencing and styles. ✔
Organize your thoughts using an outline before you
start.
oDon’t use phrases to preface a statement.
o Don’t use signposting.
o Don’t use too many facts.
o Don’t use opinionated articles to support your claims.
o Do not write lengthy phrases.