Fact and Opinion: Is There

Really a Difference
Every man has a right to be wrong in his opinions.
But no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.
-Baruch, Bernard M 1870-1965
American Financier

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 Let’s Get The Facts Straight!

There is a difference between

FACT and OPINION.

Facts are statements that can be proven.

Opinions can not be proven. They 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!
Though an opinion may be widely accepted, that
does not make it a fact.
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 Let’s Get The Facts Straight!
A fact is something that can be proven
by a reliable authority such as:
Proven
A Statistics
scientific law
history book
Governmental
Measurements
law

Mathematics An observation

Note : None of these authorities are fool proof, but information that they
provide is considered to be fact.
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Lets Look at Some Examples of Facts
Reliable
Facts Must Have a Authority
John F. Kennedy was History Book
President 1961-1963
The adult human body Science
has 206 bones
56% of US gun Deaths Statistic
are suicides
21 is the legal drinking Governmental
age in Cincinnati, OH Law
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 More Examples of Facts
What About Observations?
Observations are facts because they can be proven by the senses.

Fact How it is Provable

Some flowers are You can bring in
larger than others. flowers of various
sizes
The shirt is green. You can bring in the
shirt so that the color
can be seen
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 Getting the Facts on Facts
Some facts change over time.
For example:
It was once considered to be a fact that the world was flat.

We believed that those traveling too far in either direction could

literally fall off!

Because new things are being discovered everyday, reliable authorities are sometimes forced
to alter what we all once considered to be facts.
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 Lets Look at Some Examples of
Opinions
Here are some of the same topics that we saw as facts.
Can you figure out how they were changed to opinions?

John F. Kennedy was an excellent President.

Apparently, the adult human body has more
bones than necessary.
All will
It is likely that the US suicide rate of these
decrease
soon. words are hints
that there is an
It is unfair for the legal drinking age to
opinion be 21.
present.

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 Types of Opinions

There are Several Types of Opinions:

 Hypothesis Statements
 Theory Statements
 Assumptive Statements
 Value Statements
 Exaggerated Statements

Lets Take a Quick Look at all of them.

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 Types of Opinions:
Statements of Hypothesis
A Hypothesis is an assumption made in an attempt to
explain an observation. Though an Observation is a Fact, a
Hypothesis is an Opinion.
For Example, if I were to elaborate on a previous observation and
say:
Some flowers are larger than others
because they are in more fertile soil.

This hypothesis would have to be further investigated

and scientifically proven to be considered a fact.
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 Types of Opinions:
Statements of Theory
A theory is an opinion that is a widely believed
explanation for a group of observations. Here are two
well known examples:

 The Theory of Relativity.

 The Evolutionary Theory.

Though many scientists believe that these theories are true, we still consider
them to be opinions rather than facts because they have not been proven.
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 Types of Opinions:
Statements of Assumption
An assumptive statement is an opinion that is an
improvable prediction. Here are three examples
If Hillary Clinton ran for President she would
definitely win.
The war in Iraq will eventually cost the US all of
its allies.
When that new movie comes out it will definitely
be at the top of the charts!
Though these are stated as though they are true, they are only assumptive opinions.
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 Types of Opinions:
Statements of Value
A value statement is any claim that is based on
someone's beliefs. Here are three examples

Colin Powell is an excellent candidate for president.

The use of animals in lab testing is cruel and must
be stopped.
The Bahamas is the most beautiful place on Earth.

Value Statements are often opinions attempting to sway the reader to a certain belief.
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 Types of Opinions:
Statements of Exaggeration
An exaggerated statement is one that embellishes the
facts, often to sway the reader. Here are two examples
There were millions of people rioting on
the streets of down town Cincinnati.
The president has not made one good
decision since he has been in office!
Writers often use exaggeration to make their point more clear. They are still opinions.
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Opinions: Words To Look Out For
There are Certain Words that will Warn You that
You are Being Given an Opinion and
Not a Fact!
Maybe Successful

Perhaps Necessary

Best / Worst Apparently

Experts Agree Probably

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 Getting the Facts About Opinions
An opinion is not necessarily wrong, it is merely
not a provable fact.
For example:

“Bridgett is a very beautiful young lady.”

Even if everyone agreed with this statement, it is still an opinion because it is

not provable. Beauty is relative.
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 Keeping Your Facts Straight
Do you think that you can separate facts from opinions?

The next slide will have five statements. Decide whether

each statement is a fact, or an opinion. Write down you
answers on a separate sheet of paper.

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 Keeping Your Facts Straight
Separate the facts from the opinions.

The best way to choose a spouse is based on brains, not beauty.

The car probably stopped running because it ran out of gas.
The Learning Center is in the Educational Services Building.
If I were to go on to receive my Bachelors, I would not be
successful.
There are 121 prescription drugs that come from plants.

Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

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 Keeping Your Facts Straight
How well did you do?
The car probably The Learning Center is
stopped running because in the Educational
it ran out of gas. Services Building.
-Opinion: hypothesis -Fact

If I were to go on to The best way to choose

receive my Bachelors, I a spouse is based on
would not be successful. brains, not beauty.
-Opinion: -Opinion: value
Assumption statement

There are 121 prescription drugs that come from plants.

-Fact
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 Need more help
Separating Facts from Opinions?
Visit Us on Campus at:
The Learning Center
Room 100
Educational Services Building
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