Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day, 3rd Edition

L E S S O N
The Difference
between Fact
and Opinion
L E S S O N S U M M A R Y
To make sense of what you read, you must be able to tell whether
you’re reading fact or opinion. This lesson tells you how to distinguish
what someone knows for certain from what someone believes.
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As you can see, the key difference between fact
and opinion lies in the difference between 
believing
and 
knowing
. Opinions may be based on facts, but they
are still what we 
think
, not what we 
know
. Opinions are
debatable; facts are not.
Using Facts to Support Opinions
Reasonable 
opinions are those 
based on fact;
and indeed,
that is what much of writing is: the writer’s opinion (an
assertion about his or her subject) supported by facts
or other evidence.
Think about the topic sentences you formed after
you finished Lesson 2. Perhaps you made an assertion
like this:
James is a terrific boss.
This sentence is a good topic sentence; it’s an
assertion about the subject, James. And it is also an
opinion. It is, after all, debatable; someone could just
as easily take the opposite position and say:
James is a terrible boss.
This is another good topic sentence, and it’s
another opinion. Now, a good writer will show his or
her readers that this opinion is 
valid
by supporting it
with facts. For example:
James is a terrific boss. He always asks us how we’re
doing. He lets us leave early or come in late when we
have to take care of our children. He always gives
holiday bonuses. And he offers tuition reimburse-
ment for any course, even if it has nothing to do with
our position.
Notice how the topic sentence states an opinion,
whereas the rest of the sentences support that opinion
with facts about how James treats his employees. Now
that paragraph is much more effective than something
like this:
James is a terrible boss. I really don’t like him. He just
can’t get along with people. And he has stupid ideas
about politics.
Why is the first paragraph so much better?
Because it’s not just opinion. It’s opinion supported by
evidence. The second paragraph is all opinion. Every
sentence is debatable; every sentence tells us what the
author 
believes
is true, but not what is 
known
to be
true. The author of the second paragraph doesn’t pro-
vide any evidence to support why he or she thinks that
James is such a lousy boss. As a result, we’re not likely
to take his or her opinion very seriously.
In the first paragraph, on the other hand, the
writer offers concrete evidence for why he or she
believes
James is a great boss. After the initial opinion,
the writer provides facts—specific things James does
(which can be verified by other observers) that make
him a good boss. You may still not agree that James is
a great boss, but at least you can see exactly why this
writer thinks so.