Fact and Opinion

Two kinds of sentences

When you read, you meet two kinds of sentences: facts and opinions. Telling them apart is a super reading skill. ⚖️

What is a fact? ✅

A fact is something true that you can check and prove. You can count it, measure it, or look it up.

A week has seven days. Honey is made by bees. Water freezes at 0 degrees.

Each one can be proven true, so each one is a fact.

What is an opinion? 💭

An opinion is what someone thinks or feels. Different people can have different opinions, and that is fine.

Honey is the tastiest food. Bees are scary. Winter is boring.

You cannot prove these true. They are opinions.

Opinion clue words 🗣️

Some words are big clues that a sentence is an opinion. Watch for:

• best, worst, greatest, favourite
• lovely, beautiful, scary, boring
• should, must, I think, I believe

If you see these words, you are probably reading an opinion.

Read and sort

Read this short passage and sort each sentence:

The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth. It can grow longer than three buses. I think the blue whale is the most amazing creature ever. Everyone should learn about whales. 🐋

Sentence	Fact or opinion
The blue whale is the largest animal on Earth	Fact ✅
It can grow longer than three buses	Fact ✅
I think the blue whale is the most amazing creature	Opinion 💭
Everyone should learn about whales	Opinion 💭

Why it matters

Writers mix facts and opinions, especially in adverts and reviews. A smart reader asks: "Can this be proven, or is it just what someone thinks?" 🔎

Play and practise

Play the matching game to sort each sentence into fact or opinion. Then flip the flashcards to remember the clue words.

Keep going

Try these next:

• Spot the key ideas: Finding the Main Idea
• Read facts and lists: Reading Instructions and Lists

Now you can weigh up facts and opinions like a judge! 🌟