Identifying fact vs opinion

A fact is a statement that can be checked and proven true or false ("Canberra is the capital of Australia"). An opinion is a personal belief or judgement that can't be proven the same way ("Canberra is a boring city"). Texts often blend the two — being able to tell them apart is an important reading skill, especially for news, reviews and persuasive writing.

Key terms

Fact:

A statement that can be checked and proven true or false.

Opinion:

A personal belief or judgement that can't be proven the same way as a fact.

Questions

1. 1. A fact is a statement that:

   • Can be checked and proven
   • Is always someone's opinion
   • Can never be true
   • Is a type of punctuation

2. 2. An opinion is:

   • A statement that can be proven true or false
   • A personal belief or judgement
   • Always a fact
   • A type of full stop

3. 3. "Canberra is the capital of Australia" is a:

   • Fact
   • Opinion
   • Neither
   • A question

4. 4. "Canberra is a boring city" is a:

   • Fact
   • Opinion
   • Neither
   • A list

5. 5. Which of these is a fact?

   • Pizza is the best food.
   • Water boils at 100°C at sea level.
   • Blue is the nicest colour.
   • Summer is better than winter.

6. 6. Which of these is an opinion?

   • The Earth orbits the Sun.
   • This book is the best one ever written.
   • Australia has six states.
   • Water is made of hydrogen and oxygen.

7. 7. Being able to tell facts from opinions is especially useful when reading:

   • Instruction manuals only
   • News, reviews and persuasive writing
   • Nothing in particular
   • Only fiction

8. 8. "The film runs for 120 minutes" is a fact because it:

   • Reflects a personal feeling
   • Can be checked and verified
   • Is always debatable
   • Cannot be proven

9. 9. "The film is too long" is an opinion because it:

   • Can be objectively measured
   • Reflects a personal judgement that others might disagree with
   • Is always exactly true
   • Can be checked with a stopwatch

10. 10. Which sentence mixes both a fact and an opinion?

    • The bridge is 500 metres long and honestly quite ugly.
    • The bridge is 500 metres long.
    • The bridge crosses the river.
    • The bridge was built in 1990.

11. 11. A news article that only reports facts (without opinion words) is generally aiming to be:

    • Persuasive
    • Objective and balanced
    • Purely fictional
    • A poem

12. 12. Words like "best", "worst", "boring" or "amazing" often signal:

    • A fact
    • An opinion
    • A question
    • A list

13. 13. Which of these is easiest to prove false if untrue?

    • This song is amazing.
    • The concert starts at 7pm.
    • This is the greatest concert ever.
    • Concerts are always the best.

14. 14. Recognising opinion-signalling words in a text mainly helps a reader:

    • Treat every statement as equally provable
    • Separate what's been proven from what's just someone's view
    • Ignore the whole text
    • Believe everything automatically

15. 15. A product review says "This laptop has a 15-inch screen and, frankly, is a waste of money." Which part is the opinion?

    • "Has a 15-inch screen"
    • "Is a waste of money"
    • Neither part
    • Both parts equally

16. 16. Why might a persuasive text deliberately blend facts and opinions together?

    • To make the opinion seem more credible by association with real facts
    • Facts and opinions can never appear in the same text
    • To confuse the reader for no reason
    • Because it's required by law

17. 17. A statement like "Most scientists agree the theory is well-supported" is best treated as:

    • A pure opinion with no basis
    • A claim that itself needs to be checked against evidence
    • Impossible to evaluate
    • Always exactly true

18. 18. Which is the most reliable way to test if a statement is a fact?

    • Ask whether it could be checked against evidence or reliable sources
    • Ask whether it sounds confident
    • Ask whether many people agree with it
    • Ask whether it uses strong language

19. 19. A critical reader encountering an opinion presented as if it were a fact should:

    • Accept it without question
    • Recognise it may need more evidence or acknowledgement that it's a viewpoint
    • Assume all writing is entirely factual
    • Stop reading immediately

20. 20. Distinguishing fact from opinion is an important skill mainly because it helps readers:

    • Understand and evaluate what they read more critically
    • Avoid reading opinion pieces ever again
    • Remove the need for evidence-based thinking
    • Treat every text as pure fiction