Fact or Opinion? The Detective Game
"Broccoli is green" — you can check that with your own eyes. "Broccoli is yucky" — that's just how one person feels! One of these you can prove. The other you can't. Learning to tell them apart is like being a detective for words.
What You'll Learn
- Tell the difference between a fact and an opinion - Know that a fact can be checked and proven true - Know that an opinion is how someone feels or thinks - Practice sorting sentences into the right group
What Is a Fact?
A fact is something you can check and prove true. "The sun rises in the east" is a fact — you can watch it happen every single morning and it's always true. "Dogs have four legs" is a fact too. You could count a dog's legs and prove it. Facts don't change depending on who is talking. Everyone who checks will get the same answer.
What Is an Opinion?
An opinion is what someone thinks or feels. "Chocolate ice cream is the best flavor" is an opinion — your friend might think mint chip is way better, and neither of you is wrong! Opinions use words like best, worst, favorite, prettiest, or yummiest. Opinions can be different from person to person, and that's okay. There's no way to check an opinion and prove it true or false the way you can with a fact.
Ask yourself: "Could I look this up or check it with a ruler, a clock, or a book?" If yes, it's probably a fact. If the sentence is really about liking or feeling something, it's probably an opinion.
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
Which sentence is a FACT?
What word in a sentence is a clue that it might be an OPINION?
Fact or Opinion Sort
Write 6 sentences: 3 facts about animals (things you could check in a book) and 3 opinions about animals (things about liking or feeling). Mix them up on a piece of paper, then trade with a family member or friend and have them sort your sentences into a Fact pile and an Opinion pile. Check together to see if they got it right.
Knowing fact from opinion helps you when you read the news, ads, or even a friend's story — so you know what's actually true versus what's just someone's feeling.
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